Bishop Gerard L. Frey

Bishop Gerard L. Frey, third Bishop of Lafayette, is a native of New Orleans, who came to the diocese in 1973 from Savannah, Ga., where he had been Bishop for five years.

He had been ordained in 1938 in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, serving in pastoral and administrative positions there until his appointment to the episcopacy in 1968. He was serving as pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Houma, when he received the appointment as Bishop of Savannah.

During his 15 years as Bishop of the Lafayette diocese, he has initiated reorganization plans which have increased and expanded participation by clergy, religious and laity in diocesan affairs.

At the dedication of the renovated St. John Cathedral in 1984 he convened a diocesan-wide assembly and lay people (a synod). Bishop Frey explained the three-year program which called for wide consultation with clergy, religious and laity. The goal was to focus on priorities and guidelines to take the Diocese into the 21st century.

The territory of the Diocese was reduced by almost half in 1980 with the erection of the Diocese of Lake Charles.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Bishop Gerard L. Frey as third Bishop of Lafayette reflects the French tradition of the diocese as well as the origin of the Frey family in the region of Alsace.

The clasped hands at the top of the right half of the coat of arms symbolize the significance of the surname Frey which means “free” or “freedom”. The hands are joined to signify the brotherhood of man in the fatherhood of God, who has given the birthright of freedom to all men. The clasped hands give additional emphasis to the Bishop’s motto, “Serviam”, (I will serve) a willingness to serve all men. The motto also reiterates the role of a bishop prescribed in Vatican Council II. The theme of the council recalled Christ’s words, “The son of man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for man” (Mat. 20:28).

The rose represents the maiden name (DeRose) of the mother of the bishop. In all Latin languages, this surname means “the flower”. The star of six points is derived from the coat of arms of St. Pius X, who established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine which Bishop Frey promoted in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The Frey family from the region of Alsace bears a golden sun and crescent (half moon) on a blue field. For the sake of simplicity, the crescent has been removed but the sun and blue field of the family coat of arms have been retained.

The external ornaments of the shield are composed of the pontifical hat with its six tassels on each side, disposed in three rows, all in green, and the Episcopal cross, tinctured in gold.