Beloved Community Spotlight

Peter Conroy has a way of showing up—quietly, thoughtfully, and with a steady presence that speaks volumes. Since finding his way to St. Margaret’s in August 2023, he’s become part of the fabric of a community he once simply recommended to others.

A Louisiana native, Peter grew up in Metairie but has called the Baton Rouge area home for more than 35 years. He’s lived in the same house near City Park for about a quarter century—long enough to know the rhythms of the neighborhood and appreciate the comfort of staying rooted. His path has taken him from Metairie to Washington, D.C. for college, back to New Orleans for his MBA, then to Baton Rouge, then a brief return to the D.C. area in the early 2000s before settling back here for good.

Professionally, Peter spent most of his career as an analyst for the Louisiana House of Representatives, focusing on budget and fiscal issues. Since retiring in 2019, he’s embraced a life of continued learning and meaningful service. He’s currently in his second year of Education for Ministry (EfM), taking a course on Contemplation and Care for Creation, and even brushing up on his Spanish to help facilitate classes with St. Margaret’s La Mesa program.

Peter’s journey to St. Margaret’s is a story in itself. After recommending the parish to friends, he came to support one of them during a Recovery Sunday—and found himself welcomed into a web of connections spanning the recovery community, the LGBTQ community, and colleagues from his legislative days. What began as a visit quickly became something more.

Raised Roman Catholic, Peter’s early faith included regular church attendance and serving as an acolyte. Over time, his spiritual path became less tied to a single denomination, and after getting sober in December 1998, 12-Step fellowships became a central spiritual home. Like many, he admits to having grown a bit cynical about church along the way—but St. Margaret’s helped change that. In his words, it “restored my faith in faith communities.”

What keeps him at St. Margaret’s — The energy,  the openness and the sense that people genuinely want to know one another. He’s especially drawn to the way life at St. Margaret’s extends beyond Sunday mornings. One recent Friday captures it well: helping lead an outdoor Stations of the Cross in the Meditation Garden, then heading to an LGBTQ+ AA meeting in the library—while music from a folk dancing group drifted in from Lyle Hall. It’s that kind of vibrant, overlapping community life that Peter finds so special.

La Mesa holds a particularly meaningful place in his heart, not only for the ministry itself, but for the mutual support between its participants and the wider parish. He points with quiet pride to the bridge and flower cart in the Meditation Garden, both created by members of La Mesa classes to show their appreciation for the program.

Outside of church, Peter enjoys staying active—whether that’s working on puzzle games, spending time outdoors, or making regular trips to Gulf Shores. He also comes from a large family, with three sisters and two brothers, a background that perhaps helps explain his ease in community.

He’s not one to seek the spotlight, but Peter’s impact is felt in the ways he connects, serves, and continues to grow. If you ask how he’d like to be remembered, his answer is simple: with a smile—and maybe a little chuckle—passed along to others.

If you haven’t met Peter yet, say hello. He’s an easy one with which to have a conversation.