Our Lady of Fatima The parish history for Our Lady of Fatima Parish for the years 1970 -1980

Our Lady of Fatima
The parish history for Our Lady of Fatima Parish
for the years 1970 - 1980 inclusive follows:

1970: The practice of standing to receive Holy Communion was introduced in Our Lady of Fatima Parish early in the year.

On March 8, 1970, a Tri-Parish Confirmation Ceremony was held at the Industrial Building. The Most Rev. Hubert M. Newell, Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne, confirmed the children and adults from the three Casper parishes as well as those from the Midwest parish.

The men of the parish added new playground equipment in the spring.

At the May meeting of the Holy Name Society, Joe Kasper was awarded an “appreciation certificate” and a plaque for sixteen years of faithful and untiring service to the parish.

Fr. A. H. Grannan’s 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood was celebrated at the May Altar and Rosary General Meeting.

The presence of Villa Maria, a home for the elderly operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, in the former convent brought joy to the parishioners. On August 3, 1970, Villa Maria observed its first anniversary. Mother Emilie assisted by several nuns, cares for the eight elderly residents.

The Tri-Parish CCD Center at St. Patrick’s for junior high and senior high students was discontinued at the end of the school year. In the future, all students will attend classes in their own parish.

On September 20, 1970, a census of all three parishes was taken to update the parish lists.

Improvements included black topping of the church parking areas and driveways by Boatright-Smith.

1971: In May of 1971, Bishop Newell commissioned the first Extraordinary Ministers for Our Lady of Fatima Church. They were Harold Amburn, Ray Bader, Robert Bush, Roland Carter, Raymond Charles, James Farmer, Patrick Freiberg, John Griswold, Joseph Hankins, James Herold, Lorin Lefevre, Dan Norcross, Clarence Nollette, Leonard Suther, and Patrick Swanton.

A general face-lifting and cleanup for the church and grounds were undertaken in the spring. Lights were installed around the church and school, the back doors of the church were replaced, new hymn boards were hung in the church, bulletin racks were installed at the entrances to the church, and new pews were purchased. New furnishings were added to the rectory also.

It was with heavy hearts that we received word that Villa Maria would be closed in September because of the shortage of Little Sisters of the Poor. The nine residents were placed in suitable quarters in Wyoming, or in homes maintained by the Sisters in other states.

1972: A Tenth-Anniversary Mass for the repose of the soul of Rev. Patrick McGovern, first assistant pastor at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, was offered on February 23, 1972.

Early in the year, the following improvements were made to church properties: the cry room in the church was redecorated, and a large red bell was installed at the school entrance to announce CCD classes. In April, the church was redecorated. Additional cry rooms were made, the church interior painted white, new carpeting installed in the aisles, indoor-outdoor carpeting was laid on the outdoor steps and landings, worn kneelers were repaired, and extra microphones were added to the choir loft and altar.

Fatima Cottage was remodeled to make two rental units. The home for the elderly, Villa Maria, was converted into a Parish Center, and signs designating each building were placed on all the buildings. Direction signs were also erected.

A reception honoring Fr. A. H. Grannan on the 32nd anniversary of his ordination was held at the Parish Center on May 14.

When CCD classes resumed in the fall, the basement of the Parish Center was used for CCD classrooms, teachers’ lounge, CCD office, and the library-visual aids storage room. Doors to the entrances of the building were converted so that they opened outwardly, proper locks installed, and the doors to the classrooms were changed to pass the Fire Code Inspection.

1973: Our Lady of Fatima Altar and Rosary Society hosted the State Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention on May 7 and 8 at the Casper Ramada Inn.

In June, 1973, Msgr. Thomas F. O’Reilly resigned his post as Vicar General. Msgr. O’Reilly had supervised the establishment and initial building program of Our Lady of Fatima Church in 1954. After his retirement as pastor of St. Anthony Church, Casper, he assisted Fr. Grannan by celebrating daily Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church.

On August 25, 1973, Joe and Martha Kasper were honored at a reception on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. The Kaspers were one of the founding families of Our Lady of Fatima Parish.

On September 15, the Little sisters of the Poor visited our Parish from Denver and were honored at a Silver Tea at the Parish Center. The Sisters spoke at each of the weekend Masses, and a special collection was made for their building program in Denver.

The kitchen at the rectory was redecorated in the fall.

