The Reverend Louis Russell Biven

Father Biven was born on March 31, 1931 in Louisville, Kentucky to Louis Russell Biven and Margaret V. Treston. He was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on May 30, 1957 at St. Mary Parish in Wilm­ington, North Carolina as a priest for the then Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham. He attended high school at St. Bernard High School in Cullman, Alabama and attended St. Mary Seminary in Balti­more, Maryland for college and theology. Fr. Biven also earned a Master of Arts from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1968.

Father Biven served in a variety of pastoral and administrative re­sponsibilities in the Archdiocese of Mobile during his sixty years of priesthood, including being Associate Pastor at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Mobile, 1957-1962; Teach­er at McGill Institute, Mobile, 1962-1967; Associate Pastor at Christ the King Parish, Daphne, 1972-1974; Associate Pastor at St. Mary and St. Joan of Arc Parishes, Mobile; Pastor of St. John the Bap­tist Parish, Grand Bay, 1982-1987; and Pastor of Our Savior Parish, Mobile, 1987-2006. Father Biven retired in 2006 and was in resi­dence at St. Pius X Parish until moving to Sacred Heart Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor in 2009, where he remained until his death. In addition to pastoral assignments, Father Biven also served as the Director of the Office of Religious Education from 1968-1978.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Chapel of the Little Sisters of the Poor, 1655 McGill Avenue, Mobile, with the Office of the Dead for a De­ceased Priest prayed at 4:00 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Savior Parish, 1801 Cody Road South, Mobile, with interment in the Priest Section of Catholic Cemetery.

Over his many years of priestly service, Father Biven took special pleasure in reflecting with fellow priests, religious and lay people on the meaning and significance of the Christian mysteries and the celebration of these mysteries in the sacred liturgy of the Church. He always regarded the planning and building of Our Savior Church, Mobile, as the most satisfactory accomplishment of his life.

Arrangements by Ascension Funerals & Cremations, 1016 Hillcrest Road, Mobile, Ala­bama 36695.