Date of death: 5/10/2017
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1952
Father Bernard Head, 89, of St. Mary of the Woods, IN, passed away peacefully at 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, May 10,2017 at Providence Healthcare at St. Mary of the Woods. He was born on September 2, 1927 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Bernard Head Sr. and Evelyn Bridgins Head. His education began at Cathedral Grade School in Indianapolis and, with the familyÆs move to Seymour, Indiana, continued at St. Ambrose School and Seymour High School. He entered St.Meinrad Seminary to prepare for the priesthood and, after his second year of college, wasawarded a Basselin scholarship to The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. There, he earned graduate degrees in philosophy and theology.He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Ambrose Church in Seymour and assigned to HolyTrinity Parish in Indianapolis. After just one year there, Father Head began a long career ineducation, beginning at Ladywood School in Indianapolis and continuing at the LatinSchool of Indianapolis. During his years at the Latin School, he received masterÆs degreesin Educational Administration at Butler University and in English at the University ofNotre Dame. (Go Irish!) After ten years of high school teaching, he moved on to Marian College in Indianapolis as associate professor of theology and philosophy and, later,chairperson of the department. He also served three terms as chairperson of the CollegeCouncil. For several of his fifteen years at Marian College, Father Head combined his workthere with serving as pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Mooresville and later as chaplainfor Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove. He was elected first president of thePriestsÆ Senate, now the Council of Priests, and reelectedfor two more terms. In 1982 Father Head resumed full time parish work at St. LukeÆs in Indianapolis and laterbecame chaplain at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence at St. Mary of the Woodswhere he remained until his retirement sixteen years later. During ten of those years, he alsoserved as contract chaplain at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute and for severalyears as administrator of St. MaryÆs Village Church in St. Mary of the Woods. Followinghis retirement, he became Sacramental Minister and Priest Moderator at St. MaryÆs VillageChurch and St. LeonardÆs Church in West Terre Haute. He also was privileged to attend thebeatification and canonization of St. Mother Theodore Guerin in Rome.