1974: Early in the year the Parish Center was remodeled to fit the growing needs of the parish. By removing walls, 468 square feet of space was added to the 576 square feet in the main room making a multi-purpose “L”-shaped room. New drapes, wallpaper, and carpeting were added, and the room was dedicated to Fr. Patrick McGovern, the first assistant at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Nollmann Construction Co. was in charge of the remodeling. The Parish Center became a popular meeting place for Altar and Rosary Society meetings, circle meetings, Holy Name breakfasts, coffees, parties, and wedding receptions.

The parish was saddened to learn of the death of Msgr. O’Reilly several days after he attended the Altar and Rosary Spring Brunch on St. Patrick’s Day.

During the year, the outdoor trim of the church was painted, missalette holders were added to the pews, the foundation of the Parish Center was waterproofed, and the rectory roof repaired. A bride’s dressing room and a groom’s room were constructed in the church basement.

In a ceremony conducted before Benediction on the evening of April 7, Rev. A.H. Grannan granted the privilege and trust of serving their fellow Christians as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to four men of the parish: Legrand Duncan, Randy Farmer, John Keeley, and James Tate. At this time, there are seventeen Extraordinary Ministers serving Our Lady of Fatima Parish.

Two special “coffees” were held at the Parish Center during May. The first honored Fr. Grannan on the 34th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. The second coffee was a farewell coffee for Kathleen O’Reilly, sister of Msgr. O’Reilly, who returned to County Cavan, Ireland.

The kitchen and the back hallway of the Parish Center were carpeted in the fall.

The parish honored Fr. Grannan on his birthday, July 15, at a picnic on the church grounds.

Activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima Parish began with Forty Hours Devotion on October 4, 5, and 6. Fr. Grannan obtained an Apostolic Benediction from Rome for the parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima Church. A family “Ice Cream Social” followed the closing of Forty Hours. A slide presentation of the “History of Our Lady of Fatima Parish” was shown to the many parishioners who attended.

1975: Fr. A.H. Grannan, pastor, celebrated the 35th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood in May 1975.

A fund was established for the purchase of a new church organ and three cooling units were mounted on the church roof for cooling the church during the summer months.

1976: Improvements to the church plant in 1976 included additional furnishings for the Parish Center and the purchase of a new organ for the church.

1977: It was in the spring of 1977 that the Parish Council granted permission for the Thursday Evening Prayer Group to hold its weekly meetings in the church.

An air-conditioning unit was put into place for cooling the church basement.

On June 1, 1977, the Rev. A.H. Grannan resigned his pastorate at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Rev. Daniel Colibraro was appointed the new pastor.

Substantial refurnishing of the rectory was carried out during the course of one year by the new pastor. The area immediately surrounding the rectory was landscaped.
The Religious Education Department continued with Sharon Forster as head of the department. High school classes were held in the homes of the teachers.

The Altar and Rosary Society was under the leadership of Ret Minahan for the year 1977-1978. Larry Madsen served as president of Holy Name.

The Rev. Michael Carr conducted the Forty Hours Services during October of 1977.

1978: Fr. Gerald Sullivan, Director of Catholic Social Services, took up residence at the Fatima Rectory in July 1978. He helped with weekend Masses and confessions and did marriage counseling work.

Norene Brauer served as Altar and Rosary president, and Allan Catellier served as president of the Holy Name Society during this year.

Sharon Forster continued as head of the Religious Education Department during the year 1978-1979. High school classes were held in the homes of the teachers.

Adult education was launched with the introduction of the Genesis II program. Five couples participated in 18 sessions extending from April to December 1978.

It was in 1978 that Monday night bingo was discontinued.

The present parish school building was remodeled in such a manner that we doubled the number of classrooms and installed a new hot water heating system. New schoolroom furnishings were added to all the rooms.

In December 1978, the Parish Council selected a committee to direct the remodeling program for the interior of our parish church.

1979: In February, teachers’ Workshop was held in Fatima Parish under the direction of Miss Phyllis Erskine. Miss Erskine returned in April of the same year to conduct a follow-up workshop for the teachers, at which time she accepted the position as Director of Religious Education for the parish, having been approved by the Parish Council.

The Genesis II program continued with four new groups being organized. Related to the Genesis program for adult education were four additional programs: one on guilt, one on trust, a high school Genesis class, and Romans 8.

In April 1979, the first election was held for the newly reorganized Parish Council. Officers elected were President Ray Charles, Vice-President Bill Brauer, and Secretary Pam Trujillo. Other members included Pastor Daniel Colibraro, Phyllis Erskine, Lorin Lefevre, Joan Swanton, Larry Madsen, Donna Diesburg, Joe Hankins, Chuck Trujillo, Virginia Brunelli, and Legrand Duncan.

