William Benedict Friend
| His Excellency The Most Reverend William Benedict Friend | |
|---|---|
| Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Shreveport | |
 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Province | New Orleans |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport |
| In office | 1982-2006 |
| Predecessor | None |
| Successor | Michael Duca |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 7, 1959 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 22, 1931 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died |
April 2, 2015 (aged 83) Coral Springs, Florida |
| Motto | Live In The Spirit |
| Coat of arms |
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| Styles of William Benedict Friend | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
William Benedict Friend (October 22, 1931 – April 2, 2015) was the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, in Louisiana.[1]
Biography
Friend was ordained on May 7, 1959 as a priest of the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham, Alabama. On August 31, 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport, and that same day was named bishop of the titular see of Pomaria. He was consecrated titular Bishop of Pomaria on October 30, 1979. On November 17, 1982, he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport.
The Diocese of Shreveport was created on June 16, 1986, from territory carved from the Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport, which itself was renamed Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana. On the same day, Bishop Friend was appointed the first Bishop of Shreveport and was installed as bishop on July 30, 1986.
On October 22, 2006, Bishop Friend sent the mandatory letter to Pope Benedict XVI resigning the diocese as he had reached the age of 75. His resignation was accepted on December 20, 2006. Bishop Friend remained at the helm of the diocese as apostolic administrator until a new bishop was appointed.
On April 1, 2008 Pope Benedict named Michael Duca as the new bishop of the diocese ending Friend's duties as apostolic administrator. On April 2, 2015, Friend died at his home in Coral Springs, Florida.[2]
Notes
- ↑ "Bishop William Benedict Friend". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ↑ Death of Bishop Emeritus William B. Friend
Episcopal succession
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None |
Bishop of Shreveport 1986–2006 |
Succeeded by Michael Duca |
| Preceded by Lawrence Preston Joseph Graves |
Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport 1982–1986 |
Succeeded by John Clement Favalora |
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