In Corpus Christi, there lived a World War II veteran who flew in more than 30 missions, an architect and a retired Catholic bishop. In any other story, the previous sentence would refer to three different men.
But Bishop Emeritus René Henry Gracida was one man.
Gracida led the Diocese of Corpus Christi from 1983 to 1997. He died on May 1 at the age of 102. His funeral Mass, held on May 13 at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, reflected his impact and eventual life, including full military honors.
Bishop Emeritus René Henry Gracida’s funeral Mass was held on May 13 at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Corpus Christi.
Gracida was born in New Orleans and grew up in Texas. During World War II, he served first as a tail gunner and then as a flight engineer in the 303rd Air Expeditionary Group in Europe.
After the war, he worked for several years as an architect before entering a Benedictine monastery in 1951. He was ordained into the priesthood in 1959.
The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard folds the American flag during Bishop Emeritus René Henry Gracida’s funeral on May 13 at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Corpus Christi.
In the 1970s, his life in the church took him to the Archdiocese of Miami and later the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, where he was auxiliary bishop and bishop, respectively.
Read more about bishop’s life: See how Bishop Emeritus René Gracida shaped Corpus Christi diocese
During the funeral Mass, Brownsville Bishop Daniel Flores gave the homily.
After the Mass, Gracida was interred in the Emmanuel Chapel at the Corpus Christi Cathedral.
The cathedral is the mother church of the diocese and the seat of the pastoral ministry of the bishop, according to the program. The practice of interment of Catholic bishops in their cathedral is a tradition symbolizing the permanent bond of the shepherd to his flock.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: See images from funeral of retired Corpus Christi bishop