Monsignor Greig to Celebrate Golden Jubilee of Priesthood

Mass of Thanksgiving, Reception Planned May 28 at OLQH

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

LAKE CHARLES — God used a young man’s musical talent and readiness to serve his country by inviting his willing heart to the priesthood. On May 28, 2026, that young man will celebrate the golden jubilee of his ordination.

It was not until 21-year-old Harry Denis Greig II auditioned for the field band in the United States Air Force and was assigned to McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington (1968-1972) before he would begin noticing that “tug from God” to a higher calling. His clarinet skills opened the door to more than just entertaining people. In time, he would be an instrument to help God save souls.

After prayerful discernment, Monsignor Greig made the decision to enter the seminary in 1972 and said that everything just flowed naturally from there.

“After I entered Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, I can honestly say I never struggled with my decision,” Greig shared as he reminisced on his journey to the presbyterate. “I was always at peace that I was moving in the direction where God was calling me. When I went to the seminary, my mindset was, ‘Oh, I will see how this goes,’ but every year seemed to be a natural progression.”

Path to Priesthood

A lifelong Catholic, Greig was born on December 29, 1946, and grew up in Lafayette with his parents, Harry and Jessie (LeBlanc) Greig, and two siblings. He attended Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School, Lafayette Senior High School and earned an accounting degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

“We never questioned the faith when I was growing up. We just practiced it,” he recalls about his Catholic upbringing. “In the early 1960s at the time of the Second Vatican Council, I was attending USL in Lafayette and lived at home. It wasn’t until I was in the Air Force that I began to see the vocation of priesthood as a possibility.”

As the implementation of Vatican II was beginning to unfold, Greig attended adult religious education classes taught by the base chaplain. As a result of that, Greig taught CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes and began serving at daily Mass as an altar server and a lector.

“I was in the first group of men asked to be lay ministers of communion on the Air Force base. In those days, the military had this ministry before the Archdiocese of Seattle” he recalled. “My involvement in the chaplain program began growing to the point that while I was in the service, I started weighing the pros and cons of pursuing the vocation of priesthood.”

Coinciding with his involvement of ministries, Greig attended a TEC Retreat (Together Encounter Christ) for young adults. He remembers “hitting it off” with the Archdiocese of Seattle vocations director who was helping with the retreat and who encouraged Greig to see the avenues and possibilities of priesthood.

“On the base, we had a Benedictine monk from a nearby monastery who celebrated Masses on weekends. He was the first priest who ever asked me if I had thought about becoming a priest,” Monsignor Greig said. “I was 24 years old before I seriously decided to give the seminary a try.”

On May 28, 1976, Greig was among five men ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Gerard L. Frey in Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Lafayette. He celebrated his first Solemn Mass on May 30, 1976, in his home parish of Our Lady of Fatima.

Assignments over the years have included St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church (Parochial Vicar) 1976-1980, and Administrator, July 1-November 14, 1986; Vicar General / Chancellor, Diocese of Lake Charles (1980-1988); Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, 1988-1991; Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church (Pastor) 1991-1995; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Rector) 1995-2003; Vicar General / Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese, 2001-2003; Administrator for the Diocese, June 2005 – April 2007; St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church (Pastor) 2003-2017; and Secretary of Administration, 2007-2017.

Other relatives in his family who said “yes” to God’s call are Monsignor Greig’s second cousin, Rev. Matthew Higginbotham, a priest for the Diocese of Lafayette, who was an altar server in Greig’s first Mass of Thanksgiving after his ordination. They both share the same ordination date of May 28. Also, Sister Camille Martinez from the Diocese of Lake Charles, is a first cousin to Monsignor Greig.

Some of the biggest changes Monsignor Greig has witnessed since the time of his ordination as a result of Vatican II include the option of face-to-face confession, receiving holy communion in the hand, and the age of confirmation being raised from the 8th grade to the 11^th grade. He also recalls that St. Margaret Catholic School was the first school in Lake Charles that went to an all-lay faculty after having religious sisters and a convent on site for many years.  In this transition Monsignor Greig took on the added responsibilities of being Religion Administrator of the School while remaining assigned to the parish. Eventually, other Catholic schools would do the same.

Monsignor Greig points out that while Vatican II brought about many changes, the Catholic faith never changed.

“The practice of our faith has changed, but not the faith,” he said. “It is the same faith that we have in Jesus Christ.”

When in Rome

Among the many assignments for Monsignor Greig was his time spent in Rome for the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith from 1988 to 1991. His boss was then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who would later serve as Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013).

Monsignor Greig said he appreciated the way the office was run with German efficiency. 

“Cardinal Ratzinger was very personable when you encountered him, a kind man, a private man of faith, highly competent, and with many responsibilities,” he recalled and considered the late pontiff a mentor. Pope Benedict XVI died on December 31, 2022.

“I have admiration, respect, and only high regards for Pope Benedict. His example of living his priesthood has always inspired me,” Monsignor remarked. “I am grateful for my association with him in Rome and for his leadership of our Church through the years.” 

Being in the hub of things when they happened at the Vatican was exciting for Monsignor Greig. He recalls President George H. W. Bush visiting Pope John Paul II.

“I, along with other Americans, was invited to an audience between President Bush and the Holy Father. To be in the audience hall and hear Americans belt out ‘God Bless America’ as the president and the pope walked into the room was very touching,” he recounted.

