Livestreaming of the wake service and Funeral liturgy appear below
Our Capuchin confrere Mike Greb, OFM Cap., 65, passed to the Lord's eternal life on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at UPMC Shadyside Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA.
One of seven children, our brother Michael Greb was born to parents Ralph and Dorothy (Koeper) Greb on August 8, 1958, in Pittsburgh, PA. He was proud of his parish Church in Castle Shannon, St. Anne Parish, and of its pastor Charles Owen Rice, a writer and American Labor activist. Mike was even highlighted in historian Sam Sciullo Jr.’s book, Castle Shannon, in the Images of America series. In the caption of the photo, Mr. Sciullo wrote:
As a teenager in Castle Shannon, Michael Greb loved baseball. But when he realized he probably was not going to replace Roberto Clemente as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ next great right fielder, his career path took him in a much different direction. The 1976 graduate of Keystone Oaks High School, who also attended St. Anne School, became Father Greb when he was ordained in 1989 by Bishop Donald Wuerl. Father Greb recalled his roots when asked to consider his influences during a 2012 interview. “I do realize that so many of the values of faith and family, care for people and good citizenship were born in Castle Shannon,” he said.“ I have always been proud of my hometown and the people. Our parish of St. Anne’s will always he where I came to love my Catholic faith and where I discovered my pathway of service and religious life."
Mike began seminary studies at St. Paul Seminary of the Diocese of Pittsburgh with classes at Duquesne University for his undergraduate degree. By the way, he experienced there the “biggest fire” and the “most phenomenal damage” to one of its S
eminary buildings (see below for more superlatives). With pride, he also remembered the visit of Mother Theresa of Calcutta to the seminarians, and the cropped photo here (cropped by Mike, of course) is the only one he had “with Mother Theresa.” In a larger view, they appear to be missing one another as the meeting with the seminarians ended, but granted, it IS a photo of Mike “with” Mother Theresa.
After his graduation from Duquesne, Mike moved on to Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, OH, for theological studies in 1980, his Capuchin Franciscan life began. In truth, though, it all started years before that with a postcard . . . .
When Mike sensed his desire to become a priest as a young man, he sent out “feelers” for information about Religious Orders, and he knew of the Capuchins from friars who served in and around Castle Shannon. Sending in a Capuchin Vocation postcard available from his St. Ann’s Parish vestibule, he never heard from a single friar. He let it drop as a sign he was to become a Diocesan priest.
One day, while Mike was in theology at the Josephinum he received a call from our brother John Daya, OFM Cap., the Vocation Director at the time, responding to Mike’s card; John had found it in the office where it had fallen to the floor, out of sight. After John’s phone call and an invitation for a fraternal visit, Mike saw it as a sign that he was called to be a Capuchin.
Mike always relied on divine signs. Those signs appeared throughout his life. They came from Ministers who asked him to take on various ministries in the Province; they came from pilgrimages he was able to make to Rome or Assisi or Lourdes; they came from films he would see many times over, religious or otherwise; they came through the music of Neil Diamond, Simon & Garfunkel or James Taylor, and those signs were loud and clear in the many times he had the chance to see them in concert. God was doing overtime in Mike’s life.
Of course, every story and event he’d relate was something incredible, awesome, the “best,” outstanding or all of the above, and we were inclined to smile and wonder how so many persons, parishes, movies, songs, concerts or events could all share top-ranked status.
In 1982, Michael pursued his vocation as a Capuchin friar, initially as a postulant for two years, in Dover, OH, and in Conway, PA, before moving on to his novitiate year in 1984. Like other things in his life, this was a landmark year because it was the first novitiate year at our newly created St. Conrad Friary in Pittsburgh’s North Hills (Allison Park). As a novice alongside fellow friars Frank Yacobi (+2022), Mike Letostak (+2014) and future Provincial Minister David Nestler, this class of twelve was challenged with the physical and spiritual details of 
turning a personal property into a Capuchin fraternity. Installing stained glass windows from the former novitiate house in Annapolis, MD, getting the grounds in shape, purchasing and placing furniture and working out the “kinks” in real-time shaped what future novices would come to take for granted in the next 25 years of its existence.
Professing vows as a Capuchin on July 13, 1985, he continued his theology studies at Catholic University of America before his year as a deacon in Dover, OH, in 1988-1989 and his priestly ordination on July 22, 1989.
