Diamond Jubilee History
By M. M. Howard Miller, Originally published in the 75th Anniversary booklet in 1990
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There were always fine celebrations when a member of the parish became a priest or sister. After a priest was ordained by the Bishop at St. Vibiana's, he always returned to say his first Mass in St. Brendan's, and give his first blessings to his family, friends and members of the parish.
Arnold and Virginia Mihan's son, Jack, became a Monsignor and Director of schools for the Archdiocese. His brother is Dr. Dick Mihan, who still lives in the parish with his mother. His sister, Nancy Mihan, continued to live in the parish after she married Van Kelsey and they in turn, sent their three children to St. Brendan's.
Four beautiful women named Skinner, grew up in downtown Los Angeles at the turn of the century. Three of the girls married. Their names became Hall, Sheedy and Woodward, and they all moved to St. Brendan's and begat beautiful children, Mary and Marjorie Hall, Patricia and Dorothy Sheedy, John, Don, Marilyn, Martha, Larry and Dick Woodward, all went to the school. Aunt Posey Skinner, the other sister, was always available, not only for her numerous nieces and nephews, but for all their friends who vied for her attention and rides home. Aunt Posey's car was always full and so was her heart.
Monsignor Frank Weber, also from St. Brendan's remembers everything, because he has long been the archivist for the Archdiocese. He told Beatrice (Mrs. John), Challiss, Co-chairman of this Jubilant Year, "When I was growing up in the neighborhood, I had a paper route and I used to deliver your paper every morning before dawn."
Father Francis J. Buckley, S.J., of the Theology Department at USF grew up in the parish. He remembers that besides Father Joe Farraher, Paul Pollock (now in Thailand), and Gregory Boyle, also became members of the Society of Jesus.
Father Buckley's mother remembers that two of the Rigali girls and Rosemary Stack entered the convent of IHM. Pat Smith became Sister Mary St. Brendan, BVM.
Among the curates were Father George Scott, an enormously popular priest. He was the son of Joe Scott. Two Dockweiler girls, Rosario and Mary, married and moved into our parish. Rosario married Dr. Crahan and they had three sons who became altar boys, Marcus, Brian and Sean. All three also became lawyers in the Dockweiler tradition. Part of this Crahan family tradition is Cerila Medina, long a member of the Catholic Daughters of America, the Mission circle and the Third order of St. Frances. Marcus married Catherine, had four sons and all became very active members of the parish.
Carmen Ballesteros, who lived a block from St. Brendan's until she died Thanksgiving Day 1988, was a second mother to the Howard and Miller children. She announced the day that Brendan Miller was baptised, that he was the fifth generation of that family she had been with in St. Brendan's. The much loved pastor, Monsignor Patrick Roche, said when he asked "Momasita" as he called Carmen, if she had been in the parish long, she replied, "Since before we had a church."
For 3 5 years, every time you looked behind the table at a church event you saw "Mrs. Paeone", the caterer with the generous heart, who has long had a shop on Larchmont. Her Italian food helped sell out all church and school events as she gave abundantly of herself and her family.
Music has always been important in St. Brendan's Church and School. Sister Albertine, IHM, was the first music teacher at the school and she played for many of the Masses and special occasions.