Monsignor noted that Mother Teresa was often visiting at the Vatican.

“The first time I met Mother Teresa, I was with another priest. We were in a room the size of closet,” said Greig. “She was sitting on an orange crate, and when we walked in, she got up to give us the orange crate to sit down (what a humbling experience in the presence of a Saint). I also remember that when Mother Teresa walked into St. Peter’s Basilica, she received as much applause as the pope.”

Monsignor Greig had the opportunity to celebrate Mass multiple times with the Missionaries of Charity founder and now Catholic Saint.

“One of the most moving Masses was when Mother Teresa asked if she could speak at the end of Mass,” Greig said. “She was getting ready to go back to Albania, her birthplace, for the first time since she was 13 years old. She was in her 70s at this time, and her only request was, ‘Pray for me that I do not get in the way of God’s work.’”

Beginnings of the Diocese

The Diocese of Lake Charles was established in 1980 with Bishop Jude Speyrer as its founding bishop. Monsignor Greig played a key role in those early years.

“It was an exciting time. Father Marshall Boulet, Monsignor Charles Dubois, Monsignor James Gaddy, Monsignor Irving DeBlanc, and myself all served on the Presbyteral Council for the Diocese of Lafayette, while being assigned to parishes in Lake Charles,” Greig explained. “We became the core committee to plan the ordination for Bishop Speyrer. In addition, we were being established as a diocese.”

The new Diocese of Lake Charles territory was taken from the Diocese of Lafayette. Greig remembers that initial period of teamwork among the clergy and the laity.

“We were four people — the bishop, a secretary, a financial person and myself as chancellor — and four offices as the new Diocese of Lake Charles,” he recalled. “We had one fourth of a floor in the Calcasieu Marine Bank. Bishop Speyrer lived in the rectory at the Cathedral; I lived at the St. Louis Catholic High School rectory, and then eventually, we acquired a residence on Harrison Street. It took us a good five years to end up with all the services we have now. Some have been added over the years. As a small diocese, all our priests worked together and there was a wonderful spirit of community.”

One of the first things Greig remembers doing as Chancellor was gathering with Bishop Speyrer and all the priests in several meetings to do charting for a vision to move forward. One of the outcomes was the Saint Charles Retreat Center which opened in 1995.

Blessings of Priesthood

People and ministries have brought much joy to Monsignor Greig over the past 50 years.

“Be it parish ministry, school ministry, the Chancery, or being in Rome, all of my assignments have provided life-giving experiences for me,” he shared. “The opportunities to be a part of people’s lives and be invited into their homes was always a joy.  I have been blessed to administer and celebrate the sacraments to multiple generations of families. I also feel very blessed for all the learning opportunities over the years.”

Monsignor said that he thinks it is the greatest vocation pitch for people to see happy priests.

“I can honestly say that I have never been called upon to do anything in the priesthood that I have not been happy to do,” he added. “When I was at St. Margaret (my first assignment), I loved being with the students and school community. Through the years, ministry in the various parishes where I have served has been a gift. I enjoyed the challenge of my role as Chancellor and Vicar General of the Diocese — it was exciting being part of the growth of the Diocese from the beginning.”

On June 24, 2005, Monsignor Greig was elected Administrator of the Diocese of Lake Charles during the interim of waiting for the Holy Father to announce a new Bishop. The Administrator oversees the daily operations of the Diocese and ultimately is responsible and accountable for decisions that necessitate his leadership. Greig chose to continue serving as Pastor of St. Mary of the Lake Parish during this time, which turned out to be close to two years.

“Many of the clergy and the diocesan employees I had collaborated with during my time in the Chancery were still active and involved which helped during this interim,” Monsignor Greig recalled.  

A major challenge occurred on September 24, 2005, when Hurricane Rita impacted Southwest Louisiana. In addition to many of the church parishes sustaining damages, diocesan buildings — including the Chancery — were significantly compromised.

“We worked together through this tragedy, rebuilt and moved forward,” Greig shared. “God’s guiding hand was evident in the continued growth of the Diocese.”

In February 2007, Greig recalls receiving a telephone call from the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C., that Monsignor Glen J. Provost from the Diocese of Lafayette would be announced soon as the Bishop of the Diocese of Lake Charles. Bishop Provost was consecrated and installed as the third Bishop of the Diocese of Lake Charles on April 23, 2007.

Retired since 2017, Monsignor Greig said that he appreciates being invited to assist at various parishes.

“I thoroughly enjoy seeing people from my past. I run into people from St. Margaret, Our Lady Queen of Heaven, the Cathedral, or St. Mary of the Lake, the parishes where I served.”

A Few Final Thoughts

Having been a priest for five decades, Monsignor Greig offers some words of wisdom to seminarians and young priests.

• “Always be conscious of having a balance of the spiritual, academic, and pastoral incorporated in your life.”
• “Ask questions. You can learn from the wisdom of the past.”
• “Accept every aspect of the priesthood you are invited to live.”
• “Learn to embrace the loneliness of the priesthood and being comfortable with it.”
• “Develop your strengths, realize your limitations, and ask for help.”
• “See your growth in your relationship with God as ongoing.”
• “Remember that you are the messenger, Jesus is the message.”
• “Trust that God is with you always.”

Whether it be a challenge, obstacle, a joy, or whatever, Monsignor Greig realized early on that there are many things he has no control over. His mantra has always been, “If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.”