Death of Bishop Emeritus William B. Friend
Most Rev. William Benedict Friend, the founding Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport, died at his home in Coral Springs, Florida this morning. Born October 22, 1931 in Miami, Florida, Bishop Friend was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in Mobile, Alabama on May 7, 1959.
After lengthy service as a parish priest and pastoral research specialist, Fr. Friend was named as Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria, Louisiana, in 1979, becoming Bishop of Alexandria in 1983. Under the direction of St. John Paul II, Bishop Friend founded the Diocese of Shreveport in July 1986 and remained Bishop of that diocese until his retirement in 2006 after 47 years of active priesthood, 36 of those years serving as a bishop. He leaves behind a remarkable legacy of public speaking, pastoral experience, teaching and educational administration as well as published works on both professional and research levels.
“He left me a diocese in wonderful shape,” commented current Shreveport Bishop Michael G. Duca. “His many years of work to create an active and dedicated community of priests and lay faithful is a tribute to his enormous skill and pastoral leadership. All of us within our worship community remain grateful for his ministry to us.”
Local services for Bishop Emeritus William Friend are pending, and will take place in Shreveport at the Cathedral of Saint John Berchmans. Further information on those arrangements will be released as soon as possible.
All local liturgical events in honor of Bishop Emeritus William B. Friend will be webcast by the Cathedral and can be viewed on the internet by accessing the Cathedral website at
www.sjbcathedral.org/cathedral/webcast
No comments:
Post a Comment