Retired Borderland priest who served for 4 decades dies at 79 of sudden heart failure

EL PASO, Texas – A retired Catholic priest who served in the Borderland for more than 40 years has died from heart failure, the El Paso Diocese announced.

Father Stephen Peters, 79, died suddenly Tuesday afternoon, the Diocese said in a statement.

Peters was ordained into the priesthood in 1967 and retired in 2011 after 44 years of service.

He served at churches in both El Paso and Las Cruces and remained active in the Diocese on various boards until the present day.

“I am deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Fr. Stephen Peters,” Bishop Mark Seitz said in a statement. “He served the community of God in El Paso with great fervor and immense dedication for 44 years. We have lost a great priest and my prayers today are for the eternal repose of his soul and the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed.”