Rev. William James Hewson

The Rev. William James Hewson, age 90, died Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007. He was a native of Ocean Springs, Miss., but was raised in Florida. In 1930, he entered St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict as a student for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, continuing on to Notre Dame Seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1940. He held only three assignments during his 67 years of priesthood: he was parochial vicar at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Metairie from 1940 to 1952, and then pastor of St. Jules Parish in Belle Rose from 1953 to 1970. At that time he retired from assigned ministry until 1976, when he became one of the chaplains at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, serving there until his definitive retirement in 1987. In retirement he lived in Lacombe with his good friend, the Rev. Lloyd Caballero, until failing health necessitated his move to assisted living at Ollie Steele Burden Manor in 2005. Visiting will be at Ollie Steele Burden Manor chapel on Monday, Aug. 6, with the praying of the rosary at 10 a.m. and continue until the concelebrated funeral Mass at 11:30 a.m., with Bishop Robert Muench as principal celebrant and Monsignor Robert Berggreen as homilist. Priests of the Diocese of Baton Rouge will serve as pallbearers. Burial will be in St. Joseph Abbey Cemetery in St. Benedict at 2 p.m. on Monday. Father Hewson is survived by his sister, Sister Mary William Hewson, M.S.C., of New Orleans. "May the martyrs come to welcome him, and lead him to the Holy City, the new and eternal Jerusalem!"