Mike didn’t quite set a “record,” but his 34 years in priestly ministry were notable for having accepted 13 different assignments. His first was as Parochial Vicar to Our Lady of Peace Parish in Conway, PA. He was named vocation director in 1995; from 1997 to 2003, he ministered in three d
ifferent parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh (St. Wendelin Parish in Butler County, St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Clairton, and St. Joseph Parish in Cabot); in 2003 he moved to Wheeling, WV, to serve as associate director of Paul VI Pastoral Center; in 2007-2008 he served on the North American Capuchin novitiate staff in Burlington, WI (where he reported, far and away, the “coldest” winter any human person could ever experience).
His experience as a parish pastor saw brief stints at St. Cecelia Parish in Rochester, PA, and St. Felix Parish in Freedom, PA (2008-2010) before his last parochial assignment as assistant to Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Pittsburgh and as chaplain to West Penn Hospital there for three years (2010-2013).
His final assignment, and his longest tenure of 10 years, was to serve as chaplain to the men and women of McGuire Memorial Home in New Brighton, PA, which provides services to people with intellectual and physical challenges. He cherished his visits there and felt that he could best serve them by not “talking down” to them. He would insist that the residents not be treated as children, and his homilies and personal attention were highlights of his work. Throughout the first year of the COVID pandemic (2020), Mike would set up his laptop in the friary chapel in Beaver, PA, and offer Mass and a word to those who were able to gather, though many residents were high risk and compromised by chronic health issues.
Sadly, Mike began his own slow and progressive decline in health in these years. The days of hopping over pews, throwing football passes to people in the assembly, racing through a congregation at Mass asking questions of not-always-elated parishioners, or allowing his Sunday homilies to last for half an hour were now things of the past. A weakened heart, complications of diabetes and a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis increasingly sapped his energies.
Though it was one of the toughest decisions to make (the superlative is applicable here), Mike saw that he could best live out his remaining months at the motherhouse which was more suited to care for his needs. Moving to St. Augustine Friary in May, 2023, he remained in touch with family and friends and was faithfully visited often by family and friends who realized their time with him was limited.
During his final hospitalization, our brother passed to the Lord’s eternal life without struggle or pain. Those who were with him saw him close his eyes and were shocked to realize that his heart had beat its last.
Mike will be remembered as a true Pittsburgher at heart and an avid fan of its sports teams. His favorite teams were the Pirates, Steelers or Penguins, depending on who was playing at the moment. He loved his ministry at McGuire Memorial and had great affection for those he loved and served (Mike often remarked it was his favorite assignment). He was an energetic preacher and eagerly shared the Catholic faith with others. He was a devout Capuchin and cherished his life as a priest.
Even as he endured medical challenges, Mike remained characteristically joyful and upbeat throughout. He made friends generously and easily; he enjoyed conversation, a
voiding personal criticism and negativity while not shy to state his views. He was a man of conviction.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents, and leaves to mourn three brothers and three sisters: James (Karen), his twin Mary Ann Lecci (Donald), Paul (Susan), Edward (Susan), Elizabeth Sandhagen (Harrold), and Jennifer, and many nieces and nephews.
He is also survived by over 10,000 of his Capuchin brothers throughout the world.
The arrangements for his funeral and celebration of life are being handled by D'Allesandro Funeral Home, Pittsburgh, PA, where you can find the online public obituary here.
Funeral Arrangements
Livestreaming opportunties, when determined, will appear below
Monday, October 30, 2023
Visitation & Wake Service
St. Augustine Friary
St. Margaret of Cortona Chapel
221 36th Street
Pittsburgh PA 15201
4:30 p.m.
Reception of the body (friars only)
5:15 p.m.
Evening Prayer
7:00 p.m.
Visitation
8:00 p.m.
Wake Service
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Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Mass of Christian Burial
St. Augustine Church
37th and Bandera Streets
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
9:00 a.m.
Visitation
9:30 a.m.
Mass of Christian Burial
(Interment at St. Augustine Cemetery • Friars' Plot)
Repast
Following the Funeral Mass and Interment
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Memorial donations to honor
the life of our brother Mike
may be made online
to the Capuchin Franciscan Friars
or to the address in the footer below.