In the spring, the men of Holy Name Society assumed the leadership and direction of the Programs for People Campaign initiated in our Diocese during this year.

The cottage underwent extensive remodeling during the spring of 1979 in preparation for Phyllis Erskine’s residence. Miss Erskine began her work in the Parish in August 1979, by initiating a teacher-training program for grades K through 12. Miss Erskine continued and developed further the Sunday morning pre-school and baby sitting programs initiated by Karen Moses and several young mothers of the parish in 1977.

The Nollmann Construction Company of Casper began the remodeling of the interior of the parish church in June 1979. The three original altars were removed as well as the oak communion rails. The east end of the church was paneled with a dark oak from ceiling to floor, which removed one window in the east wall. The church was repainted and entirely covered with new carpet. A new main altar and a new tabernacle for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and new baptismal front were added in the sanctuary. New furnishings and appointments were added to coordinate all of the equipment. The dedication in November 1979 commemorated the 25th anniversary of the parish.

During this year, Virginia Brunelli served as president of the Altar and Rosary Society and Legrand Duncan headed the Holy Name Society.

In December 1979, the Religious Articles Shop was moved from the Parish Center to the Church basement. A new room was constructed for the shop in order to prepare for remodeling the Parish Center to follow shortly.

1980: During the early part of 1980, the Parish Center underwent extensive remodeling, particularly in the basement. Many small rooms, originally intended for occupation by one person, were made into several large classrooms. The office was enlarged and a machine’s room added. The entire Center was recarpeted and all classrooms were supplied with new furnishings. Two additional classrooms were added in the west basement nave.

All power and telephone lines were placed underground during this year.

Because water was entering the basement of the church, the entire parking area surrounding the church was re-graded to eliminate the problem. For the same reason, the area around the Parish Center was re-graded and sodded.

In September, the ladies of the Altar and Rosary Society hosted a three-day Priests’ Institute for the first time. Forty-five priests were in attendance.

In April, the parish Council elected two new members to replace the two members who will be leaving every year.

Since Phyllis Erskine has joined Our Lady of Fatima staff, six overnight retreats for adults, junior high and senior high students have been held.

During this year, Doris Cunningham served as Altar and Rosary Society president, and Chuck Trujillo assumed the leadership of the Holy Name Society.

