Looking back

50 Years Ago
Most Rev. John L. May was the principal celebrant at the July 4th Liturgy at St. Bede’s Parish, Montgomery.
Mrs. A. L. Perez served as chairman of the 50th Annual Ladies of Charity Grocery Shower.
Fr. A. William Crandell S.J., gave the closed retreat for women at the Visitation Monastery.
Officers of the Blessed Virgin Sodality of St. Patrick Parish, Phenix City, were: Mrs. Hubbard W. Bell, president; Mrs. John Willoughby, vice president; Mrs. James D. Reddock, secretary; and Mrs. Jerry Youngstrom, treasurer.
Clergy appointments were: Fr. Peter Cunningham, Faculty of McGill-Toolen and assistant pastor, St. Mary, Mobile; Fr. Conan Dalton, Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Mobile; Fr. Finbar Desmond, St. John Parish, Ozark; Msgr. Anthony McDevitt, clergy staff of The Catholic Week; and Fr. Edward P. McDevitt, administrator, St. Andrew Parish, Montgomery.
Mrs. Jesse Bly of St. Jude Parish Social Service Center was guest speaker at the Maxwell Air Force Base Catholic Women’s Organization meeting.
The 24th annual Fleet Blessing was held in Bayou La Batre under the direction of Fr. Timothy Deasy, pastor of St. Margaret Parish, and Mrs. Willie Louise Bryant, event coordinator.
New officers of the Daphne-Fairhope Council 2737, Knights of Columbus were: Louis Lazzari, grand knight; Thomas Betagnolli, deputy grand knight; Mel Gregorius, chancellor; William J. Gandolfo, recorder; George Dyson Jr., finance secretary; John Y. Metzger Sr., treasurer; Louis Boni Sr., advocate; Jack Ellis, warden; Warren Carver, inner guard; Vincent Gregorius, outer guard; and Fred Boni, treasurer.
25 Years Ago
Among a number of clergy appointments announced for the Archdiocese of Mobile by Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb included: Fr. Edwin P. Beachum, PhD, appointed pastor of St. Catherine Parish, Mobile; Fr. James J. Cink, appointed administrator of Annunciation Parish, Monroeville; and Fr. Michael L. Farmer, vice chancellor of the archdiocese and associate pastor of St. Pius X Parish, Mobile.
Spring Hill College handed out Bachelor and Master degrees to 300 graduates. The Honorable Alexis M. Herman, the 23rd U. S. Secretary of Labor and a native of Mobile, was guest speaker. Dr. Melvin Brandon, chair for the department of philosophy, was awarded the Rev. Edward B. Moody, S.J., Teacher of the Year Award during the commencement ceremonies.
Msgr. Kenneth J. Klepac celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood at St. Joan of Arc Parish.
Ten people were treated to a fishing trip by Sister Gloria M. Fox, C.R., director of the Interfaith Elderly Outreach, a program of Resurrection Catholic Missions, who assists elderly shut-ins in north Montgomery. The program routinely served over 100 people and assists elderly and homeless.
St. Jude S.G.A. officers for 1998-99 were: Rodney Clayton, president; Cemerio McNear, vice president; Tomeka Williams, secretary; Timothy Robinson, treasurer; and Mrs. Marilyn Bibbins, sponsor.
McGill-Toolen High School and Alma Bryant High School (formerly Grand Bay High School) played an exhibition football game before a crowd of 2,500. It was the inaugural meeting between the two teams and the first game for Alma Bryant in the young school’s history.
— Anne Baggett compiles information for Looking Back from past issues of this newspaper. Anne is a member of St. Mary Parish in Mobile.