Bishop William B. Friend

The Most Reverend William Benedict Friend, first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, died Thursday, April 2, 2015, in Coral Springs, Florida. He was appointed the founding Bishop of Shreveport by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 1986, and installed at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans on July 30, 1986. His retirement was accepted on December 20, 2006, by Pope Benedict XVI. After retirement, he assisted with sacramental ministry at St. Andrew Parish in Coral Springs, Florida. Born in Miami, Florida, October 22, 1931, Bishop Friend attended and graduated in 1949 from Gesu Catholic School. He also attended the University of Miami where he majored in business administration. Prior to entering studies for the priesthood, he pursued a career in finance and marketing. In preparation for the priesthood, he completed studies at St. Mary College, Kentucky, and Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland. He was ordained a priest for service in the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham in Alabama on May 7, 1959. After ordination he completed studies at The Catholic University of America and the American Management Institute, New York. On October 30, 1979, he was ordained Titular Bishop of Pomaria and Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport. He was appointed Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport in 1982. Bishop Friend also served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Alexandria from October 2003 until January 2005.

Bishop Friend was awarded the Brotherhood and Humanitarian Award by the Shreveport/Bossier City Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1987. The Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission honored him with the 1999 Universal Human Rights Service Award, and in 2004 Bishop Friend received the Harry Blake Award for African American Empowerment. Bishop Friend was awarded the Order of Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem with the rank of Knight Commander with Star. He was a member of the Fourth Degree, Knights of Columbus, serving the Order as Louisiana State Chaplain and as Grand Prelate, and was honored with the Order of the Fleur de Lis. In 1987, Bishop Friend received the Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from St. Leo College, St. Leo, Florida. He was elected Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2001-2003, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) from 1998 to 2003. He was a member of numerous professional organizations including the Pontifical Council for Culture (Vatican), the Catholic Academy of Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, the World Future Society, the Committee for Science and Human Values of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and the American Academy of Religion. Bishop Friend served as a trustee of two seminaries and board member of several Catholic hospitals in Louisiana, Shreveport’s Biomedical Research Center, a pastoral center for Catholic Hispanics in the Southeastern United States, the Catholic Campus Ministry Association, Shreveport-Bossier City Community Renewal Program and Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission. He also was councilor to the Catholic Committee of the South and Notre Dame University’s O’Reilly Center for the Study of Science, Philosophy and Theology, and consultant to the Southern African Bishops Conference. Author of over 49 publications in professional journals, books and periodicals, Bishop Friend presented papers in Mexico, Brazil, Canada, the United States and the Vatican.

Bishop Friend is survived by his sister, Jean Boccard, of Coral Springs, Florida; niece, Lisa Boccard (Claudio Sad) also of Coral Springs; nephew, Matthew L. Boccard, Jr. (Brenda) of Jacksonville, Florida; nephew, Vincent M. Boccard, former Mayor of Coral Springs, (Terry); great nephews, James Addis and Nicholas Addis; great niece, Sophia Boccard; and great-great niece, Ava Jade Addis, all of Coral Springs, Florida.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2015, 11:00am at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 9950 NW 29th Street, Coral Springs. Bishop Friend will be transferred to Shreveport and will lie in state at The Cathedral of St. John Berchmans on Sunday, April 12, 2015, 7:30 - 10:30pm, Monday, April 13, 2015, 10:00am - 10:00pm followed by a Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 11:00am. Interment will be at the Prayer Garden of the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. Live webcasting of all services in Shreveport, please go to www.sjbcathedral.org

Pallbearers will be nephews, Matthew Boccard and Vincent Boccard, and priests of the Diocese of Shreveport. Louisianna.

In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested that memorial contributions be made in Bishop Friend's memory to The Lisa Boccard Breast Cancer Fund, 954-344-3005 or www.browardhealth.org\lisaboccardfund