On the evening of August 28, parishioners and neighbors gathered on the front lawn of St. Augustin’s Church for an evening of fellowship in celebration of the church’s patron saint. After a Mass held in memory of Diane O’Hara, one of the 5th Ward’s most beloved mothers, guests enjoyed a feast prepared by Juliane Viau Livingston and her team at Kitchen Companion Catering.
Young Owen Behan delighted in running up the church ramp, keeping his grandfather Chris on the move. Meanwhile, Kiki Finn prepared and displayed a slideshow of photos from last fall’s St. Augustin School Reunion, and former Blue Bird troop leader Terrie Champion Welford handed out St. Augustin prayer cards. Both Lady Hibernians—long known for their civic spirit—added to the sense of community.
Guests admired the church’s rose garden, while many complimented the stunning row of dahlias in the neighboring yard of Kenny Bryer. Newport in Bloom winner Barbara O’Neill shared her excitement about an upcoming Naval War College Foundation tour with Alexa Waluk. Lisa Hurd, looking radiant as always, and her husband Buck mingled with Paul Hamill and Karen and John Doyle.
Around the large center table sat Fifth Ward doyennes and longtime friends Pearl Fitzgerald, Lorraine McLeish, Carol Lynch, and Peggy O’Brien. O’Brien fondly recalled a frantic drive to the hospital decades ago when Pearl was in labor with her godson, Kevin. “She almost had him in the car,” laughed O’Brien, before noting Pearl might “tell the story more colorfully.”
Pearl, already moving about, soon joined 5th Ward Queens Roni Mahoney, Kitchie Chestnut, and Denise Kelly when Father Mark Sauriol approached. Earlier, Pearl had credited Father Mark’s encouragement with helping her recover after a winter hospital stay. “He met me in the church and we’d walk laps around the sanctuary,” Fitzgerald recalled, adding with her trademark charm that the clergyman even sanctioned the “colorful banter” Peggy O’Brien mentioned earlier.
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