By Courtney Klaus, Editor- In- Chief
Bishop Emeritus Eugene J. Gerber passed away at 11:15 a.m. this morning after remaining in critical condition for three days following a heart attack. He was 87 years old.
Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Pittsburg announced his death on Twitter in the following statement:
“At approximately 11:15 am this morning, Bishop Gerber passed away. We give thanks to God for the blessing that his life and ministry as Shepherd of the Church have brought so many of us. With Christian hope we entrust Bishop to the care of our heavenly Father and pray that he is welcomed with the words ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”
Bishop Gerber was the Bishop of Dodge City from 1976 to 1982, and was the Bishop of Wichita from 1982 to 2001.
Newman University dedicated its newest science building, The Bishop Gerber Science Center, to Bishop Gerber in September of 2017. The Advancement Department announced that it was Bishop Gerber’s decades of “dedication to Catholic education” that made him “the ideal candidate for helping Newman University embark on this new frontier in science”. Over $10 million of the funds raised for the science building were donated in his honor.
President Noreen Carrocci released a statement this afternoon in memoriam of Bishop Gerber.
“Bishop Gerber leaves an incredible legacy for our Diocese,” she said. “For all of us who were privileged to know him, we trust that our tears of sadness today will turn into happy and cherished memories of this holy man of God.”
Bishop Gerber’s funeral vigil will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday and his burial mass will be at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 340 N. Broadway.
This story was updated with the last paragraph from the Oct. 4, 2018 print edition of the Vantage.
Courtesy Photo, Newman Advancement
