The following was taken from the St. Stephen Catholic Church Sunday Bulletin in New Orleans, as produced by Pastor Father George Weber, CM, following the death of Father Harold Dicharry, CM, on January 12, 2005. Additional edits provided by Father Ray Van Dorpe, CM.


	Father Harold E. Dicharry, CM

Streetcars were the only way to get around New Orleans...many stores were mom and pop operations… Archbishop Rummel was in his ninth year as the chief shepherd of the city… Canal Street was the premiere place to shop and one could see women wearing white gloves as they made their purchases….the nation was at war in its struggle for freedom… Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. In this world setting, Father Harold E. Dicharry, CM, was ordained to the priesthood for the Vincentian Community at St. Mary’s of the Barrens Seminary in Perryville, Missouri on May 24, 1942.

One of six children, he was born February 18, 1916, the third child of the late Emile Dicharry and Carrie Himel. Educated in his early years at St. Michael in Convent and St. Stephen, he attended St. Vincent Preparatory Seminary in Cape Girardeau and then St. Mary’s in Perryville for his college and graduate studies in theology. He offered a good example, because his younger brother, Warren, entered the seminary a few years later and was also ordained to the priesthood. (Fr. Warren died in 1998.)

Throughout his long years of service, Fr. Dicharry ministered in many parishes and hospitals. Those apostolic assignments included parish ministry in Illinois, California, Arizona, and Mississippi. However, he spent the greater part of his life — more than three decades — serving the church of New Orleans. He was pastor of both St. Stephen Parish and St. Joseph Parish. He was also the pastor of St. Louise de Marillac Parish for three years, and supervised the church’s rebuilding after it was destroyed in a fire in 1976. At various times, he served as chaplain at DePaul, Charity, and Touro hospitals in New Orleans. And in his “spare time” he was spiritual director for the Ladies of Charity and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

During his last stay at St. Stephen Parish, he served as director of the Legion of Mary and was the guiding force for a weekly Bible Study. He was also a member of the Archdiocesan Liturgy Commission. He took pride in his knowledge of the Liturgy.

Fr. Harold died at St. Stephen Rectory on Wednesday, January 12, 2005; he was 88 years of age, only a month shy of 89 years. As Fr. Harold looked upon his many years of priestly service, he remarked: “I have tried to be moderate in everything and see the funny side of life.” We will all miss him.

Vincentian is published bimonthly by the Midwest and Southern Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentian Priests and Brothers, to promote the apostolic works of its members and those of the larger Vincentian Family.

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Father Harold E. Dicharry, CM 1916-2005

Father Harold E. Dicharry, CM
1916-2005