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SERVING 88 SOUTH - GEORGIA COUNTIES
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 48, No. 7
MM Mill I Ml Mill I Ml Ml Ml III II MM Mill I MM I
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17. 1967
MOST REVEREND GERARD L. FREY, D.D
IMMMIMIMI MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
$5 Per Year
Eleventh Bishop Of Savannah Installed
MOST REVEREND GERARD L. FREY, D.D., eleventh Bishop of Savannah,
stands in front of the throne in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist immedi
ately following his enthronement by Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan.
(Staff photo by Bob Ward)
Diocese Greets
Its New Leader
By John E. Markwalter
Thursday, August 10, 1967, was “Bishop Ger
ard L. Frey Day” in Savannah. It was so pro
claimed by the Mayor and Aldermen of the city
in special proclamation.
The day was grey and threatening but the
throng gathered at Savannah’s Travis Field early
that morning, was bright and gay in anticipation
of the arrival of the Most Rev. Gerard L. Frey, Sa
vannah’s new bishop. The Bishop had been con
secrated just two days previously in New Orleans,
his native city.
It was a few minutes after
eleven when the big four en
gine plane, bearing Bishop
Frey and approximately 90
of his family and friends,
touched down. Monsignor An
drew J. McDonald, Chancellor
of the Diocese moved forward
to greet the Bishop’s family,
then Mrs. Andrew Frey, the
Bishop’s mother, Archbishop
Philip Hannan, archbishop of
New Orleans and Bishop Frey,
who was the last to leave
the plane.
The scene of greeting at the
airport was highlighted by the
presentation of the city’s pro
clamation by Alderman Wil
liam T. Gaudry. Following this
the Bishop and his party were
sped to their hotel, lead by a
special police escort.
The bishop was kept busy
until the hour of his Installa
tion at a press conference and
by attending a special luncheon
for visiting prelates and Dio
cesan Consultors.
At exactly 4:00 P M. the
colorful procession of Priests
and prelates moved down
the aisle of the Cathe
dral of St. John the Baptist.
The Rev. Lawrence A. Lu-
cree, Cathedral Rector, met
Bishop Frey at the entrance
and escorted him to the throne
at the right of the main altar.
The most Reverend Paul J.
Hallinan then escorted the new
ordinary to the Cathedral’s
pontifical throne, located to
the left of the altar and en
throned the new bishop of Sa
vannah. A representation of
the clergy approached Bishop
Frey to plege obedience to
their new bishop.
Following his installation
Bishop Frey told those gather
ed at the Cathedral that it was
“with a spirit of hope and con
fidence born of our common
faith that today I officially
greet you, my brothers and
sisters in Christ, who are the
Church of the Diocese of Sa
vannah.
The new bishop continued:
“At this moment I am very
conscious of the fact that I
have been entrusted by the Holy
See with the heavy responsi
bility of upholding and continu
ing a distinguished tradition of
accomplishment built up by a
long line of able predecessors.
I wiU dedicate every effort
to continue to build upon the
solid foundations laid by Arch
bishop McDonough and the dis
tinguished prelates who pre
ceded him.
“Much has been accom
plished in the past but there is
still much that must be done
by us together if we are to
live up to the promises and
the challenge of our time. To
this end I ask the help of the
prayers and the active
cooperation of priests, reli
gious and laity of this vene
rable See, in order that as
a living community, by pray
er and our common effort we
may, 1) Strengthen and renew
the faith of all during this year
of faith; 2) Make Christ not
only the nominal head but the
most influential member of
our community; 3) Bear con
stant witness of Christ to that
larger community, the world
in which we live and work,
and of which we are all also
intregal members.
“I am very grateful to lead
ers of other faiths and the civic
officials who have honored me
and the Diocese by their pre
sence here this afternoon. It
is my earnest prayer that our
association and collaboration
will be a fruitful and a mutual
ly beneficial one,’’ he con
cluded.
The Installation Ceremonies
were followed with a Concele-
Continued on Page 9
MSGR. GERARD L. FREY becomes Bishop Frey as Archbishop Philip M.
Harman imposes hands during consecration ceremony in St. Frances Cabrini
Church, New Orleans. (Clarion-Herald Photo by Frank Methe)
COLORFUL CEREMONIES
Bishop Frey Consecrated
At Saint Frances Cabrini
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Bis
hop Gerard L. Frey was con
secrated a bishop here on Au
gust 8th, the feast day of St.
John Vianney, patron of parish
priests.
The Church of St. Frances
Cabrini was ablaze with color
as the procession filed into
this church built around the
Liturgy. The crimson robed
bishops and monsignori and
the vestments of the prelates
taking part in the consecra
tion presented a spectacular
sight.
Adding to the color of the
occasion were the multi
colored habits of the sisters
who filled the right hand nave
of the Church. To the left
of the altar was the green
and gold throne which was
occupied by Archbishop Philip
M. Hannan, Archbishop of New
Orleans, principal consecra-
tor. The altar was flanked
with the American flag on the
left and the papal flag on the
right.
A gold leafed baldachin
reaches to the top of the church
and suspended from it, direct
ly over the altar, is a figure
of Christ with his arms open
ed in loving embrace. The
Stations of the Cross, hang
ing on the walls, depict the
life of Christ in rich yellows,
reds and blues. All of this
added to the splash of color
which met the eyes of the ap
proximately fifteen hundred
persons in attendance.
The beauty of the cere
monies were also evident
to the ear. The combined
choirs of St. Augustine High
School and St. John Vianney
Preparatory Schools led the
congregation in song. The or
gan was accompanied by a ten
piece Brass Ensemble for
many of the musical selec
tions.
Archbishop Hannan was
joined in the consecration
rites by Bishop Charles P
Greco, Alexandria, La. and
Continued on Page 9
INSIDE STORY
Archbishop Hallman’s Sermon
Savannah Installation Photos.
Sermon At Consecration
Pictures Of Consecration
’Extension’ Sunday
What Does Nun Take Abroad?.
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Prelates participating in Installation rites (Aug. 10) pose on steps of Cathedral following ceremonies.