For much of his 82 years, Dr. Frank Iula was a dedicated witness to the Catholic faith in the Diocese of Camden and beyond its borders as an evangelist, deacon and physician.
In the early 1970s, he and his wife, Rose, helped spearhead the Charismatic Renewal Movement in the Diocese of Camden and along the East Coast.
He was a member of the first graduating class of the Camden Diocese Diaconate Program in 1976, and served at St. Rose of Lima in Haddon Heights for more than 30 years.
Born on Oct. 8, 1926 in Garfield, N.J., Dr. Iula was raised in Vineland by his aunt and uncle. Serving in the United States Army during World War II, he was honorably discharged in 1946, and soon thereafter graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and received his medical degree from the University of Bologna, Italy.
Dr. Iula had a family practice internship at West Jersey Hospital in Camden, and spent a year of OB-GYN practice at Bucks County Hospital in Pennsylvania. Later, he began a family medical practice in Mt. Ephraim, which he maintained for 52 years.
When the Charismatic Renewal Movement, known for its evangelization efforts, speaking in tongues, and love of Jesus and the Blessed Mother, began gaining traction in the United States, Dr. Iula and his wife, Rose, approached Bishop George H. Guilfoyle, about starting a movement in the Diocese of Camden.
Working with the newly-appointed moderator, Auxiliary Bishop James L. Schad, Dr. Iula and Rose led prayer meetings in the diocese, and were speakers at charismatic conferences in the diocese and around the East Coast.
In 1995, he became a Knight of St. Gregory, due to his character, reputation and notable accomplishments.
In 2005, in recognition of his longtime medical work in the community, Dr. Iula received the St. Luke Award from the Diocese of Camden, and the South Jersey Catholic Medical Association.
He and Rose were also involved in a number of charities, and causes.
On March 7, 2009, Dr. Iula died at the age of 82.
Researched by Peter G. Sánchez and James A. McBride
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