William Lenane

Reverend Monsignor William Lenane June 9, 1925 - Feb. 28, 2012 William Michael Lenane, son of Maurice Lenane and Ellen Shea, was born in Oakland on June 9, 1925. After elementary school at Saint Augustine and Saint Frances de Sales in Oakland, he entered Saint Joseph's College Seminary. After completing his seminary studies at Saint Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, Father Lenane was ordained in Saint Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco on June 16, 1950, by Archbishop John J. Mitty. His assignments included the parishes of Mission Dolores, Saint Charles and Saint Agnes in San Francisco. He also served at Saint Bernard in Tracy, Saint Mark in Richmond and at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park from 1965 until 1974. In 1974, Father Lenane was assigned to Saint Simon Parish in Los Altos and from 1976-1984 he was pastor of Saint Joseph Parish in Mountain View. Subsequent to that he served as pastor at Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish and then as parochial vicar at the same parish until his retirement in 1992. In 2000, Father Lenane was named a Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II. In his later years, Monsignor Lenane resided at Our Lady of Fatima Villa in Saratoga and at Campbell Village in Campbell. Monsignor Lenane is survived by nieces and nephews, by his cousin, Father Thomas Shea, a retired priest of the Diocese of San Jose, and by his dear friend, Father John Hester, chaplain at Stanford Hospital. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, March 7, at Saint Albert the Great Church, 1095 Channing Avenue, Palo Alto. Donations are preferred to the Dermody Center, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 3290 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94306. Arrangements by Alta Mesa Funeral Home, Palo Alto, CA.