Our 97 year old Archbishop; still going strong!

Peter Finney, Sports »
Archbishop Hannan has seen it all with the New Orleans Saints
By Peter Finney, Times-Picayune
May 23, 2010, 9:57AM
"The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots."

It's a new book, the life story of Philip Hannan, who went from serving as the parachute-jumping chaplain of the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II, to the "say-a-prayer-for-us" chaplain of the New Orleans Saints during their journey from pro football's laughingstock to Super Bowl champions.


Archbishop Hannan has seen the New Orleans Saints rise to the top of pro football, and is the subject of a new book.
It's the story of someone who grew up an avid baseball fan of the Washington Senators, who gave the eulogy at the funeral of his friend, President John Kennedy, before arriving here in 1965, on the winds of Hurricane Betsy, then later found himself, wearing overalls and his old combat boots, offering help and comfort to hundreds following visits by Hurricanes Camille and Katrina.

At 97, Archbishop Hannan is still with us, perhaps the only living member of a fan club that rooted for Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson.

"They called him 'The Big Train' because he was so fast and overpowering," Archbishop Hannan recalled. "One sports writer wrote he could throw three strikes at a time. He was my hero. When I was 11, I wrote him a letter, praising his pitching and sportsmanship. When he sent back a quick response, I couldn't believe it. He wrote: 'Dear Philip, I'm very grateful for your kind letter and appreciate your support.'"

In the seventh game of the 1924 World Series against the New York Giants, Hannan was in the stands at Griffith Stadium, watching Johnson come in to pitch four scoreless innings in relief to close out the championship.

"It was one of the greatest days of my young life," he said. "I remember my dad say batters, hampered by nightfall, saw only his release, not delivery. They knew they struck out only after hearing the ball pop into the catcher's mitt."

It didn't take baseball fanatic Philip Hannan long to realize, when it came to sports, New Orleans was a different cup of tea.

"As a religion," he said, "I found out football ranked just behind Catholicism."


On Nov. 1, 1966, All Saints Day, he was looking at the size of the headline in The Times-Picayune on page one - "N.O. GOES PRO'' - wondering if World War III had been declared.

Soon after, he was receiving a call from Gov. John McKeithen, who told him they wanted to name the team "Saints" because of the song, "When the Saints Go Marching In."

"Would that be sacrilegious?"

"I told the governor I'd have no objection. But I quickly added, from the viewpoint of the Church, most of the Saints were martyrs."

Considering what was to come, it was highly appropriate.

So was the archbishop's prayer for the expansion Saints of 1967, preparing to face the Los Angeles Rams in the opening game before a sellout crowd of 80,879 in Tulane Stadium:

"God, we ask your blessing upon all who participate in this event, and all who have supported our Saints. Our Heavenly Father, who has instructed us that the saints by faith conquered kingdoms and overcame lions, grant our Saints an increase of faith and strength so that they will not only overcome the Lions, but also the Bears, the Rams, the Giants, and even those awesome people in Green Bay.

"May they continue to tame the Redskins and fetter the Falcons as well as the Eagles. Give our owners and coaches the continued ability to be as wise as serpents and simple as doves, so that no good talent will dodge our draft. Grant to our fans perseverance in their devotion and unlimited lungpower, tempered with a sense of charity to all, including the referees.

"May our beloved Bedlam Bowl be a source of good fellowship and may the 'Saints Come Marching In' be a victory march for all, now and in eternity."

Well, as we all know, John Gilliam would return the opening kickoff 94 yards, something the archbishop compared to "Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea."

But did you know this? Because the archbishop had to meet a class later in the day, he was not around to see his Saints lose the first of many games.

Let the record show, thanks to owner Tom Benson, Archbishop Hannan would be around, 43 years later, for every moment of the closest thing to a football miracle the Big Easy ever experienced.

At a game-day Mass, as the football world prepared to witness a 31-17 victory against the Colts, Benson was reminded what the word was in Las Vegas: Never bet against the prayers of a 96-year-old archbishop.

"Archbishop Hannan," Benson said, "was heaven sent. He had more impact on our city than any individual I could name. He was front and center post-Katrina. He did so much to help lift and repair the spirits of everyone in our community."

His time as head of the archdiocese was highlighted by a 1987 visit by Pope John Paul II, no doubt the finest athlete to ever hold that position. He grew up playing soccer. He skied, jogged, hiked, played tennis, paddled a kayak.

The archbishop was awed by the pope's energy, by the way he "created an intimacy" at a youth rally that drew a crowd of 80,000 to the Superdome. "Pope John Paul," Hannan said, "drew on his strengths as an actor and communicator."

And then there was Edwin Edwards, someone the archbishop described as gifted, intelligent, flawed, with a great sense of humor. This was a governor elected to his fourth term with the bumper-sticker message, "Vote for the Crook, It's Important," in his campaign against Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke.

"We would have meetings with Edwards at the governor's mansion and he would bring up some question about Scripture to prove he knew something about it," Hannan said. "Usually, it was a complete misuse of Scripture.''

The archbishop tells a story suggesting it's a shame the pope never got to meet the governor.
In preparing for the historic visit by John Paul II, security concerns were vital, the total budget for the trip estimated at close to $2 million that included pay for state police and city police.

"This was in the midst of the oil collapse and the state's massive fiscal woes," Hannan said. "But, ever the showman, Edwards insisted he wasn't worried in the least.

"If we have to," the governor promised, "we'll just rob Peter to pay for John Paul."