Father Glenn O'Connor, Indy 500's 'Priest in the Pits,' dies

Father Glenn O'Connor stopped for a moment and he paused, just days before the Indianapolis 500 in 2005. He stood there listening to the steady rhythm of the cars whizzing around.

"I still get goose bumps," he said. "After 30 years at the Speedway, it's still like walking on sacred ground. I have a lot of respect for the drivers, and I love the thrills and the competition. Win, lose or draw, it's an honor to be part of the tradition."

Rev. O'Connor, known in racing circles as the "Priest in the Pits," who was as comfortable on the track as he was leading a Catholic mass, has died. He was 66.

"It is with sad hearts that we need to let our St. Susanna family know that Fr. Glenn O'Connor has passed away," St. Susanna Catholic Church posted to its Facebook page Friday night. "Please keep him, his family, and all of our parishioners in your prayers. More details will be shared as they become available."

For more than four decades, O'Connor was a fixture at the Indianapolis 500 -- and other IndyCar races -- and a face drivers say they welcomed.

"During the 500 last year, I thought it was funny and maybe a sign of good luck to have him in front of my pit," said IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud. "It was always a sense of comfort to have him around and he was a lover of life."

It was clear, O'Connor had an undeniable passion for racing, Pagenaud said.

"He wouldn’t hesitate to help out any team that needed it," he said. "Rest in peace."

Catholic priest in the fast lane

It was 1975 when a 20-something O'Connor got involved with auto racing, a bit by chance.

Eldon Rasmussen crashed his car in the first weekend of practice that year. O'Connor's boyhood friend, Joe Flynn, was working for Rasmussen and asked him to help rebuild the car. 

O'Connor was in college, home early and curious.

"I had nothing else to do, so I thought I'd see what it's all about," O'Connor told IndyStar in 2005. "I've loved every minute of it ever since." 

He fell hard for life in the fast lane.

"Sometimes people don't believe it," O'Connor said of his dual careers. "They'll walk away and say they didn't pick me for a priest." 

Most Sundays through the years, O'Connor was in church, but on the Sunday of the Indy 500 each year, he would be on the road headed to Indianapolis Motor Speedway by 4 a.m. A 2017 story in Catholic Digest featured his day at the track.

"By noon, Fr. Glenn will have celebrated three Masses, taken Communion to some of the biggest stars in IndyCar racing, been interviewed live on a local morning newscast, posed for photos, and shaken dozens of hands," the article said. "He’ll have checked that everything is in place for the huge Mass in the Speedway infield. After all, pre-race Catholic revelers don’t just party. They also pray."

After his priestly duties were finished, O'Connor would change into a racing uniform, hardly recognizable as his white collar was replaced with colorful, sponsored gear and a ball cap. And he would go to work at the track.

Through the decades, O'Connor helped rebuild crashed cars, changed tires and worked signboards telling drivers their speed and when to pit. Among the drivers he worked with: Al Unser Sr., Jimmy Kite, Johnny Parsons, Gordon Johncock, Roberto Guerrero and Scott Goodyear.

In 2017, he was a member of driver J.R. Hildebrand’s team. In the 1980s, O'Connor was on the crew of veteran driving legend Johnny Rutherford for the Indy 500.

The drivers were never shy about jabbing this priest with a penchant for racing.

"Believe me, I've heard all the jokes," O'Connor told IndyStar in 1995. "Everyone in the pits wants me to pray about rain on race days."

But those jokes, the drivers, the racing world were the perfect respite for O'Connor.

"In many ways, I avoid burnout as a priest with my Speedway activities," he said. "The pits involve a total change of scenery -- and lifestyle -- for me."

'An incredible person'

Born July 6, 1952, O'Connor grew up in Indianapolis, the oldest of eight children. He attended the former Latin School of Indianapolis, a prep school for aspiring priests.

His family was devout Catholic. O'Connor's father spent eight years studying at Saint Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. Early on, he got a taste of the priesthood and religious life.

But O'Connor didn't immediately latch on to religion as a career. After graduating from high school, he went to a local community college and worked in construction. He then spent a year at Ball State University.

Soon after, the calling came. O'Connor followed his father's path to Saint Meinrad. He was ordained May 17, 1980 and took his first job as associate pastor at St. Gabriel in Connersville.

From there, O'Connor served at St. Simon the Apostle, St. Philip Neri, St. Joseph, St. Ann, among other parishes. He also was the Catholic chaplain for the Indianapolis International Airport.

IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves said Friday night he was devestated to hear the news of O'Connor's death.

"He was always available to everyone and made me and everyone feel special," he said. "Heaven just got another incredible person."

We take sports seriously:If you do too, subscribe today.

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via e-mail: dbenbow@indystar.com.