Rev. Richard J. Lombard

A beloved senior priest of the Diocese of Shreveport, Reverend Richard John Lombard was received into paradise on Friday, January 11, 2019. Born to Denis and Mary Ellen Barry Lombard on November 9, 1927, in Killatty, Ballyhooly County Cork, Ireland. Fr. Lombard attended Myross Wood Scholasticate Seminary in County Cork and was ordained to the priesthood on December 20, 1953. Encouraged by the late Bishop Charles P. Greco during one of his many visits to Ireland, Fr. Lombard chose to be incardinated into Greco's Diocese of Alexandria to minister in the mission field of Louisiana following his reception of Holy Orders. Upon his arrival in Alexandria, Fr. Lombard began sixty-five years of ministry to the faithful of two dioceses. His many early assignments included serving as an assistant in three locations until he came to his first pastor's assignment at St. Edward in Tallulah, Louisiana, in 1962. Four years later Bishop Greco asked that he come to West Shreveport and serve as the founding pastor of a new parish to serve the Catholics of the area. Thus, Sacred Heart Church in Shreveport was born in August of 1966 and the parishioners there enjoyed twenty years of Fr. Lombard's pastoral leadership. Fr. Lombard departed Sacred Heart in 1986, but not before proudly burning the mortgage of the new church and leaving the parish entirely debt free. He then served short appointments at Shreveport's St. Catherine of Sienna Parish in 1986, and Christ the King Parish in Bossier City from 1987-90. The remainder of his active ministry was completed at St. Joseph Parish Shreveport where he served as an associate priest before being named as pastor, later guiding St. Joseph during the parish's 50^th anniversary in 1999. Having served St. Joseph as an assistant priest from 1957-62, Fr. Lombard always considered St. Joseph his "home parish" and he was delighted to continue his ministry there well after retirement. Throughout his priesthood, Fr. Lombard excelled at instructing and welcoming new Catholics through the RCIA process and helping divorced Catholics through the marriage annulment process. Through his devoted ministry, thousands of new Catholics entered the Church and hundreds among the faithful were able to lead new lives following their successful annulment. Fr. Lombard is preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, Patrick Lombard and Michael Lombard. He is survived by his sister, Betty Lombard Mannion of Hampshire, England. The visitation for Fr. Lombard will take place at 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish in Shreveport, 204 Patton Avenue on Tuesday, January 15, 2019. His Vigil Service will begin at 6:30 p.m. including two decades of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary officiated by Rev. Peter Mangum, Diocesan Administrator, who will also serve as Homilist for the Vigil Service. A 10:00 a.m. Mass of Resurrection will be concelebrated the following day on Wednesday, January 16, 2019. Rev. Mangum along with Fr. Lombard's brother priests from the Dioceses of Alexandria and Shreveport will officiate. Homilist at the funeral mass will be Rev. Msgr. Earl V. Provenza, V.F. who will preach on the subject of "Fr. Lombard as Priest." Burial will follow at Rose-Neath Cemetery, Priest's Section in Bossier City, Louisiana with Rev. Peter Mangum officiating. Honoring Fr. Lombard as pallbearers will be his brother priests. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be James Barnard, George Cascio, Rosina Cascio, Dan Currey, John Gates, Lauren Jones, Edwina Raines and Romeo Vargas. In lieu of flowers, Fr. Lombard requested that memorial gifts may be made to the Fund for Retired Clergy at the Catholic Center, 3500 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71104.