Irish-born Father White had a love for the liturgy

Father Anthony J. White, an Irish-born missionary priest at heart who found a home in the Archdiocese of New Orleans , was remembered at his Funeral Mass Oct. 1 as a quiet and faithful priest who loved the liturgy as well as serving others.

Father White, 88, died Sept. 28 at St. John Vianney Villa in Marrero, where he had lived since his retirement in 2001. He had served for 61 years as a priest, including his first 16 in Nigeria as a Holy Ghost (Spiritan) missionary.

“Father White was a priest who always prayed for other priests, and he would want me to ask you to please pray for the repose of his soul,” said Father Randy Roux, who delivered the homily at the Mass at St. Joseph Church in Gretna.

Touching traditions
Father Roux knew Father White from their time together at St. Patrick Church on Camp Street. He said Father White kept on his night stand a picture of St. Therese of Lisieux – patroness of the missions – and he also placed a crucifix on his pillow daily after making his bed.

“Father White’s entire life was directed to the heart of God, his Father, and that focus brought him to a peaceful passing into the arms of the Father,” Father Roux said. “His strength came from his faith in the Christ he served every day and in the meticulous following of every rule of the liturgy.”

But that devotion to the liturgy did not mean he was rigid or unapproachable, said Jane Wilson, who sang for many years in the St. Patrick’s choir and who, along with other family members, cared for Father White when he developed kidney disease.

One of his most important ministries was serving as spiritual counselor for recovering alcoholics.

“He was the person in the archdiocese who looked after that dimension,” said Father Stanley Klores, pastor of St. Patrick. “He was a wonderful priest, through and through.”

Wilson said a few months ago when Father White’s health began declining, he wrote personal letters to several ministry groups at St. Joseph Church in Gretna, where he had helped out with Mass for many years.

“He just wanted to mention to people how much their ministry had complemented the liturgy,” Wilson said.

The music director at St. Joseph was so touched by his letter that two weeks before he died, she organized the choir to go to Father White’s apartment and sing the music he had selected for his funeral, Wilson said.

“We were prepared for maybe four people, but the whole choir came,” Wilson said. “They brought a little keyboard and sang. He was in and out, but he gave them a blessing. That all stemmed from the appreciation he had for the liturgy.”

After being ousted from Nigeria due to civil war, Father White came to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and was incardinated here in 1971. He served as parochial vicar at St. Francis Xavier in Metairie and St. Rita in Harahan and at St. Matthias and St. Patrick in New Orleans.

He also served as pastor of St. John the Baptist in Folsom.