Background
Gendron, Odore Joseph was born on September 13, 1921 in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. Son of Francis and Valida (Rouleau) Gendron.
Gendron, Odore Joseph was born on September 13, 1921 in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. Son of Francis and Valida (Rouleau) Gendron.
He attended Sacred Heart School in Manchester and before continuing his education in Canada, where he studied at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Sherbrooke, Quebec. From 1942 to 1947, he studied philosophy and theology at Saint Paul Seminary in Ottawa, Ontario.
He served as Bishop of Manchester from 1975 to 1990. Returning to New Hampshire, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Matthew Francis Brady on May 31, 1947. From 1965 to 1967, he was pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Pittsfield.
He then served at Saint Augustin Church in Manchester until 1972, when he was named the first episcopal vicar for women religious.
He was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in December 1970, and became Vicar for Clergy in January 1974. On December 12, 1974, Gendron was appointed the seventh Bishop of Manchester by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on February 3, 1975 from Bishop Ernest John Primeau, with Bishops Edward Cornelius O"Leary and Timothy Joseph Harrington serving as co-consecrators.
Continuing the implementation of the Second Vatican Council"s reforms begun under Bishop Primeau, Gendron established a permanent diaconate and joined the New Hampshire Council of Churches. He also established Magdalen College in Bedford and Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack.
Gendron has been criticized for his management of sexual abuse cases among the clergy.
After fifteen years as bishop, Gendron resigned on June 12, 1990. He was succeeded by his coadjutor bishop, Leo Edward O"Neil.