Gerard Louis Frey
Encyclopedia
Gerard Louis Frey was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Savannah
, Georgia
(1967-1972) and Bishop of Lafayette
, Louisiana
(1972-1989).
, to Andrew Francis and Marie Theresa (née DeRose) Frey. Two of his brothers also entered the priesthood
. After attending St. Vincent de Paul School, he studied at St. Joseph College Seminary
from 1928 to 1932. He then entered Notre Dame Seminary
, where he completed his theological
studies. He was ordained
a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans
on April 2, 1938.
Frey then served as a curate
at Holy Rosary Church in Taft
until 1946, when he became director of the Archdiocesan Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
. While serving as director, he resided at St. Leo the Great Church in New Orleans. He was named a Papal Chamberlain
by Pope Pius XII
in 1949, and pastor
of St. Frances Cabrini Church
at New Orleans in 1952. Domestic Prelate
1954. He attended the Second Vatican Council
from 1962 to 1965 as a pastoral representative. He was later made pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church in Houma
.
, Georgia
, by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following August 8 from Archbishop Philip Hannan
, with Bishops Charles Pasquale Greco
and Robert Emmet Tracy
serving as co-consecrators
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: Serviam (Latin
: "I will serve"). During his tenure, he launced the Social Apostolate, a social service agency designed "to put people in the pews in touch with the poor." He also encouraged every church in the diocese to establish a parish council
.
in his native Louisiana. During his tenure, he initiated reorganization plans that increased and expanded participation by clergy, religious
, and laity
in diocesan affairs. He also named the first woman to serve as chancellor
of a Catholic diocese in the United States. In 1987 he opened a diocesan synod
.
, Harry Flynn (who would later become Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
). Frey retired to a family compound in Bay St. Louis
, Mississippi
, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina
in 2005. His brother Jerome drove to Bay St. Louis to rescue him, returning him to Louisiana. Frey spent the remainder of his life first at Consolata Nursing Home in New Iberia and later in a private home in Lafayette provided by the diocese. He died after a lengthy illness at age 93. He is buried in the crypt
of the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Savannah
Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the southern counties of the state of Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
(1967-1972) and Bishop of Lafayette
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
The Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana is an ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church in the United States. The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1756. The diocese was created on January 11, 1918 from the western part of the Archdiocese of New...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
(1972-1989).
Early life and priesthood
One of nine children, Gerard Frey was born in New Orleans, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, to Andrew Francis and Marie Theresa (née DeRose) Frey. Two of his brothers also entered the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
. After attending St. Vincent de Paul School, he studied at St. Joseph College Seminary
Saint Joseph Seminary College
Saint Joseph Seminary College, also known as St. Ben or St. Ben's, is a private four-year seminary college founded in 1891. It is operated by the Benedictine Monks of Saint Joseph Abbey and the dioceses of the ecclesiastical provinces of New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The piney woods campus is...
from 1928 to 1932. He then entered Notre Dame Seminary
Notre Dame Seminary
Notre Dame Seminary is a resident, accredited graduate theological school in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1923 for the education of men to be priests of the Roman Catholic Church. The building, located at 2901 South Carrollton Avenue, was constructed between 1922-1923, and was designed by...
, where he completed his theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
studies. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
on April 2, 1938.
Frey then served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Holy Rosary Church in Taft
Taft, Louisiana
Taft is a census-designated place in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. According to the 2000 census, Taft had a total population of zero.-History:...
until 1946, when he became director of the Archdiocesan Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine was an association established at Rome in 1562 for the purpose of giving religious education. Its modern usage, often abbreviated CCD or C.C.D., is a religious education program of the Catholic Church, normally designed for children.-History:Until the...
. While serving as director, he resided at St. Leo the Great Church in New Orleans. He was named a Papal Chamberlain
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in 1949, and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Frances Cabrini Church
St. Frances Cabrini Church
St. Frances Cabrini Church was a Roman Catholic church in New Orleans, Louisiana the heart of the parish of the same name in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The parish was an area bounded by Lake Pontchartrain, mid-city,and two major canals. The parish was carved from St. Raphael Parish in 1953...
at New Orleans in 1952. Domestic Prelate
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
1954. He attended the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
from 1962 to 1965 as a pastoral representative. He was later made pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church in Houma
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
.
Savannah
On May 31, 1967, Frey was appointed the eleventh Bishop of SavannahRoman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the southern counties of the state of Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following August 8 from Archbishop Philip Hannan
Philip Hannan
Philip Matthew Hannan was an American Roman Catholic Archbishop. Archbishop Hannan, in his episcopal career, served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and later as the Eleventh Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans from September 29, 1965 to...
, with Bishops Charles Pasquale Greco
Charles Pasquale Greco
Charles Pasquale Greco was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana from 1946 to 1973.-Biography:...
and Robert Emmet Tracy
Robert Emmet Tracy
Robert Emmet Tracy was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Baton Rouge from 1961 to 1974.-Biography:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: Serviam (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: "I will serve"). During his tenure, he launced the Social Apostolate, a social service agency designed "to put people in the pews in touch with the poor." He also encouraged every church in the diocese to establish a parish council
Parish council (US Catholic Church)
Not to be confused with Pastoral CouncilIn American Roman Catholic parishes, the parish council arose after Vatican II in the new era of lay participation in parish decision making. It was a response to the Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People...
.
Lafayette
On November 7, 1972, Frey was appointed the third Bishop of LafayetteRoman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
The Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana is an ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church in the United States. The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1756. The diocese was created on January 11, 1918 from the western part of the Archdiocese of New...
in his native Louisiana. During his tenure, he initiated reorganization plans that increased and expanded participation by clergy, religious
Consecrated life (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, the term "consecrated life" denotes a stable form of Christian living by those faithful who feel called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way recognized by the Church...
, and laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
in diocesan affairs. He also named the first woman to serve as chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of a Catholic diocese in the United States. In 1987 he opened a diocesan synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
.
Later life and death
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Frey resigned as Bishop of Lafayette on May 13, 1989. He was succeeded by his coadjutor bishopCoadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
, Harry Flynn (who would later become Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis...
). Frey retired to a family compound in Bay St. Louis
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,209. It is the county seat of Hancock County...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005. His brother Jerome drove to Bay St. Louis to rescue him, returning him to Louisiana. Frey spent the remainder of his life first at Consolata Nursing Home in New Iberia and later in a private home in Lafayette provided by the diocese. He died after a lengthy illness at age 93. He is buried in the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
of the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist
St. John's Cathedral (Lafayette, Louisiana)
The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, originally called l'Église St-Jean du Vermilion, is a historic Roman Catholic cathedral. It was the first church in the Lafayette Parish, founded in 1821 on property donated by Jean Mouton...
.