Confirmation - May 2, 1971
When I first saw this picture, I thought graduation. May 1971 was when I graduated from Our Lady of Perpetual Help and this looks like a graduation gown to anyone with a fuzzy memory of that time. Written on the back of that photo, as people used to do in those days, in Mom's unmistakable handwriting is "
Confirmation - May 2, 1971". I remembered being confirmed in 8th grade but I didn't remember it being that late in the school year. A lot of us were pretty upset that it took so long. 8th grade, that is. A new nearby church called Our Lady of Divine Providence confirmed their parishioners in the 4th grade. Many, many of my classmates lived in Our Lady of Divine Providence Parish even though they went to school at OLPH with me and they had already been confirmed for many years.
Left the "
May 71" and Fox Photo logo in the scan intentionally. I think it's kinda neat. Remember Fox Photo? Can you imagine anyone willingly manning one of those
one-person offices now?
That's Dad's company car behind me and a brand new fence on the neighbor's property.
That's fun! All I had to wear during my confirmation (9th grade) was a sports coat and girls white dresses, but neither were mandatory. The year I was confirmed, the Archdiocese actually changed the age to eighth grade so we had both classes at confirmation. Ten years later, the age has been bumped up to tenth grade. My brother Patrick is being confirmed this year and he asked me to be his sponsor. Not sure why they can't just stick with an age. Out of curiosity, who was your sponsor Uncle Robby?
Mr Ralph DeRoche was my sponsor and St Michael the Archangel was my patron saint. I think I was the only one in the class who chose St Michael. St Joseph and St Peter were the popular choices at OLPH in 1971.
I don't remember wearing anything special for confirmation - 8th grade for me. Linda Sims was my sponsor and Christine is my patron saint, though it was because I liked the name and not because of an affinity with that saint.
I remember us all talking about our confirmation names at Robbie's crawfish boil a long time ago in Metairie, and Michael saying, "y'all got to pick your names?" I am sure his Mother told him what his was to be -"Joseph". His family is lousy with Josephs and Anthonys.
I remember that car.
Look how cute the Clayton people were. That's an adorable picture. (you were too, Robbie.)