Prayers For Sister Mary Patricia Parker

Sister Mary Patricia Parker fell recently and broke her leg/hip.  Dr. Porter is her physician and she is at Heritage House Nursing Home at 3103 Wisconsin Avenue, Vicksburg, MS, for rehab for several weeks.  The break was bad and she needs a lot of nursing care.  The Sisters of Mercy want to move her to St. Louis as soon as she is able to make the trip.  Please keep her in your prayers at this time.  

We, therefore, pray that God will bless her with his loving care, renew her strength, and heal her.  Amen

Prayers For Classmate Ina Lott Whittington

Please keep our Classmate Ina Lott Whittington in your prayers tomorrow.  She will be having hip surgery at 9:00 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS by a specialist.  This will be the third attempt to fix her hip and hopefully without complications so she can walk again.  I will be keeping you posted on her progress here.  May the healing power of Christ be with you, Ina! 

4-11-2018 - Update: Ina Whittington's surgery went well but there was a lot of infection and she will need another surgery later according to her daughter, Rhonda. Please continue to keep Ina in your prayers as she recovers from this surgery. I know the family thanks you for all your prayers today.

4-12-2018 - ANOTHER Update: Ina is stable now after being put in ICU last night when her BP dropped in recovery. Hopefully, she will be moved to a regular room soon. Please keep the prayers coming!

4-12-2018 - Update (5:15pm):  Update: Ina is out of ICU and in a room now. Please keep the prayers coming while she recovers from surgery. Thank you and thank The Good Lord!

4-13-2018 - I spoke with Ina today and she told me that she had 2-1/2 pts. of blood surgery day, yesterday 2 pts. and more blood today.  She is still in pain.  Please continue prayers for our classmate, Ina.  

4-19-2018 - Update: Our Classmate, Ina was transferred to Vicksburg Convalescent Home yesterday afternoon for rehab. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as she recovers. She will need another hip surgery at a later date. 

4-24-2018 - Ina will be transported tomorrow to UMMC in Jackson, MS for a follow-up with her Doctor.  Her address to send a greeting is 109 Colonial Drive, Vicksburg, MS  39180. I know it will cheer her up.  Please continue to pray for Ina that she will get a good report from her Doctor and recover so she can have one more surgery to be able to walk again.

4-30-2018 - Update:  Ina was not transported to UMMC as scheduled for a follow-up.  The intent was that the transporter was to come back and pick Ina up but the person that was taken ahead of her was put in the hospital and there was not enough time to make another trip back to Jackson.  So she has been re-scheduled this Thursday, May 3rd.  Please keep Ina in your prayers and hopefully, things will work out in her favor to see the UMMC Doctor for a follow-up this week. 

5-17-2018 - Update:  Ina had an appointment at UMMC yesterday and they did a lot of tests and changed her medication.  She goes back next week to see the surgeon and if the tests went well they may have the next surgery in two weeks but will not know until the next week's appointment.  Please continue to keep our classmate in your prayers that all the tests come back normal to get the go-ahead for surgery so she can start rehab and walk again.  

5-30-2018 - Update:  Ina's hip was not completely healed and the surgeon wants her to start rehab by putting her foot on the floor for another month.  She will go home at the end of June and will have further tests done and if all goes well he will schedule her final hip surgery in July.  Please continue your prayers. 

6-23-2018 - Update:  Ina is still in the Vicksburg Convalescent Home on Cherry Street and getting rehab for her hip/leg.  She has had a couple of infections of C-Diff during her stay and if all goes well she will go back for more tests to see the Doctor soon.  If her hip is healing well then the surgeon will schedule her final surgery hopefully, next month.  Please continue to keep the prayers coming for her recovery. 

7-09-2018 - Update:  Ina is still recovering in the Vicksburg Convalescent Home on Cherry Streat and getting rehab for her hip/leg.  The C-Diff infection has cleared up.  Thursday morning there will be a staff meeting with the family to see if she will be staying another month or go home for 60 more days with home health.  She will also be going to UMMC for tests Thursday afternoon to see if her hip is healing so the surgeon can proceed in getting her hip fixed.  She has been getting out of bed and walking with her walker a few steps so she is slowing making improvements.  Please continue the prayers coming for Ina.  Looks like it will be a long road to recovery for her. 

