Priest Pilots to hold convention at Richfield parish

The National Association of Priest Pilots (NAPP) will be having their convention at Saint Victor Church, Richfield, July 6-9. More than 30 priests are expected.

Host for this year’s cponvention will be the Rev. Fr. Allen Corrigan, pastor of St. Victor and a 500-plus hour instrument rated private pilot. See Fr. Corrgan’s blog called Priest Pilot

One of the important functions of NAPP is the practice of supporting members using aircraft in missionary work. A benefit of being a NAPP member is the shared priesthood that unites all in a common goal while able to enjoy the specialness of being not only a pilot, but a priest-pilot.

The priests will be arriving on Monday, July 6. Some of the priests will be flying into Medina (1G5) airport. while others will be driving or taking a commercial flight. They will be staying at the Radisson Hotel in Fairlawn.

On Tuesday, July 7 they will be touring NASA/Glenn Research Center, going to Little Italy for lunch at Nido Italia. After lunch they will visit the Cleveland Museum of Art. On Wednesday, July 8 the annual NAPP business meeting will be held in the morning is at the Radisson Hotel.

Wednesday at 5 p.m. Saint Victor Church at 3435 Everett Road, will host the annual concelebrated Eucharistic liturgy of the NAAP in memory of their deceased members. Immediately following will be the annual banquet in the Church hall. On Thursday July 9, the priests will depart for home.

For more information, contact either Karen Napholz at (330) 414-6120 / (330) 659-6591 or Fr. Allen Corrigan at (330)659-6591.

The NAPP got it start In the summer of 1963 when two Kentucky priest pilots, Fathers Henry Haacke and Bob Wendeln, took a flying vacation to the West Coast. When they stopped for fuel, lodging or sightseeing they asked the airport personnel if they knew of any priests that flew. They were amazed at the number of flying padres they heard about on that trip. By the time they returned home they decided to put notices in some of the flying magazines, inviting any priest pilots to a gathering July 12 - 15, 1964 in Carrollton, Kentucky. Henry and Bob hosted over 90 priests at that fly in.

Among members of NAPP was the late Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley. a native of Cleveland. He presided over the biggest buildup in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Florida and used to fly over undeveloped land in an airplane, pointing out where he wanted new parishes. Hurley was 46 when Pope Pius XII appointed him bishop in 1940. (He was elevated to archbishop later.) A native of Cleveland, he had been a parish priest in Ohio, secretary to the archbishop of Detroit and an attache to the papal secretary of state.