REFLECTIONS on the Life of Monsignor Eugene A. Gilb I have been a parishioner at Saint John Fisher (SJF) since 1983. Shortly a er the death of Monsignor Gene Gilb, I was asked to write something about him. is brief narrative touches on only a few things this good and holy man did over the course of his life. I want to thank those who shared with me their insights and experiences regarding Monsignor Gilb. anks also goes to members of the Impact team, especially Carla Green, who assisted me. is tribute is available in PDF format on the SJF website, www.sjf.org. —C. J. “Kit” Ruona onsignor Eugene A. Gilb he had decided that his life would be was born Albert E. Gilb devoted to his Lord and he attended on May 23, 1930, to Albert the high school department of Los MC. and Bertha Grace Gilb, during the Angeles College (LAC), which at that papacy of Pope Pius XI and while time was the minor seminary for the Bishop John J. Cantwell presided over Archdiocese of Los Angeles. LAC was the diocese of Los Angeles. (It would located on Detroit Street at the corner not be until 1936 that Los Angeles of ird Street, 12 miles from young was designated an archdiocese.) e Gene’s home. Late in life he reminisced Gilb Family resided at 363 East 62nd about how he hitch-hiked and took the Street in Los Angeles. Gene was the trolley from his home to LAC for six youngest of four sons and the family years. During that period, it was four attended Saint Columbkille Church, years of high school and two years of where Gene was baptized on June 15, college at LAC before the seminarian 1930. Monsignor Gilb felt that date spent six years at Saint John’s Seminary was more signi cant than his birthday for his last two years of college and four since the day he was baptized he was years of theology. born into Christ. However, there were a couple of While Gene was young the Gilbs detours along the way to ordination. moved to 220 East Gage Avenue, Gene was athletic and a good baseball two blocks from Saint Columbkille’s. player as a teenager. Since LAC did not Albert was a butcher, which might have any interscholastic teams Gene explain Gene’s lifelong culinary went to Mount Carmel in 1946-47, attachment to meat, while Bertha his junior year, to play le eld for the worked at See’s Candy, and that may Crusaders. He helped them win the have accounted for his sweet tooth. Catholic League title, which included e Gilb boys attended their parish Loyola and Cathedral in Los Angeles, his brother Cli . Cli borrowed a car school and a er that Kenneth, Donald Saint Anthony in Long Beach and to drive them to the Hollywood Riviera and Cli ord walked the mile to Mount Saint Augustine in San Diego. e Beach Club in Redondo Beach. Cli Carmel High School (MCHS) at 71th championship game was played on a married his date, Gene returned to the Street and Hoover, but Gene went in Saturday and that night he attended seminary and the Carmelites closed another direction. As a 14-year-old the junior prom, double dating with MCHS in 1976. 1 In 1954 the minor seminary moved to Mission Hills and became Our Lady Queen of Angels Seminary while LAC became Saint John Vianney High School. In 1966 Saint John Vianney became Daniel Murphy High School and Daniel Murphy closed in 2008. While at LAC Gene was not only an altar server at his parish but at Saint Vibiana’s Cathedral as well. He loved the richness of the Mass and other liturgical events and wanted to be a part of them as much as possible. is devotion was noted by at least one of the priests at Saint Vibiana’s and possibly aected the course of Gene’s clerical career. Gene enrolled at Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo in 1950 and Albert Gilb Family was scheduled to be ordained in 1956. However, he was one of four two years; however, due to unforeseen ese were good, happy days seminarians chosen to attend a Spanish circumstances all four le aer one serving the parishioners of these seminary in Burgos, Spain. As Bishop year. Gene lost that seminary year parishes and on his days o playing Sylvester Ryan recalls, while it was not and at Saint John’s dropped back to golf with his seminarian classmates, unusual for the archdiocese to send the class of 1957, which had 16 men. other priests and friends. a few seminarians to Rome to study ese men bonded and were friends is all ended on January 15, 1964, on occasion, this was an experiment, throughout their lives. ree of them when Father Gilb was appointed Cardi- and one that did not work out well. survive Monsignor Gilb: Bishop Ryan, nal McIntyre’s priest-secretary succeed- e four were to study in Burgos for the bishop