REV. BERNARD J. BECHARD
Photo Courtesy Of Deanne MorinBURLINGTON - Rev. Bernard J. Bechard, S.S.E, 86, died on Sept. 5, 2010 after a brief illness. Father Bechard, son of Leonard and Bertha (Veillette) Bechard, was born on Nov. 19, 1923 in Saint-Armand, Quebec, Canada. He was a professed member of the Society of Saint Edmund for 67 years and an Edmundite priest for over 61 years. Fr. Bechard graduated from Saint Michael's College in Colchester in 1945 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Following his ordination in 1949, Fr. Bechard's journey as a priest began as teacher of Latin and Greek at St. Edmund's Juniorate in Swanton. He remained in Swanton assisting at The Church of the Nativity and later teaching American History and Sociology at St. Anne's High School. From 1953 to 1964, Fr. Bechard was assigned to Cardinal Mindszenty High School in Dunkirk, N.Y., where he served as Librarian and Guidance Counselor. During the summer of 1964, Fr. Bechard assisted the Edmundite Southern Missions in Bellefontaine, Ala. and Elizabeth City, N.C. before heading to St. Anastase Parish in Greenfield Park, Quebec. Only there for a short time, Fr. Bechard was asked to serve as school counselor at the South Shore Catholic High School in Jacques Cartier, Quebec, where student enrollment increased from 500 the first year to 2,000 during his second year. In 1966, Fr. Bechard returned to Saint Michael's College in the Education Department where he directed the Upward Bound Program and worked with the Counselor Training Program. He became the college's first Director of the Audio Visual Services department, a position he held from 1970 to 1979. From 1980 to 1990, Fr. Bechard held the positions of Cataloguer and Technical Services Assistant at Trinity College's Library in Burlington. Although Fr. Bechard was of retirement age, he accepted parish responsibility and has served as Pastor at St. Anthony's Parish in Sheldon Springs and St. Mary's Church in Franklin from 1990 to the present. Attending to the needs of the sick was always a priority in Fr. Bechard's priestly ministry. He regularly visited the hospitals in Burlington and St. Albans as well as many of the area nursing homes. Besides his brothers in religion, Father Bechard is survived by his sisters, Theresa Gervais of St. Albans, Marie Lamothe of Swanton, Fernande Vosburgh of Altamont, N.Y., Lorraine Laba of Burlington, and Estelle and Lanny Favero of Swanton; and brothers, Jean Paul Bechard and spouse, Florence, of Georgia, and Germain Bechard and spouse, Margaret, of St. Albans; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Fr. Bechard was predeceased by his mother and father; sister, Cecile Leduc; and brothersin-law, Seraphim (Ray) Gervais, Fred Lamothe, Donald Vosburgh, Charles Laba and Norman Leduc. Visiting hours will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 at Brady and Levesque Funeral Home in St. Albans. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. at The Church of the Nativity, Swanton. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in Swanton. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Edmundite Southern Missions, 1428 Broad Street, Selma, AL 36701.
