BAY CITY – The Rev. Monsignor Gerard Cernoch, 82, died July 23, 2020. He was born Oct. 3, 1937, in San Antonio the only child of Bohumil “Jeff” and Willeymae Kainer Cernoch.
His family lived in Weimar, Corpus Christi and Praha, where he started school at St. Mary’s. In 1945, his family returned Weimar where he attended St. Michael’s School, graduating from 8
th grade in 1952. He graduated from St. John’s Seminary High School in 1956 and entered Assumption Seminary in San Antonio.
Monsignor Cernoch was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of San Antonio on May 28, 1964, by Archbishop Robert E. Lucey.
The following is a timeline of his ministry:
1964, associate pastor of St. Cornelius Church in Karnes City
1964, associate pastor, St. Philip the Apostle Church in El Campo
1967, associate pastor, St. Joseph Church in downtown San Antonio
1970, associate pastor, Our Lady of Grace Church in San Antonio
1971, associate pastor, St. Philip of Jesus Church in San Antonio
1973, pastor, St. Robert Bellarmine in El Campo
1976, pastor, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Kenedy
1982, pastor, St. Patrick Church, Bloomington
1986, pastor, St. Anthony in Palacios
1989, worked as Director of Evangelization at the Diocese of Victoria chancery office
1990, pastor, Holy Cross, East Bernard
1996, pastor, Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Shiner
2002, pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bay City
He was still serving as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Bay City when he retired on Nov. 26, 2018.
Services: 10 a.m. July 31 at Our Lady of Guadalupe. Burial: Catholic cemetery in Weimar. Memorials: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bay City.