7-15-2018 - Update:  Ina will be spending 6 more weeks at the Vicksburg Convalescent Home for more nursing/rehab.  It was decided by Doctor/Nurses that she is not able to return home.  Her appointment was canceled last Thursday afternoon and re-scheduled for July 31st for x-rays on her hip to see if it is healing before the has one more surgery for hip replacement.  Please continue prayers for Ina as she slowly recovers. 

8-04-2018 - Update:  Ina went to her appointment on Tuesday, July 31 and the x-rays showed she was healing.  The  Doctor advised her not to have another surgery in October and to just live with using a walker/cane because she lost a lot of blood and almost lost her.  Will leave the decision to the family.  She is still in the Vicksburg Convalescent Home getting rehab and able to walk in the hallway on a walker and slowly improving.  Please continue to say prayers for Ina's recovery.  

8-31-2018 - Update:  Ina came home today from the nursing home.  She is so excited and said, No Place Like Home!  She will still have to use a wheelchair and a walker but at least she is home for now.  Please keep Ina in your thoughts and prayers as she continues her recovery.  

Classmate's Brother Dies

Russel Curtis Baker, Jr.

JANUARY 1, 1932 ~ MARCH 10, 2018 (AGE 86)

Russell C. “Rip” Baker, Jr., age 86, of Montgomery, Alabama passed away Saturday, March 10, 2018, in Jackson, Mississippi.

Rip was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on January 1, 1932. He was a graduate of St. Aloysius High School and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University where he was a member of the wrestling team. He earned a Master’s degree from the University of Mississippi. He served in the United States Air Force as a navigator and instructor navigator. He retired as a Major from the USAF with 20 years of active and reserve service.

Rip was a lifelong educator. He taught at the college level and worked as a consultant in the areas of education and development. He retired from the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission in Montgomery, Alabama in 1994.

In his retirement, Rip enjoyed outdoor activities and traveling the world. He loved sharing his travel adventures with his family. He adored his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a lifelong Auburn fan.

He was preceded in death by his mother Susan H. Baker and his father Russell C. Baker Sr.

Rip is survived by his wife of 64 years Mary Frances Baker, sons Stephen Baker (Shelley), Timothy Baker (Wilda), Michael Baker (Arlene), and daughter Suzanne Starnes; grandchildren Ashley McCain (Jonathan), Benjamin Baker (Lauren), Emaline Brady (Beau), Caroline Baker, Evan Baker, William Baker and Molly Starnes; great-grandchildren Gavin Burton and Fisher McCain; and brothers James “Tommy” Baker, John “Jack” Baker (Judy), and David Baker (Carolyn).

Inurnment will be at the Biloxi National Cemetery on Monday, March 19, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sierra Club.

On Top Of The World - St. Al Wins 3-0

On Top Of The World:  St. Aloysius soccer players celebrate after beating Starkville Academy 3-0 on Saturday to win the MAIS Class AAA championship.

STARKVILLE — When the first goal went into the net, the St. Aloysius Flashes felt pretty good. The second one made them breathe a little easier, and by the third one, they were on top of the world.

Ryan Theriot scored twice and set up Jack Dowe for a third goal as the Flashes routed Starkville Academy 3-0 Saturday night in the MAIS Class AAA boys’ soccer championship game.

It’s the first boys’ soccer state title in St. Al history and the end of a long chase that spanned not only this season but decades of frustration. The Flashes finished this season with a 14-5 record that included a semifinal victory over four-time defending state champion Central Hinds.

This was also the first time the program had ever reached a state championship game.

“We worked hard all season and this is fitting. Central Hinds has won five years in a row or something like that and now we’re getting our chance. We showed everyone tonight,” Theriot said.

Saturday’s game started slow. Neither team had a shot on goal in the first 20 minutes, and it wasn’t until the late stages of the first half that St. Al started to generate some scoring chances.

In the 38th minute, it finally cashed in.

A foul at the top of the goal box set up a free kick for the Flashes. Theriot teed the ball up at the 18-yard and sent a low grounder through the defense and past keeper Zak Kelly for the icebreaker.

