- OUR
LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION ABBEY
- DAYLESFORD,
PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A.
- +
+ + + + + + + +
- IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION PRIORY
- CLAYMONT-BAYVIEW,
DELAWARE, U.S.A.
- Rev.
Vincent F. Freiberg, O. Praem.
- b. Saturday, July 11,
1936 – d. Wednesday, June 9, 1993
Our
brother Vincent Freiberg (FRY-berg) was born in
Philadelphia
in 1936. After graduating from
Southeast Catholic, he joined the Order at Daylesford, being vested in 1954,
professed in 1956 and ordained in 1962.
Vince
taught junior religion at Bishop Newmann from 1963 until 1966.
Earning an
M.A. in Theology from Marquette
in 1966, he was transferred to Archmere, where he taught American History,
religion, and was a class counselor.
Vince
was elected prior of Immaculate Conception Priory at Archmere in 1969 and held
that position until 1975.
In 1970,
he was a delegate to the General Chapter at Wilten Abbey.
After serving on the abbot’s council from 1972 until 1978, he was
re-elected Prior at Archmere from 1980 to 1984, and again was a delegate to the
1982 General Chapter.
During
Vince’s 27 years at Archmere, in addition to teaching and counseling, he was
the moderator of the Mothers’ Guild, the Fathers’ Club, student bowling, and
his special love, the tennis team.
Known
for his faux pas, Vince once prayed at
the preparation of the gifts at Mass: “Pray
that your sister and mine might be acceptable to God, the Father Almighty.”
He
once informed the Claymont police that one of the priory cars had been stolen.
Two weeks later, the Claymont post office called and asked if he was ever
going to move the car he had left parked there!
As
treasurer for the priory, he collected the stipends from weekend assignments.
At an emergency house meeting, he informed the community that the
stipends had been stolen from his room. A
week later, he found the money buried deeply under some papers in his desk drawer!
Another time, he commented how good the hors d’ oeuvres were during cocktail
hour. It
turned out that he had been eating the beef
jerky dog treats mistakenly left on the counter next to the cocktail hour
snacks!
Vince
was much loved by both faculty and students and his love for them never ceased.
He was a dedicated priest and teacher, an understanding counselor, (he
didn’t believe there was such a thing as a bad boy), and a sympathetic and
compassionate confessor who would go the extra mile for anyone.
He never missed a school function and was there cheering on whatever team
happened to be playing.
Vince
died of bone cancer June 9th, 1993, at the age of 57.
