an auxillary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans for more than twenty years,he was the first African American to serve as a catholic bishop in the 20th century.He was born in Lake Charles,Louisiana,to Frank J.Perry,a rice mill worker,and his wife Josephine,a domestic worker.The eldest of six children,he was raised in a devoutly Catholic and French speaking home.At 13,he entered the seminary of the Society of the Divine World in Bay St.Louis,Mississippi.He continued his studies at ecclesiastical instutions in Illinois
and Wisconsin.In 1938,he took his vows as a member of the Divine Word Society.
On January 6,1944,Harold was ordained to the priesthood.He was the 26th African American to become a Catholic priest he then served as assistant pastor at immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Lafayette until 1948,when he was transferred to Notre Dame Church in St.Martinville [6] he served at St.Peter's Church in Pine Bluff,Arkansas (1949-51) and st.Gabriel's Church
in Mound Bayou,Mississippi (1951-52) before returning to Louisiana as founding pastor,he built the church,rectory and school.In 1958,Harold was named rector of his alma mater at the Divine
word Seminary in Bay St.Louis becoming more active in the civil words,movement,he joined the National Catholic Council for interracial Justice upon its founding in 1960.writing in the Catholic monthly Interracial Review,in 1961,Harold wrote:Catholic institutions could have won great respect among Southern negroes if they had dropped segregation long ago.In many instances segregation continue up to and including the Communion rail.We have missed areal opportunity
to impress the Negro with the true attitude of the
church.In 1963,he and other religious leaders were invited to the White
House to discuss peaceful desegregation with President John Kennedy.
Harold tenure as rector came to an end in 1964,when he became provincial superior of the Southern province of the Divine World Society in the United States.That same year he also became
the first African-American clergyman to deliver the opening speech in Congress.On September 29,1965 Harold was appointed titular bishops of Mons in
Mauretania and Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans by Pope Paul VI.Harld was the first African American of the modern era to become a Catholic Bishop,Annoucing Harold's appointment,Archbishop Philip Hannan
said, "We welcome the first American-born Negro bishop.However,bishop James Augustine Healy,the son of a white plantation owner and a biracial slave,holds the distinction of being
the first African American to be elevated to the Catholic episcopate.Harold appointment was
praised by many civil and religious leaders,including including Lyndon Johnson,whom Harold credited as having " accomplished more for our people than any president since "Lincoln.Harold
declared,"My religious works comes first.I have no desire to work directly as a civil rights leader.
He receive his episcopal consecration
January 6,1966,from Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi,with Archbishop Philip Hannah and John Cody
serving as co-consecration,and one woman described it as "another reason why God will destroy the Vatican.
As an auxiliary bishop,Harold served as pastor of Our Lady of Lordes Church and St.Thersa of the Child Jesus Church in New Orleans,Vicar general of the archdiocese,rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady Prompt
Succor.He lived in the rectory on the grounds of Ursuline Academy,the oldest girl's school in the
United States.For many years he also served as national
chaplain of the Knights of Peter Claver.He remained an auxiliary bishop until his death due,to
complications of Alzheimer's disease at Wynhoven Heath Care Center.Upon his death,Archbishop Francis Bible Schulte said "Bishop Perry's is a great loss not only to the church of New Orleans but to the church of America.
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