Back to INDEX		Our Lady of Fatima The parish history for Our Lady of Fatima Parish for the years 1970 - 1980 inclusive follows: 1970: The practice of standing to receive Holy Communion was introduced in Our Lady of Fatima Parish early in the year. On March 8, 1970, a Tri-Parish Confirmation Ceremony was held at the Industrial Building. The Most Rev. Hubert M. Newell, Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne, confirmed the children and adults from the three Casper parishes as well as those from the Midwest parish. The men of the parish added new playground equipment in the spring. At the May meeting of the Holy Name Society, Joe Kasper was awarded an “appreciation certificate” and a plaque for sixteen years of faithful and untiring service to the parish. Fr. A. H. Grannan’s 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood was celebrated at the May Altar and Rosary General Meeting. The presence of Villa Maria, a home for the elderly operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, in the former convent brought joy to the parishioners. On August 3, 1970, Villa Maria observed its first anniversary. Mother Emilie assisted by several nuns, cares for the eight elderly residents. The Tri-Parish CCD Center at St. Patrick’s for junior high and senior high students was discontinued at the end of the school year. In the future, all students will attend classes in their own parish. On September 20, 1970, a census of all three parishes was taken to update the parish lists. Improvements included black topping of the church parking areas and driveways by Boatright-Smith. 1971: In May of 1971, Bishop Newell commissioned the first Extraordinary Ministers for Our Lady of Fatima Church. They were Harold Amburn, Ray Bader, Robert Bush, Roland Carter, Raymond Charles, James Farmer, Patrick Freiberg, John Griswold, Joseph Hankins, James Herold, Lorin Lefevre, Dan Norcross, Clarence Nollette, Leonard Suther, and Patrick Swanton. A general face-lifting and cleanup for the church and grounds were undertaken in the spring. Lights were installed around the church and school, the back doors of the church were replaced, new hymn boards were hung in the church, bulletin racks were installed at the entrances to the church, and new pews were purchased. New furnishings were added to the rectory also. It was with heavy hearts that we received word that Villa Maria would be closed in September because of the shortage of Little Sisters of the Poor. The nine residents were placed in suitable quarters in Wyoming, or in homes maintained by the Sisters in other states. 1972: A Tenth-Anniversary Mass for the repose of the soul of Rev. Patrick McGovern, first assistant pastor at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, was offered on February 23, 1972. Early in the year, the following improvements were made to church properties: the cry room in the church was redecorated, and a large red bell was installed at the school entrance to announce CCD classes. In April, the church was redecorated. Additional cry rooms were made, the church interior painted white, new carpeting installed in the aisles, indoor-outdoor carpeting was laid on the outdoor steps and landings, worn kneelers were repaired, and extra microphones were added to the choir loft and altar. Fatima Cottage was remodeled to make two rental units. The home for the elderly, Villa Maria, was converted into a Parish Center, and signs designating each building were placed on all the buildings. Direction signs were also erected. A reception honoring Fr. A. H. Grannan on the 32nd anniversary of his ordination was held at the Parish Center on May 14. When CCD classes resumed in the fall, the basement of the Parish Center was used for CCD classrooms, teachers’ lounge, CCD office, and the library-visual aids storage room. Doors to the entrances of the building were converted so that they opened outwardly, proper locks installed, and the doors to the classrooms were changed to pass the Fire Code Inspection. 1973: Our Lady of Fatima Altar and Rosary Society hosted the State Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention on May 7 and 8 at the Casper Ramada Inn. In June, 1973, Msgr. Thomas F. O’Reilly resigned his post as Vicar General. Msgr. O’Reilly had supervised the establishment and initial building program of Our Lady of Fatima Church in 1954. After his retirement as pastor of St. Anthony Church, Casper, he assisted Fr. Grannan by celebrating daily Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church. On August 25, 1973, Joe and Martha Kasper were honored at a reception on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. The Kaspers were one of the founding families of Our Lady of Fatima Parish. On September 15, the Little sisters of the Poor visited our Parish from Denver and were honored at a Silver Tea at the Parish Center. The Sisters spoke at each of the weekend Masses, and a special collection was made for their building program in Denver. The kitchen at the rectory was redecorated in the fall. 1974: Early in the year the Parish Center was remodeled to fit the growing needs of the parish. By removing walls, 468 square feet of space was added to the 576 square feet in the main room making a multi-purpose “L”-shaped room. New drapes, wallpaper, and carpeting were added, and the room was dedicated to Fr. Patrick McGovern, the first assistant at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Nollmann Construction Co. was in charge of the remodeling. The Parish Center became a popular meeting place for Altar and Rosary Society meetings, circle meetings, Holy Name breakfasts, coffees, parties, and wedding receptions. The parish was saddened to learn of the death of Msgr. O’Reilly several days after he attended the Altar and Rosary Spring Brunch on St. Patrick’s Day. During the year, the outdoor trim of the church was painted, missalette holders were added to the pews, the foundation of the Parish Center was waterproofed, and the rectory roof repaired. A bride’s dressing room and a groom’s room were constructed in the church basement. In a ceremony conducted before Benediction on the evening of April 7, Rev. A.H. Grannan granted the privilege and trust of serving their fellow Christians as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to four men of the parish: Legrand Duncan, Randy Farmer, John Keeley, and James Tate. At this time, there are seventeen Extraordinary Ministers serving Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Two special “coffees” were held at the Parish Center during May. The first honored Fr. Grannan on the 34th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. The second coffee was a farewell coffee for Kathleen O’Reilly, sister of Msgr. O’Reilly, who returned to County Cavan, Ireland. The kitchen and the back hallway of the Parish Center were carpeted in the fall. The parish honored Fr. Grannan on his birthday, July 15, at a picnic on the church grounds. Activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima Parish began with Forty Hours Devotion on October 4, 5, and 6. Fr. Grannan obtained an Apostolic Benediction from Rome for the parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima Church. A family “Ice Cream Social” followed the closing of Forty Hours. A slide presentation of the “History of Our Lady of Fatima Parish” was shown to the many parishioners who attended. 