Stanley Joseph Ott

Stanley Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana, the youngest of three children of Manuel Peter Оtt and his wife, Lucille Berthelot.[1] He was a second cousin of Mel Ott, a New York Giants outfielder and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.[2] He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Joseph's Church[3] in Gretna, where he also served as an altar boy.[2] He then attended St. Aloysius High School in New Orleans.[1] Following his graduation from St. Aloysius in 1944, he decided to study for the priesthood instead of entering the military service.[2]

Ott attended St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington before entering Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.[1] He continued his studies in Rome at the Pontifical North American College, where he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University.[1]

While in Rome, Ott was ordained a priest by Archbishop Martin O'Connor on December 8, 1951.[4] He earned a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian in 1954.[5] Following his return to Louisiana, he was assigned as a curate at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish[6] in New Orleans, where he remained for three years.[1] He served as an assistant chaplain at the Catholic Student Center of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge from 1957 to 1961.[5]

In 1961, after the creation of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Ott became judicial vicar of the new diocese and a curate at St. Joseph Cathedral.[5] He was named chancellor of the diocese in 1966 and rector of the cathedral in 1968.[7] In addition to these duties, he also served as dean of the Central Deanery and a member of the diocesan college of consultors.[1]

On May 24, 1976, Ott was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and titular bishop of Nicives by Pope Paul VI.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 29 from Archbishop Philip Hannan serving as consecrator, with Archbishop William Borders and Bishop Joseph Sullivan as co-consecrators. The consecration was held at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, in New Orleans.[4] He was then appointed by Hannan as the vicar general of the archdiocese.[5]

Following the death of Sullivan in September 1982, Ott was named the third bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge by Pope John Paul II on January 13, 1983.[4] During his nine-year tenure, he encouraged the increased participation of the laity in diocesan affairs, and promoted the ecumenical movement by engaging with leaders of other religions.[5] He also oversaw a major reorganization of the Presbyteral Council and other diocesan structures.[5]

An outspoken opponent of abortion, Ott urged Catholics to become involved in the pro-life movement and participated in Operation Rescue protests.[7] In 1984, he received heavy criticism for conducting a Mass for executed murderer Elmo Patrick Sonnier.[7] Ott served as chairman of the Committee on the Laity of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and was a delegate to the World Synod of Bishops in 1987.[1] He was a member of the Baton Rouge Sierra Club, Knights of Columbus, and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.[1]

In March 1991, Ott was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer, which had spread to his spine by October of that year.[7] He eventually lost the use of his legs, and underwent radiation treatment at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center[8] in Baton Rouge.[7] Stanley Ott died in Baton Rouge in September 1992 at age 65,[1] and was buried in the cathedral cemetery.[9]