Most Reverend Herbert A. Bevard Memorial Legacy Endowment Fund

Honoring a Life of Faith, Service, and Friendship

The Most Reverend Herbert A. Bevard Memorial Legacy Endowment Fund was established to honor the life, ministry, and enduring legacy of Bishop Herbert A. Bevard, beloved priest, pastor, bishop, and friend.

Created through The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia by Louisville Archbishop Emeritus Joseph E. Kurtz, the Fund serves as a permanent charitable memorial to a man whose life was marked by unwavering faith, joyful service, deep humility, and profound love for God's people.
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The Fund was established with an initial gift of $30,000 and is intended to grow through future charitable contributions and testamentary gifts.

"He Was Like a Brother to Me"

‍Reflecting on their lifelong friendship, Archbishop Kurtz described Bishop Bevard simply: "He was like a brother to me, and to my family. We were very close."

The two entered Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary together and remained close throughout their priesthoods and episcopal ministries. Inspired by that friendship and by Bishop Bevard's remarkable witness of faith, Archbishop Kurtz established this Fund so that the ministries closest to Bishop Bevard's heart would continue to flourish for generations to come.

A Legacy Rooted in Faith
‍Bishop Bevard's journey to the Catholic faith began in Oxford, Pennsylvania, where he was drawn to the Church as a young man and began instruction at Sacred Heart Parish. His conversion ignited a lifelong zeal for sharing the faith and inviting others to discover its beauty and truth.

Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1972, he served faithfully in several parish assignments before becoming pastor of St. Athanasius Parish in Philadelphia, where he led a remarkable renewal of parish life, Catholic education, and community engagement.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. There he devoted himself to strengthening Catholic education, expanding charitable ministries, restoring the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, and shepherding the faithful through times of challenge and hope.

"The Person in Front of Him Was the Most Important Person"
‍Those who knew Bishop Bevard remember not only what he accomplished, but how he loved.

Archbishop Kurtz recalled: "He was very much a people person. The person in front of him was the most important person."

He further reflected:"He was a dynamo. He loved to fix up churches and schools, expand charities. Most of all, he loved the people."

‍That love for people remains the inspiration behind this Fund.

Beneficiaries of the Fund
‍Annual distributions from the Fund are made in accordance with The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia's endowment spending policy and are divided equally among three beneficiaries that each played a significant role in Bishop Bevard's life and ministry.

- Diocese of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands: The Diocese Bishop Bevard shepherded as its fifth bishop and where he devoted more than a decade of episcopal service to strengthening the Church and serving the faithful.

- St. Athanasius Parish, Philadelphia: The parish where Bishop Bevard served as pastor and led a remarkable revival of parish life, Catholic education, and community engagement.

- Sacred Heart Parish, Oxford: The parish where Bishop Bevard's journey to the Catholic faith first began and where the seeds of his priestly vocation were planted.

Help Continue Bishop Bevard's Legacy
‍The Most Reverend Herbert A. Bevard Memorial Legacy Endowment Fund is an open memorial endowment fund. Additional gifts from individuals, families, clergy, parishioners, alumni, foundations, and friends are welcomed and encouraged. Contributions made in memory or honor of Bishop Bevard will increase the Fund's ability to support the ministries he loved and perpetuate his legacy for generations to come.

By making a gift, you help ensure that Bishop Bevard's commitment to faith, evangelization, Catholic education, charity, and pastoral care continues to bear fruit long into the future.