Death of Bishop Raymond Lessard

Clay Williams • January 5, 2016

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Bishop Raymond Lessard

Bishop Raymond Lessard, the bishop emeritus of Savannah, has served the SVDP community for the past twenty years as a spiritual director and professor of ecclesiology. On Sunday January 3rd, the Epiphany of the Lord, he was called home to the Father and can finally rest his weary body.


Bishop Lessard was born in Grafton, North Dakota on December 21, 1930. He attended the St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota before studying theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained a priest on December 16, 1956 and remained in Rome serving in multiple capacities. He was then ordained the Bishop of Savannah on April 27, 1973 where he shepherded until his retirement in 1995. St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary has been proud to have him as a spiritual father on campus since the fall of 1995 for both the seminarians and the faculty alike.

Bishop Lessard will be remembered for his quick mind, good counsel, and keen sense of humor. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him!

The following services have been arranged:

~ On Saturday January 9th at SVDP there will be a wake from 11 to 12 noon followed by a Memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Gregory Hartmayer of Savannah.

~ His Funeral Liturgy and Burial will be on Tuesday January 12th at 12 noon at the
Cathedral in Savannah, Georgia.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in his name.
By Daniella Coy October 30, 2019
St. Vincent de Paul Seminary celebrated their annual Friends of the Seminary (FOS) event with gratitude and great success on Friday evening, October 18, 2019. Some 330 attendees enjoyed a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Wenski and the Bishops of Florida and Georgia. Following Mass, we took time to honor two friends with the St. Vincent de Paul Award for their exemplary dedication to our mission: Msgr. Jude O’Doherty and Mother Adela Galindo, SCTJM. They both live the charism of St. Vincent de Paul in their love of our Catholic faith, love of the poor, and zeal for holy vocations. The night was possible thanks to the support of our chairpersons, Rich and Melissa Delgado from the Diocese of Palm Beach. Their love for the seminary and enthusiasm fueled the evening through a reception and a spirited dinner with a live and silent auction. There were over 100 of our Seminarians who served the formal dinner and who truly add the magic and joy to the evening. In the end, the seminary realized one of our most successful FOS events with funds raised to support our core mission to prepare these seminarians as shepherds after the Heart of Christ for our parishes and your families. A heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors, auction donors, attendees and volunteers whose generosity and dedication to the seminary are second to none! In addition, 20% of the proceeds ($20,000) from the live and silent auction, was dedicated to the Archdiocese of Nassau in the Bahamas for relief efforts for those devastated by hurricane Dorian. Click here for additional pictures from the evening and enter password: svdp (all lowercase): https://tomtracystore.smugmug.com/Friends-SVDP-2019
By Daniella Coy April 30, 2019
The academic year came to a close on May 9th with St. Vincent's 56th Commencement Exercises. The commencement address was presented by Most Rev. Christophe Pierre, JCD, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. In the presence of Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop Felipe J. Estévez, faculty, staff and family, the following degrees were conferred: Diaconal Studies Certificate Mr. Charles S. Immordino Mr. Ismar Martinez Zamora Mr. Jorge L. Matamala Mr. Vincent M. Rivellese Muller Mr. Edwin A. Velásquez Master of Arts (Theological Studies) Mr. Jorge A. Alvarez Mr. Mesmin Augustin Mr. Andre R. Boucher Dr. Michael A. Burke Mr. Christopher E. Cammarata Mr. Ion Chamorro Mr. Juan C. Collar Dr. Efrain Coronado Sr. Ann Dailey Mr. John M. Daniel Mr. Thomas H. Ernde Mr. Enrique Ferrer Mr. Bryan T. Froehle Dr. Jose M. Martínez Elejalde Mr. William L. Powell VI Dr. Stephen J. Pyle Ms. Simi Sahu Mr. Michael P. Scaramuzzo Mrs. Janet Z. Sheldon Mr. Ernesto J. Sosa Mr. Luis A. Verdecia Pre-Theology Certificate Mr. Luke N. Bowdre Mr. Francisco J. Gamboa-Félix Priestly Ordination Requirements Rev. Reynold Brevil Rev. Martin Muñoz-Escamilla Master of Arts (Philosophical Studies) Mr. Sebastián Barbosa García Mr. Sean K. Crepin Mr. Thomas E. Drury Mr. Patrick H. Lamar Mr. Arturo Merriman Master of Divinity Rev. Mr. Theodore T. Agba Rev. Mr. Anthony J. Astrab Rev. Nicholas Bennett Rev. Mr. Mario A. Burton Rev. Mr. Carlos A. Encinas Rev. Mr. Joshua M. Hare Rev. Mr. Jacob M. Jaks Rev. Mr. Soloman Kaanan Rev. Matthew King Rev. Mr. Peter S. Lanshima Rev. Yonhatan A. Londoño Rev. Enrique López Mr. Fredy R. Medina Mr. Rubén Núñez Rev. Mr. Derek F. Saldanha Rev. Elkin D. Sierra Rev. Eric J. Stelzer
By Daniella Coy March 28, 2019
It was a spectacular evening on March 14th, as St. Vincent’s hosted its 10th annual Joe-Paddy Festival, a major fundraiser celebrating the feast days of St. Joseph and St. Patrick. “Any time you can fill up a tent with a thousand people who come out and support the seminary says a lot about their faith and hope for the future of the church,” said Msgr. David Toups, Rector/President of St. Vincent’s. “Likewise, whenever people come here, they experience the faith, hope and normalcy of our seminarians.” We thank our supporters, the community businesses and volunteers who make this event successful. Throughout the school year, we offer opportunities for the community to join us for Mass, fundraisers, or other special events. We would love you to join us! Visit our website www.svdp.edu for more information. Festival Photo Gallery :Password is joe (all lowercase)
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