1975: Fr. A.H. Grannan, pastor, celebrated the 35th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood in May 1975. A fund was established for the purchase of a new church organ and three cooling units were mounted on the church roof for cooling the church during the summer months. 1976: Improvements to the church plant in 1976 included additional furnishings for the Parish Center and the purchase of a new organ for the church. 1977: It was in the spring of 1977 that the Parish Council granted permission for the Thursday Evening Prayer Group to hold its weekly meetings in the church. An air-conditioning unit was put into place for cooling the church basement. On June 1, 1977, the Rev. A.H. Grannan resigned his pastorate at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Rev. Daniel Colibraro was appointed the new pastor. Substantial refurnishing of the rectory was carried out during the course of one year by the new pastor. The area immediately surrounding the rectory was landscaped. The Religious Education Department continued with Sharon Forster as head of the department. High school classes were held in the homes of the teachers. The Altar and Rosary Society was under the leadership of Ret Minahan for the year 1977-1978. Larry Madsen served as president of Holy Name. The Rev. Michael Carr conducted the Forty Hours Services during October of 1977. 1978: Fr. Gerald Sullivan, Director of Catholic Social Services, took up residence at the Fatima Rectory in July 1978. He helped with weekend Masses and confessions and did marriage counseling work. Norene Brauer served as Altar and Rosary president, and Allan Catellier served as president of the Holy Name Society during this year. Sharon Forster continued as head of the Religious Education Department during the year 1978-1979. High school classes were held in the homes of the teachers. Adult education was launched with the introduction of the Genesis II program. Five couples participated in 18 sessions extending from April to December 1978. It was in 1978 that Monday night bingo was discontinued. The present parish school building was remodeled in such a manner that we doubled the number of classrooms and installed a new hot water heating system. New schoolroom furnishings were added to all the rooms. In December 1978, the Parish Council selected a committee to direct the remodeling program for the interior of our parish church. 1979: In February, teachers’ Workshop was held in Fatima Parish under the direction of Miss Phyllis Erskine. Miss Erskine returned in April of the same year to conduct a follow-up workshop for the teachers, at which time she accepted the position as Director of Religious Education for the parish, having been approved by the Parish Council. The Genesis II program continued with four new groups being organized. Related to the Genesis program for adult education were four additional programs: one on guilt, one on trust, a high school Genesis class, and Romans 8. In April 1979, the first election was held for the newly reorganized Parish Council. Officers elected were President Ray Charles, Vice-President Bill Brauer, and Secretary Pam Trujillo. Other members included Pastor Daniel Colibraro, Phyllis Erskine, Lorin Lefevre, Joan Swanton, Larry Madsen, Donna Diesburg, Joe Hankins, Chuck Trujillo, Virginia Brunelli, and Legrand Duncan. In the spring, the men of Holy Name Society assumed the leadership and direction of the Programs for People Campaign initiated in our Diocese during this year. The cottage underwent extensive remodeling during the spring of 1979 in preparation for Phyllis Erskine’s residence. Miss Erskine began her work in the Parish in August 1979, by initiating a teacher-training program for grades K through 12. Miss Erskine continued and developed further the Sunday morning pre-school and baby sitting programs initiated by Karen Moses and several young mothers of the parish in 1977. The Nollmann Construction Company of Casper began the remodeling of the interior of the parish church in June 1979. The three original altars were removed as well as the oak communion rails. The east end of the church was paneled with a dark oak from ceiling to floor, which removed one window in the east wall. The church was repainted and entirely covered with new carpet. A new main altar and a new tabernacle for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and new baptismal front were added in the sanctuary. New furnishings and appointments were added to coordinate all of the equipment. The dedication in November 1979 commemorated the 25th anniversary of the parish. During this year, Virginia Brunelli served as president of the Altar and Rosary Society and Legrand Duncan headed the Holy Name Society. In December 1979, the Religious Articles Shop was moved from the Parish Center to the Church basement. A new room was constructed for the shop in order to prepare for remodeling the Parish Center to follow shortly. 1980: During the early part of 1980, the Parish Center underwent extensive remodeling, particularly in the basement. Many small rooms, originally intended for occupation by one person, were made into several large classrooms. The office was enlarged and a machine’s room added. The entire Center was recarpeted and all classrooms were supplied with new furnishings. Two additional classrooms were added in the west basement nave. All power and telephone lines were placed underground during this year. Because water was entering the basement of the church, the entire parking area surrounding the church was re-graded to eliminate the problem. For the same reason, the area around the Parish Center was re-graded and sodded. In September, the ladies of the Altar and Rosary Society hosted a three-day Priests’ Institute for the first time. Forty-five priests were in attendance. In April, the parish Council elected two new members to replace the two members who will be leaving every year. Since Phyllis Erskine has joined Our Lady of Fatima staff, six overnight retreats for adults, junior high and senior high students have been held. During this year, Doris Cunningham served as Altar and Rosary Society president, and Chuck Trujillo assumed the leadership of the Holy Name Society. Back to Top