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Father Laurence Tracy, a key figure in Rochester's North Clinton Avenue neighborhood, has died

www.padretracy.com

A key figure in Rochester’s northeast neighborhood has died. Father Laurence Tracy, who has ministered to the North Clinton neighborhood, and is revered by many in the Hispanic community there, died early Thursday morning after a battle with ALS.  He was 78.

Father Tracy was ordained a priest in 1966 and served at a variety of venues, most recently at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, before retiring in 2006.

In 1968, Father Tracy helped found Ibero-American Action League, a dual language human services agency.

A facility in the La Avenida, or North Clinton Avenue neighborhood, established to help deal with the opioid crisis was named after him, the ‘Father Tracy Health and Wellness Center.’ Its goal is to connect people suffering from addiction to treatment and help residents with other basic needs.

Peter Schmitt, a former Rochesterian who originally studied to become a priest and was mentored by Father Tracy, understands why the priest was so beloved in the North Clinton area.

“He was always there for so many people in so many ways, when they were born, when they got married, when they died, when they were sick, when they were in prison, he was always there, a very, very special member of the community.”

As far as ministering to people suffering from addiction is concerned, Schmitt says Father Tracy was “always extremely close to those in need, he cared in a very special way for people struggling with this in the community.”

Schmitt says Father Tracy was hoping the community would continue to support the Father Tracy Health and Wellness Center in his memory.

This is video from a WXXI Need to Know program broadcast last April, and it includes some comments from Father Tracy about the opioid crisis:

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.