Fr. Bernard Gervais (1918-2007)

Father Bernard Gervais passed away July 14, 2007.

Father Bernard was a transfer to St. Benedict’s Abbey at the time when the president of the American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictines closed Holy Cross Abbey, Cañon City, Colo., on the advice of congregational visitators. Four of the Holy Cross monks transferred stability to St. Benedict’s Abbey: Bernard Gervais, Ignatius Smith, William Thompson, and Louis Kirby. Peter Karasz followed later and entered our community as an internal oblate, and Father Kevin Bachmann.

Father Bernard was born in Compton, Calif., attended Catholic schools there and later attended St. John’s Prep in Collegeville, Minn. He later, as a monk of Holy Cross Abbey, continued his education at St. John’s University, Collegeville and at St. Benedict’s College. He professed vows as a member of Holy Cross Aug. 31, 1939, did his theology there, and was ordained to the priesthood May 17, 1944. He transferred his vow of stability to St. Benedict’s Abbey March 21, 2006.

For 16 years Father Bernard was a teacher and coach at Holy Cross. He was procurator of the abbey there for 10 years. He served parishes in Boulder and Pueblo, Colo., and later was a hospital chaplain at St. Joseph’s, Denver, and Fitzsimmons Army Hospital there. St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City, and Florence Hospital, Florence, Colo.

Father Bernard was an interesting addition to our community with his frequent comments about many things. He usually walked twice a day and gathered a variety of objects many of which landed in the mailbox of Brother Joseph Ryan. Some of his former football players traveled to Atchison to attend the funeral.