Birth: March 12, 1946
Ordination: April 28, 1973
Pastor: August 23, 2002-September 12, 2024Died: September 12, 2024
Buried: Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery (Section 55), Houston
Raised in St. Theresa parish in Memorial Park, Fr. Drew Wood was a graduate of St. Thomas High School and the University of St. Thomas. He entered St. Mary's Seminary and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on April 28, 1973. He served at many parishes throughout the Houston area, in addition to filling the roles of Vocations Director and Vice Chancellor for the archdiocese and Spiritual Director at St. Mary’s Seminary before being assigned to St. Laurence in 1998. He became pastor in 2002. Under his leadership, the parish doubled in size to over 7,600 registered families, necessitating the expansion of the church building (2008) and construction of a new Ave Maria Parish Life Center (2015). Fr. Drew's love of liturgy, devotion to the Blessed Mother and affection for his parishioners helped to create a parish recognized as a safe harbor and vibrant, Spirit-led community. Due to his leadership, St. Laurence was presented the Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Award (Top Stewardship Parish) by the International Catholic Stewardship Council in 2019.
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