“Once we got that, we broke through,” Dowe said.

The goal gave the Flashes a boost of confidence that they carried over into the second half. After Starkville Academy (9-8) put some pressure on St. Al keeper Chuck Beamish, Dowe cleared the ball with a long broomball pass ahead to Theriot.

Theriot deked Kelly at the 18-yard line and shot into the open net for a 2-0 lead and a huge cushion with 31 minutes to go.

“The first half, I saw how this team was playing and how that team was playing, and I told them to just take it over,” St. Al coach Scott Mathis said. “That’s all they did.”

While the Flashes’ offensive stars were shining, the less-heralded members of the defense were doing their job to maintain the lead. Three times in the second half, defenders cleared loose balls off the goal line when Beamish was caught out of position.

In three playoff games, the Flashes only allowed three goals — one of which deflected off their own player.

“They missed a couple of balls while they were getting the jitters out, but after that, it was lights out,” Mathis said. “That’s how they’ve been playing these last five or six games. Everybody, collectively, has done a great job. I’m proud of them all.”

Dowe scored off an assist from Theriot in the 63rd minute to push St. Al’s lead to 3-0, and the countdown was on to a championship. The final minutes ticked away without a serious charge from Starkville and, when the final whistle blew, the Flashes stormed the field in celebration.

They hoisted the championship trophy high and celebrated with raucous students who made the three-hour trip for the game, hugged each other and wore smiles filled with awe at what they’d just accomplished.

Held High:  St. Aloysius' Jack Dowe holds up the state championship trophy after the Flashes beat Starkville Academy 3-0 Saturday in the MAIS Class AAA title game.

“It was dominating, too. They had a couple of shots that almost went in, but 3-0 … the scoreboard doesn’t lie,” said Dowe, the team’s only senior. “My first year was Coach Scott’s first year. We’ve been through it all together. This means so much to me.”

By Ernest Bowker ~ The Vicksburg Post

St. Al Goes For First State Soccer Championship Tonight In Starkville

Chasing A Championship:  St. Aloysius' Jack Dowe, right fights his way past Central Hinds' Nick Lauderdale during Wednesday' MAIS Class AAA semifinal.  

MAIS Class AAA Championship
St. Aloysius (13-5) at Starkville Academy (9-7)
Saturday, 6 p.m.
At Mississippi State Soccer Field

In the postgame euphoria of Wednesday's state semifinal win, St. Aloysius' Jack Dowe did what any player would do and said he felt like the Flashes would go on to win in the championship game.  A second later he took it back.  "I don't want to jinx it," he said with a laugh.

It was probably a wise move.  For all their success and skill, it wouldn't hurt the Flashes to have luck on their side as well when they returned to the field on Saturday.

St. Al (13-5) will take on Starkville Academy at 6 p.m. at the Mississippi State Soccer Field on the MSU campus, in the MAIS Class AAA boys championship game.

It's the first time St. Al has ever played for a state title in boys soccer.  Starkville Academy (9-7) is in the Class AAA final for the second year in a row.

"I've been dreaming of this since I was in the seventh grade.  It's crazy," said Dowe, a senior forward who has had three goals --- including both game-winner --- and two assists in St. Al's two playoff victories so far.

The biggest challenge for the Flashes might be putting their last game behind them.  They knocked off four-time defending Class AAA champion Central Hinds, 2-1 and ended the Cougars' 71-game winning streak in the process.  Central Hinds had not lost since the 2013 state championship game.

St. Al had lost five times to Central Hinds over the past two seasons, including an embarrassing 8-0 defeat earlier this year and in the 2017 state semifinals.  Wednesday's victory was one that is players will never forget - - but also one they have to, in order to avoid a letdown when the stakes grow even bigger on Saturday.

"I think it is (tougher) because of pressure," said St. Al coach Scott Mathis, who led the school's girls team to the Class AAA championship in 2015.  "If they can keep everything in check, they're going to be fine.  I've been in that championship game with the girls, and they almost gave it away.  But we held on and did it, and I think the boys can do the same."

