By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles
WESTLAKE — Rev. Mr. Fred Reed marks his 50th anniversary as a deacon on February 1, 2026. He was ordained a permanent deacon by Bishop Jerome J. Hastrich on February 1, 1976, at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Oberlin.
Deacon Reed, who has served as a deacon for 42 years at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Westlake, celebrated this milestone of his ministry with his wife Judy and their family on Saturday, January 3, at the 4:00 p.m. Mass.
as a Permanent Deacon at St. John Bosco Catholic Church
in Westlake. He is pictured here with Rev. Rojo Koonathan,
Pastor. Rev. Trey Ange, whose home parish growing up
was St. John Bosco and is now Pastor of St. Henry
Catholic Church, can be seen in the background.
(Photography by: Donna Gary)
Rev. Rojo Koonathan, Pastor of St. John Bosco, served as celebrant with special guest priests, Rev. Trey Ange, whose home parish is St. John Bosco; Rev. Whitney Miller; and Rev. Randall Moreau, from the Diocese of Lafayette.
Deacon Reed completed his four-year course in the diaconate formation program in the Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico, beginning his ministry as Director of the Southwest Volunteers, a group of lay missionaries for the Diocese of Gallup. He also assisted the pastor of St. William Catholic Church in Williams Acres, N.M.
Mrs. Reed worked closely with her husband as a missionary among the Navajo people in New Mexico.
to the sanctuary during the Mass of Thanksgiving for the
50th Anniversary of Diaconate Ordination for her husband
Deacon Fred Reed at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Westlake.
(Photography by: Donna Gary)
Father Koonathan commended the entire Reed family for the sacrifices they all made for the Church.
“Without Ms. Judy’s ‘yes’ it would not have been possible for Deacon Reed to be ordained. For married deacons to be ordained, the wife has to say ‘yes,’” he noted.
“In the short time I have been at St. John Bosco, I have experienced who Deacon Reed is, the dedication of his sacrifice that has been a great thing for the Church,” Father Koonathan continued. “And he is still going. He is not stopping. When he said ‘yes’ to the Lord, he knew it is until his death. That is the way it should be for whatever call we accept, whether it is a priest or deacon or married life.”
A native of Oberlin, Deacon Reed and his wife of 60 years have two daughters, Ashley Moore (Kevin) and Theresa Reed, and one son, Stephen Reed (Emily), and two grandchildren, McKenzie and Judith Reed.
Over the past 50 years, Deacon Reed has served 10 pastors and 5 bishops. In addition to the Diocese of Gallup, he has also served in the Diocese of Lafayette at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Eunice from 1978 to 1984, and presently in the Diocese of Lake Charles at St. John Bosco Parish in Westlake since 1984.
“My greatest joy has been in serving the people of God,” Deacon Reed shared. “For this I am eternally grateful.”
To commemorate the longtime dedication of Deacon Reed’s Permanent Diaconate Ordination, he was presented with an Apostolic Blessing imparted by the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV.
A reception was held for parishioners of St. John Bosco, family, and friends following the Mass on January 3, during which time Westlake Mayor Hal McMillin proclaimed January 3, 2026, “Deacon Fred Reed Day.”
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