Deceased Friars


Berard A. Giblin, OFM

Berard A. Giblin

1915 – 2000

Fr. Berard Giblin, OFM, was born in Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 10, 1915. He was received into the Order at St. Bonaventure Friary in Paterson, N.J., Aug. 12, 1937, and professed temporary vows one year and one day later.

He made his profession of solemn vows Sept. 17, 1941, and was ordained a priest May 29, 1943.

Fr. Berard’s first assignment, in 1944, was to St. Elizabeth Parish in Denver, with which his name was ever after associated. In 20 years there, he served as parish associate, vicar of the community, mission preacher, pastor and guardian.

From there, he moved to St. Richard’s in Emporia, Va., for nine years, where he build the church, rectory and parish hall. Then came a year as director of the original retirement house in St. Petersburg, Fla., before shifting his focus to urban chapel ministry, beginning with nine years at the Prudential Center in Boston and 13 at St. Francis Chapel in Colonie, N.Y., with residence at Siena College in Loudonville.

He lived in retirement at Siena for three years until moving to Holy Name Friary in Ringwood in May 1999.

Fr. Berard died in Holy Name Friary on June 26, 2000, at age 84. A professed Franciscan for 61 years and a priest for 57, he was the younger brother of Fr. Thomas Giblin, OFM, who died in 1986.

Each of us should be called a lesser brother, a Friar Minor. Each one of us should wash the feet of the others.”

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Berard A. Giblin, OFM

Berard A. Giblin

1915 – 2000

Fr. Berard Giblin, OFM, was born in Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 10, 1915. He was received into the Order at St. Bonaventure Friary in Paterson, N.J., Aug. 12, 1937, and professed temporary vows one year and one day later.

He made his profession of solemn vows Sept. 17, 1941, and was ordained a priest May 29, 1943.

Fr. Berard’s first assignment, in 1944, was to St. Elizabeth Parish in Denver, with which his name was ever after associated. In 20 years there, he served as parish associate, vicar of the community, mission preacher, pastor and guardian.

From there, he moved to St. Richard’s in Emporia, Va., for nine years, where he build the church, rectory and parish hall. Then came a year as director of the original retirement house in St. Petersburg, Fla., before shifting his focus to urban chapel ministry, beginning with nine years at the Prudential Center in Boston and 13 at St. Francis Chapel in Colonie, N.Y., with residence at Siena College in Loudonville.

He lived in retirement at Siena for three years until moving to Holy Name Friary in Ringwood in May 1999.

Fr. Berard died in Holy Name Friary on June 26, 2000, at age 84. A professed Franciscan for 61 years and a priest for 57, he was the younger brother of Fr. Thomas Giblin, OFM, who died in 1986.