Bishop William Benedict Friend

The Most Reverend William Benedict Friend, first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, died Thursday, April 2, 2015, in Coral Springs, Florida. He was appointed the founding Bishop of Shreveport by Saint John Paul II on June 16, 1986, and installed at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans on July 30, 1986. His retirement was accepted on December 20, 2006, by Pope Benedict XVI. After retirement, he assisted with sacramental ministry at St. Andrew Parish in Coral Springs, Florida. Born in Miami, Florida, October 22, 1931 to William Eugene and Elizabeth Mary Paulus. Bishop Friend attended and graduated in 1949 from Gesu Catholic School. He also attended the University of Miami where he majored in business administration and prior to entering studies for the priesthood, he pursued a career in finance and marketing. Seminary studies included St. Mary College, Kentucky, and Mount Saint Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland. He was ordained a priest for service in the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham in Alabama on May 7, 1959. After ordination he completed studies at The Catholic University of America and the American Management Institute, New York. On October 30, 1979, he was ordained Titular Bishop of Pomaria and Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport. He was appointed Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport in 1982. Bishop Friend also served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Alexandria from October 2003 until January 2005. Bishop Friend was awarded the Brotherhood and Humanitarian Award by the Shreveport/Bossier City Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1987. The Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission honored him with the 1999 Universal Human Rights Service Award, and in 2004 Bishop Friend received the Harry Blake Award for African American Empowerment. Bishop Friend's 1990 pastoral document on racism entitled "That All May Be One," came at a very tense time in Louisiana's political history and remains a true gift that he leaves behind for the people of God. The Most Rev. William B. Friend was awarded the Order of Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem with the rank of Knight Commander with Star. He was a member of the Fourth Degree, Knights of Columbus, serving the Order as Louisiana State Chaplain and as Grand Prelate, and was honored with the Order of the Fleur de Lis. In 1987, Bishop Friend received the Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from St. Leo College, St. Leo, Florida. He was elected Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2001-2003, and was instrumental in the creation of the USCCB Charter on the Protection of Children and Young Adults and instituted one of the first Diocesan Safe Environment Programs. A keen interest in research enabled Bishop Friend to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) from 1998 to 2003. His leadership helped establish CARA as one of the most respected Catholic research organizations in America. He was also a member of numerous professional organizations including the Pontifical Council for Culture (Vatican), the Catholic Academy of Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, the World Future Society, the Committee for Science and Human Values of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and the American Academy of Religion. Bishop Friend's research of the Human Genome Project on behalf of the Vatican was groundbreaking, and he guided the Church to her initial understanding of this incredible scientific achievement. Bishop Friend served as a trustee of two seminaries and board member of several Catholic hospitals in Louisiana, Shreveport's Biomedical Research Center, a pastoral center for Catholic Hispanics in the Southeastern United States, the Catholic Campus Ministry Association, The Community Renewal International Program and Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission. He also was councilor to the Catholic Committee of the South and Notre Dame University's O'Reilly Center for the Study of Science, Philosophy and Theology, and consultant to the Southern African Bishops Conference. Author of over 49 publications in professional journals, books and periodicals, Bishop Friend presented papers in Mexico, Brazil, Canada, the United States and the Vatican. Bishop William B. Friend is survived by his sister, Jean Boccard, of Coral Springs, Florida; niece, Lisa Boccard (Claudio Sad) also of Coral Springs; nephew, Matthew L. Boccard, Jr. (Brenda) of Jacksonville, Florida; nephew, Vincent M. Boccard, former Mayor of Coral Springs, (Terry); great nephews, James Addis and Nicholas Addis; great niece, Sophia Boccard; and great-great niece, Ava Jade Addis, all of Coral Springs, Florida. The vigil for Bishop William B. Friend will be held Monday, April 13, at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans located at 939 Jordan Street in Shreveport. A Rosary will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral Mass at the Cathedral will be Tuesday, April 14, at 11:00 a.m. The Presider will be His Excellency Gregory Aymond, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Homilist will be His Excellency Michael Duca, Bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport. All liturgical events for Bishop Emeritus William B. Friend will be webcast by the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans and can be viewed on the internet by accessing the Cathedral website at www.sjbcathedral.org/cathedral/webcast. Honoring Bishop Friend as pallbearers will be nephews, Matthew Boccard and Vincent Boccard, and priests of the Diocese of Shreveport who were ordained by Bishop Friend. Interment will follow in the Prayer Garden at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the following charities: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, P.O. Box 150527, San Rafael, CA 94915, Diocese of Shreveport Greco Institute, Magnificat NOWELA Chapter c/o Sandy Chapman, 4686 HWY 71, Shreveport, LA 71107, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana www. ccshpt.org, 3331 E. 71^st St., Shreveport, LA 71106, Community Renewal International www.communityrenewal.us, RENEW International Attn: Development Dept., 1232 George St., Plainfield, NJ 07062, The Lisa Boccard Breast Cancer Fund www.browardhealth.org/lisaboccardfund,Broward Health Coral Springs, 3000 Coral Springs Dr., Coral Springs, FL 33065.