Fr. Norris (Francisco Birkett Norris) entered into eternal rest, having suffered a severe heart attack on December 11th, 1999. Fr. Norris was the son of the late Thomas Edward Norris and Kathleen Beatrice Berkeley and the loving brother of the late David Oldham Norris (Donnie). He was survived by his brother James Berkeley Norris who died later the same year on December 25th. Fr. Norris was also survived by five nephews and nieces, along with five grandnephews and grandnieces.
Born in San Francisco in 1925, he was raised in Forest Knolls in Marin County, CA and was ordained to the priesthood in 1950. For the entire priesthood he was a member of the Society of St. Sulpice, a group of priests dedicated to the initial and ongoing formation of priests. He earned his doctoral degree in 1955 at Rome's Angelicum University. He was a widely respected professor, teacher and ecumenist, having taught at St. Joseph's College, Mountain View, CA, St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, MD, the Continuing Education of Clergy Institute, Berkeley, CA, and at St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, CA from 1958 until his death.
In 1962 he published the well-received and respected work on ecclesiology, God's Own People. He is lovingly remembered for his special esteem for the seminary's Vietnamese students.
He willed his body to the Stanford Medical School for medical research and was later cremated and laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos, CA.
A memorial Mass was celebrated by Archbishop William J. Levada at St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, on January 11th, 2000.
Please click on the photos for more information.
*A very special thank you to GravePhotographer87 for taking the photo of Father Frank's grave.*
Fr. Norris (Francisco Birkett Norris) entered into eternal rest, having suffered a severe heart attack on December 11th, 1999. Fr. Norris was the son of the late Thomas Edward Norris and Kathleen Beatrice Berkeley and the loving brother of the late David Oldham Norris (Donnie). He was survived by his brother James Berkeley Norris who died later the same year on December 25th. Fr. Norris was also survived by five nephews and nieces, along with five grandnephews and grandnieces.
Born in San Francisco in 1925, he was raised in Forest Knolls in Marin County, CA and was ordained to the priesthood in 1950. For the entire priesthood he was a member of the Society of St. Sulpice, a group of priests dedicated to the initial and ongoing formation of priests. He earned his doctoral degree in 1955 at Rome's Angelicum University. He was a widely respected professor, teacher and ecumenist, having taught at St. Joseph's College, Mountain View, CA, St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, MD, the Continuing Education of Clergy Institute, Berkeley, CA, and at St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, CA from 1958 until his death.
In 1962 he published the well-received and respected work on ecclesiology, God's Own People. He is lovingly remembered for his special esteem for the seminary's Vietnamese students.
He willed his body to the Stanford Medical School for medical research and was later cremated and laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos, CA.
A memorial Mass was celebrated by Archbishop William J. Levada at St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, on January 11th, 2000.
Please click on the photos for more information.
*A very special thank you to GravePhotographer87 for taking the photo of Father Frank's grave.*