PARISHIONER(S) OF THE MONTH:
Ed and Barb Hood
June '09

              What a pleasure it is to introduce you to Edward and Barbara Hood. They come from six generations of families who have been parishioners here at St. Mary’s. They are one of the most active members of our parish as you will read about below. They have been married for 47 years and have three children and nine grandchildren. Three of their grandchildren, Willie, Jia, and Julia all attend CLOW Mass here at St. Mary’s 10 AM Mass.

                Ed graduated St. Thomas Moore High School in 1961 and Barbara graduated from J. W. Hallahan in 1960. Ed was a member of St. Gregory’s Parish in West Philadelphia, but Barbara’s family have been parishioners here at St. Mary’s since 1960 (Johnson Family).

                Ed and Barb began dating in August of 1960 and were married at St. Mary’s on June 2, 1962. At the time, Ed was in the US Air Force and was to be stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska. After they married, they packed up their station wagon with all their belongings and drove for 13 days to Alaska!!  What a drive!! What a honeymoon!! Coincidently their first date was to see the movie “North to Alaska”.

                After settling down in Alaska, Ed and Barb started attending Mass on the Air Force Base but after a while did not feel comfortable there so they found a little church nearby named St. Anthony’s. It reminded them so much of St. Mary’s (and even looked like our church) with their tight community and good camaraderie. It became their home away from home.

                Soon enough the changes from the Second Vatican Council were being implemented in the Diocese of Fairbanks where their pastor from St. Anthony’s, Fr. Whalen, became the bishop! These changes happened in Alaska before Philadelphia and Barb would write home to her Mom about some of these changes and her Mom would reply, “Are you sure you are going to a Catholic Church up there??” Fr. Whalen explained, “It was probably easier to implement changes in smaller dioceses.”  Right at the conclusion of the Council, their first child, James, was born on January 13, 1965 and was baptized by Fr. Whalen at St. Anthony’s Parish. Their other two children, Teresa (born May 19^th, 1966) and Thomas (born December 25^th, 1972) were born after they returned to Philadelphia.

                Ed graduated from the Philadelphia Police Academy in November of 1966 and was very active in the CYO, CCD, and Men’s Club at St. Mary’s. Barb served as Home and School Recording Secretary. For many years they also worked at St. Mary’s 4^th of July picnic. Ed is now a retired police officer where he served for 30 years; most of those years in the 22^nd District. He is currently a School Police Officer with the Philadelphia public schools at the Dobson School. Barb was a school secretary for 25 years with the Philadelphia public schools and most recently retired after 25 years from Widener Memorial School for Handicapped Children. She spent the last year and half helping her sister recover from several surgeries.

                They both currently are involved in the following ministries: Extraordinary Ministers, Lectors, RCIA, Lose it for Life, Life Groups, Ladies’ Aid, Bead Sowers, Prayer Group, and rectory volunteer just to name a few. When you see them around the parish smile and know you are looking at people with very deep roots here in Philadelphia and at St. Mary’s Parish.