TERREBONNE and LAFOURCHE Parishes, La. OBITUARIY for HAYES, GERARD Submitted by: Louis Lavedan Published in Houma Today & The Daily Comet from April 22 to April 25, 2013 ============================================================================= Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenweb.org/volunteers/copyright.shtml ============================================================================= HAYES, THE REV. GERARD ========== A photo is available for this file. Please go to http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafourche/obits/dateobits/2013/f1304.htm and click on the name of interest. ========== The Rev. Gerard Charles Hayes, 81, of Houma, passed away Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at his residence. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Bayou Black and from 8 a.m. until funeral time Friday at St. Joseph Co- Cathedral in Thibodaux. A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the cathedral, with burial in the Priest's Tomb in St. Joseph Co-Cathedral cemetery in Thibodaux. He is survived by many nieces, nephews and numerous great-nieces and great- nephews. He was preceded in death by his siblings, Ann Haegeman, John Hayes, Denise (Billy) Hayes, Jane Waring, Joseph "Joe" Hayes, James "Jimmy" Hayes, Mary Soellner and Teresa Kopps. Father Hayes was born October 19, 1931, in Boston, Mass., son of the late John J. and Mary J. Kane Hayes. He was educated at Holy Trinity in Roxbury, Mass., Commerce High in Boston, Mass., Oblate Prep School in Newburgh, N.Y., Saint John's Seminary in Brighton, Mass., and Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston, June 4, 1960. After ordination, he returned to New Orleans to serve as Parochial Vicar of St. Louis King of France in Metairie from 1960 to 1965, St. Genevieve in Thibodaux from 1965 to 1966, and St. Leo the Great in New Orleans from 1966 to 1970. He then would serve as pastor of Holy Family in Grand Caillou from 1970 to 1972, and St. Anthony of Padua in Bayou Black from 1972 until his retirement in 2005. He originally came to the Archdiocese of New Orleans to study theology as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Boston and a member of the Society of St. James the Apostle. After his ordination, Father Hayes returned to the Archdiocese of New Orleans as a missionary priest, and after completing his five years of service for the St. James Society, he was invited by Archbishop Philip Hannan to be incardinated in the Archdiocese. When the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux was instituted in June 1977, Father Hayes, who was serving as pastor of St. Anthony in Bayou Black, chose to remain in the newly formed diocese and served until his retirement. Father Hayes faithfully lived out his priesthood for nearly 53 years. He loved the priesthood and encouraged others to pray for an increase in priestly vocations. In his memory, please pray for our priests and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and throughout the world. Chauvin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. ======================