Warren Louis Boudreaux

Warren Louis Boudreaux (January 25, 1918 October 6, 1997) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Beaumont (1971–1977) and Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux (1977–1992).

Biography

Warren Boudreaux was born in Berwick, Louisiana, to Alphonse Louis and Loretta Marie (née Senac) Boudreaux, of French far ancestry.[1] After graduating from Berwick Junior High School, he studied at St. Joseph's Seminary near Covington and at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.[2] He also attended the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, France.[2] Returning to Louisiana, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1942.[3] He then served as a curate at St. Michael's Church in Crowley until 1943, when he was sent to study at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., later earning a doctorate in canon law in 1946.[1]

Boudreaux became vice-chancellor of the Diocese of Lafayette and secretary to Bishop Jules Jeanmard in 1946, and was named a Papal Chamberlain in 1950.[1] In addition to these duties, he served as Defender of the Bond (1947–1950) and officialis (1950–1954) on the diocesan court.[1] He served as pastor of St. Peter's Church at New Iberia from 1954 to 1971, and was made vicar general of the diocese in 1956.[1] He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate in 1958.[1]

On May 19, 1962, Boudreaux was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Lafayette and Titular Bishop of Calynda by Pope John XXIII.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following July 25 from Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, with Archbishop John Cody and Bishop Maurice Schexnayder serving as co-consecrators.[3] Following the transfer of Bishop Vincent Madeley Harris to the Diocese of Austin, Boudreaux was named the second Bishop of Beaumont, Texas, by Pope Paul VI on June 4, 1971.[3] He remained at Beaumont for six years, when he was appointed the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in his native Louisiana on March 2, 1977.[3] He was well known for placing a ban on church fairs in 1985, objecting to the presence of alcohol and overall frivolity at such events.[4]

Shortly before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Boudreaux resigned as bishop on December 29, 1992.[3] He later died from heart failure at age 79.[4]

References

  1. Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  2. "First Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux". Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
  3. "Bishop Warren Louis Boudreaux". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  4. "Retired Bishop Warren Boudreaux dies". The Advocate. 1997-10-07.

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Vincent Madeley Harris
Bishop of Beaumont
1971–1977
Succeeded by
Bernard J. Ganter
Preceded by
None
Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux
1977–1992
Succeeded by
Charles Michael Jarrell
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