Gehring was born in
Brooklyn, New York, and as a young man was admitted to the
Congregation of the Mission, more commonly called the Vincentian Fathers. He entered the Congregation at
St. Vincent's Seminary in
Germantown, Philadelphia, their house of formation. A few years after his ordination as a priest in 1930, he was assigned to the Congregation's missions in China, where he was made responsible for running orphanages for Chinese children. He served in China for six years, returning in 1939. Gehring volunteered as a
Navy chaplain on December 9, 1941, two days after the
attack on Pearl Harbor. In addition to the Legion of Merit, Gehring was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and the
US Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation. Gehring's familiarity with the island led to his acting as driver for
Admiral Halsey during the Admiral's visit to Guadalcanal. His skill with the violin helped to entertain the troops. After World War II, Gehring continued working as a priest, returning to Germantown in 1963, where he served as pastor of St. Vincent's Church. He retired from that position five years before his death, to live with his sister in
Orlando, Florida. His funeral was at St. Vincent's Seminary in Germantown, where in 1930 he had been ordained. ==Patsy Li==