Biography
Early life
Leonard Olivier was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on October 12, 1923 to Mathilde (nee Rochon) and James L. Olivier. After entering the Divine Word Missionaries, Society of the Divine Word in 1939, he began studying for the priesthood at St. Augustine Seminary (Bay St. Louis), St. Augustine Seminary in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.After finishing his studies, he remained at St. Augustine to teach other seminarians. He professed his religious vows to the Society in 1944.Priesthood
On June 29, 1951, Olivier was ordained a priest in Bay St. Louis by Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow, Richard Oliver Richard Oliver Gerow, Gerow for the Divine Word Missionaries, Society of the Divine Word. He received a Master of Education degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was named as assistant dean and then dean of semin In 1952, Olivier was named dean of students at St. Augustine, then in 1967 became rector of the seminary. He left St. Augustine in 1974 to served as rector of Divine Word Seminary in Epworth, Iowa and as secretary for education and formation for the Order. In 1983, his Order returned Olivier to Louisiana, where served as pastor at St. Anthony Parish in Lafayette, Louisiana, Lafayette. He also served as part-time vicar for Black Catholics in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana, Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. He became full-time vicar for Black Catholics in 1986.Auxiliary Bishop of Washington
On November 7, 1988, Olivier was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of Washington by Pope John Paul II. Consecrated bishop on December 20, 1988, he served as regional bishop of most of the deaneries in the archdiocese. Olivier served as the convener of the African American Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on Youth, the Ad Hoc Steering Committee for the National Strategy on Vocations, and the Task Force Group for American Adaptations to the Order of Christian Marriage, and the Liturgy Committee of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCC/NCCB. Within the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Olivier was a member of the Committee on Bishops Life and Ministry. He was also a board member of Covenant House Washington, a member of the Inter-Faith Conference, a member of the Maryland Catholic Conference, a board member of the National Black Catholic Congress, a member of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, and episcopal moderator of the Pan African Roman Catholic Clergy Conference.Retirement and death
Olivier retired as auxiliary bishop of Washington on May 18, 2004. He died on November 19, 2014, at age 91.Personal life
Olivier was a Fourth Degree Knights of Peter Claver, Knight of Peter Claver, Knights Hospitaller, Knight of St. John and a Knights of Columbus, Knight of Columbus.Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olivier, Leonard 1923 births 2014 deaths People from Lake Charles, Louisiana 20th-century American Roman Catholic titular bishops African-American Roman Catholic bishops 20th-century American Roman Catholic bishops Divine Word Missionaries Order Place of death missing 21st-century American Roman Catholic titular bishops Louisiana Creole people Catholics from Louisiana 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people African-American members of Catholic religious communities