Mathis didn't have to go back too far to see how the right mindset can affect the outcome of a game.  The Flashes, perhaps looking ahead to their nemesis Central Hinds, struggled to get past Adams County Christian School in the first round of the playoffs.  They trailed 2-1 at halftime before scoring twice in the second half to wind 3-2.

Mathis said that was a bit of a wake-up call.  "After ACCS, I'm not going to rule anything out," Mathis said.  "What we've done is beat the top team in the state, and we're going to play off of that and focus on what we're going to do next."

Although it is in the championship game for the second year in a row, Starkville Academy took a similar route as St. Al to get there.  The Volunteers beat Indianola Academy 5-1 in the first round, then won 1-0 against a Heritage Academy squad that had beaten them twice in the regular season.

Brody Pierce, who spent most of the winter with the basketball team, has scored four of the Volunteers' six goals in the playoffs.  His total includes the game-winner against Heritage.

Now both the Flashes and Volunteers have one final obstacle to clear before they can truly celebrate.

"We've got to get over the hump sometime," Mathis said.  "I told them, 'You guys have got what it takes to do it,' so let's just do it."

Michael T. Morrissey Jr., Dies

Michael T. Morrissey Jr., died Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at River Region Medical Center. He was 78.

Born in Vicksburg, he was the son of the late Michael T. Morrissey Sr. and Elizabeth Mengis Morrissey.

Mike was a graduate of St. Aloysius High School in the Class of 1958 and a graduate of The University of Mississippi. He was a member of Hawkins United Methodist Church and also attended St. Albans Episcopal Church.

He is survived by his wife, Judy Williams Morrissey; son, Michael (Bo) Morrissey III (Judy); daughter, Kelly Morrissey Stevens; stepdaughter, Suzanne Williams Jackson (Darryl); and a stepson, Shawn Williams (Vickie). Mike is also survived by his grandchildren, Alex and Shelby Stevens, Lauren and Sara Morrissey, Kaleb Williams, Jay and Madelyn Jackson and Michael Kintsley.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Rosalie Biedenharn and Alice Woody; and a brother, Tommy Morrissey.

Services will be 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 19, 2018, at Hawkins United Methodist Church.

Visitation will be Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Riles Funeral Home and Monday at Hawkins United Methodist Church at 9 a.m. until the hour of the service. Burial will be at St. Albans Episcopal Church Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Ed Carruth, Ralph Abraham, Joe Loviza, Roeland Bell, Hardy Warren, Roger Gunn, Roger Cliburn, Richard Price, Bill Lovelady and Jimmy Kendrick.

Memorials may be made to Love a Child, Post Office Box 60063, Fort Myers FL 33906 and to Samaritans’ Purse, Post Office Box 3000, Boone, NC 38607.

(Florence Murphy Morrissey Boren (Class of 1959) married Michael T. Morrissey , Jr. (Class of 1958) in 1962 They had three children.  Kelly, 1965, Norma Ann, 1966 (deceased) and Michael, III "Bo" in  1968)

Prayers For Ina

Please keep our classmate, Ina Lott Whittington in your prayers.  She is seeing a hip specialist at the University Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) today.  Her surgeon who did her last two replacements last year cannot help her anymore and has referred her to UMMC for further medical care.  She will need your ongoing prayers.  I will keep you updated here on her progress and that she will get the medical attention she needs at this time.  

02-04-2018 ~ Ina was seen by a Doctor at UMMC and had an infection in her hip and was put on an antibiotic.  She will return to UMMC for further tests to see if the infection has cleared on February 26th  Her operation has been scheduled for April 11th because her Doctor has a scheduled overseas assignment. Ina is resting at home in bed and can sit up in a wheelchair.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers.  

If you like, you can send a card to cheer her up.  Ina's address is 109 Colonial Drive, Vicksburg, MS  39180  I'm sure she would deeply appreciate it.

03-02-2018 ~ Ina got word today from her Doctor that the infection has returned in her hip and will have to be removed before she can have her surgery in April.  She also may have pneumonia in her right lung as well.  She will go Monday to have more x-rays to check her lungs.  I will keep you posted.  Please continue to keep Ina in your prayers daily.

03-09-2018 ~ X-rays showed that it was not pneumonia in her right lung but enlarged blood vessels instead.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers.