Archbishop Hannan; keep on keeping on

Exclusive Interview With Archbishop Hannan

Former Church Leader Fights Back From Illness

COVINGTON, La -- Three months after a near-fatal illness, former Archbishop Philip Hannan has proved once again that he's a fighter.

The iconic former leader of the Archdiocese of New Orleans sat down with WDSU reporter Heath Allen for an exclusive interview.

On Monday afternoon, just as he has done for the past 71 years, Hannan said Mass, his voice strong and his will iron in the small chapel of his Northshore home. At the age of 97, Hannan refuses to quit, even if time and recent illness forced him to take things just a bit slower.
Talk to him and you'd have no idea how close to death he really was just a few months ago. On Monday afternoon, as always, he was charming.

"First of all, Archbishop Hannan, you look terrific," Allen told him.

"Well, thank you. So do you," he said.
"Well everybody has been wondering how you are doing. Are you glad to be home? Are you feeling better?" Allen asked.

"That's right, everything is just perfect," Hannan said.
For the past four years, Kent Bossier has been Hannan's caregiver, confidant and friend.

"A lesser man would have definitely given up," Bossier said of Hannan. "At 97, over Christmas, he had double pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and he had a severe infection in his upper bronchial area, so he was in rough shape, but he didn't want to give up."

It's not surprising for a man whose autobiography is entitled "The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots." Part of America's "greatest generation," he was there on the beaches of Normandy during World War II.

Six decades later, he personally autographs each of his memoirs, and he is preparing to celebrate his 98th birthday.

"We'll have a good, good party right here," he said.

"He's already excited about some of the plans -- Clara Cvitanovich and Drago are going to throw him a little small party with about 30 people there at the restaurant (Drago's). He's totally excited about that," Bossier said.

Hannan still tends to his flock. He's out virtually every afternoon, weather permitting, for a visit to St. John's Coffee House or to the Columbia Street Landing to enjoy the evening sunset.

Hannan is currently the ninth oldest Catholic bishop in the world.

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