Remembering Monsignor George Matthias Schroeder

Denver priest and youth evangelization leader dies at 89 

(Photo provided)

Monsignor George Matthias Schroeder, a beloved retired priest who served the Archdiocese of Denver for over two decades, particularly in campus and youth ministry, passed away on November 8, 2025, in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 89. 

A Heart for Service 

Many in Northern Colorado and across the archdiocese remember him as a steady pastor, an energetic evangelizer of young people and a priest who carried his love for Christ and the Church into every assignment. 

Monsignor Schroeder came to Colorado in July 1982, answering the call to serve the people of Denver. He was appointed Newman director at the University of Denver and archdiocesan director of youth ministry, roles in which he helped shape a generation of Catholic young adults and teens, encouraging them to deepen their friendship with the Lord and to live their faith with confidence. His ministry to youth and young adults reached a joyful high point in 1993, when he served as host for World Youth Day featuring Pope St. John Paul II — an event that remains a cherished memory in the spiritual life of the archdiocese. 

That same year, Monsignor Schroeder became pastor of Holy Name Parish in Steamboat Springs. There, he shepherded parishioners across a wide region, celebrating the sacraments faithfully, preaching the Gospel with clarity and accompanying families, visitors and longtime locals alike in the life of grace. His time in the archdiocese also included service as Vicar for Clergy for the Archdiocese of Denver from 2005 to 2007, a role that reflected the trust placed in his priestly wisdom and pastoral heart. 

Decades of Ministry 

Born April 20, 1936, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Monsignor Schroeder spent his youth in Belle Plaine and Duluth, graduating from Cathedral High School in Duluth in 1954. He pursued priestly formation at Crosier Seminary in Onamia, Minnesota, and Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 1962.  

His early assignments in the Diocese of Duluth included service as an assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hibbing, Minnesota, followed by parish work in Crosby-Ironton and Virginia, Minnesota. 

In 1969, Father Schroeder was named Communications Director for the Diocese of Duluth. He edited The Register, the diocesan weekly newspaper, and brought the Mass to the homebound through the televised “Mass for Shut-ins.” He also served as chaplain for the University of Minnesota Duluth Newman Club, supporting college students in their discipleship. 

Father Schroeder was elevated to the rank of monsignor on December 3, 2000, in recognition of many years of devoted priestly service.  

He retired to Scottsdale, Arizona, and continued to assist in parish life, first at St. Patrick Parish from 2007 to 2009, and then at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Scottsdale, until retiring again in 2022. Even in retirement, he remained a priest at heart, offering his ministry wherever the Church asked. 

A Final Farewell 

Monsignor Schroeder was preceded in death by his mother, Josephine; his father, Matthias; brother-in-law, Frank; niece, Michelle; and his grandparents. He is survived by his brother, Robert (Mary) of Wisconsin; sisters, Josie Tomars and Mary Kay; niece, Annette (Joseph) Annoreno, and great-nephews, Joey and Victor, all of Arizona; nephew, Matt, of Texas; niece, Josephine (Byron) Schulte; and great-nephews, Harrison and Callum, of Colorado. 

A Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Benedict Parish in Duluth, Minnesota, at 11 a.m. on November 17, 2025. He was buried in the family plot in Duluth at Calvary Cemetery. A Mass of remembrance will also be celebrated at both Blessed Sacrament Parish in Scottsdale and Holy Name Catholic Parish in Steamboat Springs at a future date. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Diocese of Duluth or the Archdiocese of Denver. 

The Archdiocese of Denver commends Monsignor Schroeder to the mercy of God and invites the faithful to pray for the repose of his soul, giving thanks for a life spent in service to Christ, his Church and especially the young people he loved to lead toward holiness. 

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.