Religion Christian Name Charles Greco Ordination July 25, 1918 Period in office 1946-1973 Consecration February 25, 1947 | Nationality American Sect Roman Catholic Died January 20, 1987 | |
School St. Joseph Seminary in Covington, Louisiana Born 29 October 1894Rodney ( 1894-10-29 ) Title Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana Successor | ||
Charles Pasquale Greco (October 29, 1894 – January 20, 1987) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana from 1946 to 1973.
Biography
Charles Greco was born in Rodney in Jefferson County near Natchez, Mississippi, to Frank and Carmela (née Testa) Greco. He attended St. Joseph Seminary in Covington, Louisiana, before studying at the American College at Louvain in Belgium and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John Shaw on July 25, 1918. He served as vicar general of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
On January 15, 1946, Greco was appointed the sixth Bishop of Alexandria by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following February 25 from Archbishop Joseph Rummel, with Bishops Richard Oliver Gerow and Thomas Joseph Toolen serving as co-consecrators. During his tenure, he established 33 parishes, over 125 churches and chapels, 100 convents and rectories, and 7 health-care facilities. In 1954, he also founded St. Mary's Residential Training School in Clarks (later relocated in Alexandria) and Holy Angels School for Retarded Children in Shreveport. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965. Bishop Greco was also the first Supreme Chaplain of the Roman Catholic men's organization, the Knights of Columbus.
After twenty-seven years as bishop, Greco resigned on May 10, 1973. He later died at the age of ninety-two.
Greco is honored with a statue of himself standing between two children at Sr. Mary's Residential Training School in Alexandria.