emeritus of the Monterey ing Monsignor John Archie Rawden. Diocese; Monsignor Jerome Schmit, Monsignor Gilb, years later, reected pastor emeritus at Sacred Heart Parish that his selection came as a surprise and in Pomona; and Father Henry Johnson, was not a position he sought, or want- retired in Covina. ed. However, he was counseled that it Sometime during his seminary probably was not a good idea to reject years Gene’s rst and middle names the cardinal’s request. Monsignor Gilb became transposed. Once when speculated that Monsignor Paul Stroup, questioned about this, he simply said, an associate pastor at the cathedral in “I was always called Gene…I don’t the 1940-50s, remembered him (Gilb) know how the ocial name change as a grammar schooler and throughout came about.” And so, on May 3, 1957, his seminary years as an active altar Father Eugene A. Gilb was ordained server who loved the rituals, reverence by James Francis Cardinal McIntyre and liturgical rites of the church and in Saint Vibiana’s Cathedral, and recommended him. One of the many Father Gilb said his rst Mass at Saint jobs of the priest-secretary is to know Columbkille. His initial assignment everything about the religious ceremo- was as associate pastor at Saint John of nies the cardinal leads, or participates God in Norwalk. He served there until in, plus packing and bringing all the he was transferred to Saint Vibiana’s as required vestments and accoutrements an associate pastor on July 20, 1962. needed at these events. Gene in 1947 at Mount Carmel High School 2 Monsignor Gilb moved into XVI, was also a peritus at Vatican 100 Fremont Place in Hancock Park II. ese men were given passes and with the cardinal and vicar-general allowed on the oor of Saint Peter’s, the Monsignor Benjamin Hawkes, and aula, while the bishops discussed and his days of golng and/or relaxing formulated the historic changes in the with family and friends were over. His church that were to come. At Vatican new position had little down time and II Father Gilb became Monsignor no room for mistakes. He was a valet, Gilb, that is an honorary papal caretaker, secretary and anything else chamberlain, enabling him to carry the cardinal wanted…and at any time papal papers between cardinals and the cardinal wanted it. Retired Bishop other high-ranking Vatican ocials. Joseph Sartoris recalls that it was a Cardinal McIntyre worked the entire dicult assignment at a transitional time he attended the council so there time in the church. He pointed out that was little time to relax. On December Vatican II was underway and Cardinal 12, 1965, the Feast of the Immaculate McIntyre was more conservative in Conception, Vatican II concluded. his views than many priests, which On July 23, 1965, between the caused some friction. However, Bishop third and fourth sessions of Vatican Sartoris noted that despite this turmoil II, Monsignor Gilb was on vacation Monsignor Gilb was always loyal to his in Carmel, California, playing golf archbishop in carrying out his duties with Father Juan Arzube, who later Cardinal McIntyre and Monsignor Gilb and deserved much credit for that. became a bishop. Taking Monsignor en route to Vatican II Monsignor Gilb felt that the years he Gilb’s place as priest-secretary while served as priest-secretary caused a he was gone was Father John B. om, McIntyre presided over. Bishop Ryan separation from some of his brother a 32-year-old priest who had recently emphasized that Monsignor Gilb was a priests that was never fully mended. He returned from Catholic University sensitive man who felt that he was the regretted that. and was temporarily assigned to person who should have been there, However, being the cardinal’s the chancery. Dorothy M. Bressie, and not Father om. Bressie was secretary did give this young priest a a 55-year-old nurse that newspaper found not guilty by reason of insanity front row seat…so to speak…at one accounts reported as being red from and released from a mental facility in of the most important events in the her last job for “emotional instability”, 1968 aer a sanity hearing. Roman Catholic Church’s history… came to the chancery and asked to see On November 10, 1967, aer Vatican II. the cardinal. Father om escorted her almost four years as the cardinal’s Beginning on October 11, 1962, into a conference room, and minutes priest-secretary, Monsignor Gilb was Pope Saint John XXIII beckoned an aer entering Bressie shot Father re-assigned to become assistant director estimated 2,860 bishops to Rome to om twice with a derringer, hitting of the Catholic Youth Organization and participate in Vatican II.