Msgr. Michael Harrold

Monsignor Michael Harrold, age 89, entered eternal rest on Thursday, April 2, 2015 in Victoria, Texas. Monsignor Harrold was born on January 16, 1926 in Limerick, Ireland to Michael Dalton and Kathleen Harrold. He was the third of four children, which included his sisters, Patricia, Kathleen and Florrie. He attended Mungret College, Limerick, before entering the seminary in Ireland, and then came to the Archdiocese of San Antonio, where he was ordained a priest on May 27, 1950. His first assignment was as Assistant Pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Victoria on June 12, 1950.

From the beginning of his ministry, Monsignor Harrold loved to work with the youth. He especially loved teaching, so in addition to his pastoral duties, he taught religion to the Sisters of Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament and to the students at St. Joseph Catholic High School. In 1957, he was assigned to Our Lady of Grace in La Coste, Texas. In August of that year, he was named Director of Council of the Catholic Youth for the Victoria Deanery. On June 22, 1961 he was assigned to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Victoria. In the following years, he became pastor of the following churches; St. Anthony of Padua in Palacios in 1963, St. Cecilia Parish in San Antonio in 1968 and in 1971, he was assigned to St. Patrick’s Church in Bloomington. Along with his duties as pastor, he served on the Personnel Board for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. He remained dedicated to the area of youth and education. Monsignor Harrold was a teacher and chaplain at St. Joseph Catholic High School in Victoria and he became campus minister of Victoria College, where he resided at the Catholic Campus House. He was also an instructor at the college for many years.

In December 1985, Monsignor was named pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish and later, with the naming of the new Diocese of Victoria, he became the rector of the Cathedral. Monsignor Harrold had a broad vision for the church, always mindful foremost of his role as pastor and teacher. His love of the parish’s Catholic School and Religious Education Program was always a moving force in his ministry. Seeing the need to nurture even the youngest members of the parish, he created the Early Childhood Center and brought a pre-kindergarten program to the parish that is vibrant and growing. In 1998, his leadership opened the Art Center and Youth Hut to meet the needs of an ever- growing parish.

Monsignor’s foresight and dreams were instrumental in the parish investing in the old Town Plaza Mall to expand the physical space of the parish. This huge undertaking, which started under Monsignor's leadership, will provide room to grow and accommodate future generations of members of Our Lady of Victory Cathedral Parish and School. It will stand as a visible sign of his leadership, vision and spirit.

Monsignor excelled at golf and loved to fish and paint. He enjoyed traveling and spending many happy vacations back home in Ireland, where he was known for a good round of golf and great catches of fish. He loved plants of all kinds, music, art and a fondness for a cat looking for a home. His ready wit, his sparkling blue eyes, his kindness to those in need and an understanding ear for those in trouble made him beloved by many. His desire to serve God and God’s people in ministry showed in every aspect of his life.

Monsignor retired from active duty in June of 2013, but remained in Victoria, where many friends enjoyed time with him. He was grateful for the love, care and devotion shown to him during his retirement.

He is survived by nieces and nephews and extended family still residing in Ireland. His parish family is also left to cherish the memory of our dear Monsignor Harrold.

A Rosary will be held at 9:30 on Monday, April 6, 2015 at Our Lady of Victory Cathedral followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m., with Bishop David E. Fellhauer presiding. A reception will follow at Holy Family Catholic Church. A private burial will be held at a later date.