During a Mass of Christian Burial, Bishop Joseph Gerry, OSB, is remembered for his warmth and kindness

Hundreds of mourners gathered in the church of Saint Anselm Abbey in Goffstown, N.H. on Thursday, July 6, to pay their last respects to a gentle man of deep faith, Bishop Joseph Gerry, OSB.

Bishop Joseph, who led the Diocese of Portland from 1989 to 2004, died at age 94 on Sunday, July 2, the 75th anniversary of his profession as a member of the Benedictine Order.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Bishop Peter Libasci, Bishop of Manchester, who prayed that Bishop Joseph would share in Christ’s victory over death.

“O God, who chose your servant Bishop Joseph from among your priests and endowed him with pontifical dignity in the apostolic priesthood, grant we pray that he may also be admitted to their company forever,” the bishop prayed.

Concelebrating with Bishop Libasci were three bishops — Bishop Robert Deeley of Portland, Bishop Francis Christian, retired auxiliary bishop of Manchester, and Bishop Robert Hennessey, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, who represented Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley OFM Cap. The bishops were joined by the current and former abbots of Saint Anselm Abbey, Abbot Mark Cooper, OSB, and Abbot Matthew Stark, OSB, and more than 40 monks and priests.

Abbot Mark, who is also Bishop Joseph's nephew, delivered the homily during the Mass, remembering Bishop Joseph as a man filled with faith, joy, and love.

"One only had to spend a few moments with Bishop Joseph to experience the joy that emanated from him and to understand why countless individuals considered him to be their very dear friend," he said.

Abbot Mark said Bishop Joseph's most salient characteristic was his constant awareness of the presence of Christ in his life, which shaped how he treated those around him.

“He was above all a man of faith, a good and gracious man, full of warmth,” Abbot Mark said. “His closeness and love of the Lord taught him that all men and women were made in the image and likeness of God, and all were to be valued and loved and assisted.”

Those sentiments about Bishop Joseph were also expressed by Msgr. Paul Stefanko and Father Daniel Greenleaf, two of the nine priests from Maine who traveled to Goffstown to attend the Mass.

“He led with great kindness,” said Msgr. Stefanko, who was appointed judicial vicar by Bishop Joseph. “He was someone who was always trying to do God's will.”

“I always considered him a father figure. He was very, very good to me,” said Father Greenleaf, who was ordained by Bishop Joseph. “He would often give me words of advice, kind, fatherly advice. I still remember the advice he gave me.”

Abbot Mark said that while the funeral Mass was a time of sadness for the loss of Bishop Joseph, it was also a time of celebration because we know, by our faith, that he is now in the presence of his creator.

“Bishop Joseph liked to say we are a people of Easter faith, for it is Christ’s Easter resurrection that is at the very heart of all we believe. It is the pledge that one day, though we know not the day or the hour, all will be refashioned. We will gather in the presence of the Father along with all those who have gone on before us. This is the faith to which Joseph clung and the faith that directed his every choice,” Abbot Mark said. “This Easter faith made Joseph such a special man in the lives of each one of us. He lived his faith, and we were all beneficiaries.”

At the conclusion of the Mass, bishops, abbots, priests, monks, family members, and the lay faithful all processed to nearby St. Leander’s Cemetery, Bishop Joseph’s final resting place.

It was at the abbey where Bishop Joseph always felt most at peace. A native of Millinocket, he professed first vows as a member of the Order of Saint Benedict on July 2, 1948. After continuing his academic studies and receiving a master’s degree and then a doctorate in philosophy, he returned to St. Anselm’s College and Abbey. He became a member of the faculty, then a dean, then the chancellor of the college. At the abbey, he served as sub prior and prior before being elected abbot in 1972, a position he held until Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Manchester in 1986. He was ordained a bishop on April 21 of that year. Three years later, on February 21, 1989, he was installed as the 10th Bishop of Portland at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. Bishop Joseph served in Maine until reaching retirement age, at which time he returned to his beloved abbey, where he lived out most of his remaining years.

Noting Bishop Joseph’s death, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin sent condolences to the Diocese of Portland on behalf of Pope Francis.

Writing to Bishop Deeley, he said, “Commending the late bishop’s soul to the love and mercy of Christ, the Good Shepherd, His Holiness joins you in giving thanks to almighty God for his years of ministry to the Church in Portland, marked by the example he gave of prayer and service, commitment to making known the teachings of the Church, and closeness to the people entrusted to his pastoral care.”

A memorial Mass for Bishop Joseph will be celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley on Thursday, August 3, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress Street, in Portland.

View a video of the Mass of Christian Burial