Billac, Christopher A.

Jesuit Father Christopher A. Billac died on Oct. 3, 2012, at Ignatius Residence in New Orleans. He was 78 years old. Born on Oct. 18, 1933, in New Orleans, he was a Jesuit for 60 years.

Fr. Billac graduated from Jesuit High School in 1952 and entered the Jesuit Novitiate at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, La., on Aug. 14 of that year. After pronouncing his first vows on Aug. 15, 1954, he moved to Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., obtaining a bachelor’s in secondary education and a master’s in philosophy. He returned to Grand Coteau to teach Jesuit seminarians, and next taught at Jesuit High School of New Orleans. On June 7, 1965, he was ordained at St. Joseph Church in Mobile.

He earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at St. Mary’s College in St. Marys, Kan., and a master’s in classical languages at Loyola University Chicago. He received a diploma in advanced Latin studies from the Georgian University in Rome, and he then continued his studies at the Salesian University and Pacific Western University, where he received a doctorate in Neo-Latin literature.

Fr. Billac taught at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston from 1967 until 1982, and was rector of the community. Following that, he taught Latin and theology at Jesuit High in Tampa, Fla., where he served as school chaplain and rector of the community. He returned to Strake Jesuit in 1992, serving as the alumni director, then as alumni chaplain. In 2012, he moved to Ignatius Residence in New Orleans.

Fr. Billac was predeceased by his parents, Catherine Grant and Christopher August Billac, and adopted sister Shirley Grau. He is survived by his adopted family, including Mat Grau Sr., Judy and Andrew Meibaum, Gary and Mary Ann Grau, Mat and Leah Grau Jr., Jean Ann Boudreaux and Ginger and Frank Szczepanski.