Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 16 — The Georgia Bulletin, June 20, 1985
Two Priests Held In Hijack Incident
BY STEPHANIE
OVERMAN
NC News Service
A priest of the Diocese of
Rockford, Ill., who had
been leading a Holy Land
pilgrimage and about two
dozen parishioners were
released by hijackers in the
first days of the Middle
East hijack drama involv
ing a TWA jetliner which
was commandeered June
14;
But several other Illinois
pilgrims, including two
other priests and a perma
nent deacon, remained
hostage as the hijacking
continued June 19.
Father William McDon
nell, pastor at St. Margaret
Mary Church in Algonquin,
Ill., who had led the two-
week pilgrimage, was
among passengers releas
ed June 15. Members of the
pilgrimage had been retur
ning to the United States
with others on the Athens-
to-Rome flight when it was
hijacked.
Father Thomas Demp
sey, pastor at St. Patrick
Church in St. Charles, Ill.,
and Father James
McLoughlin, pastor at St.
Peter Church in Geneva,
Ill., had not been released
as of June 19, nor had Ray
mond Johnson, a perma
nent deacon at Annuncia
tion Church, Aurora, Ill.
Father McLoughlin’s
mother, Loretta McLough
lin, a Deerfield, III., resi
dent who joined the
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pilgrimage, was freed, as
was Johnson’s wife,
Margaret.
Several other male
pilgrims from the Rockford
Diocese were among those
still being held June 19, ac
cording to Father Robert
Balog, secretary to Bishop
Arthur J. O’Neill of
Rockford.
The Holy Land pil
grimage was made up
mostly of members of St.
Margaret Mary, St. Peter
and Annunciation parishes
in the Rockford Diocese,
along with a few non
parishioners from the
Rockford area, according
to Father Balog.
Father Balog said
“between 30 and 34”
pilgrims were aboard the
jetliner when it was hijack
ed. The hijackers were
reported to be extremist
Shiite Moslems who
demanded the release of
hundreds of Shiite Moslems
held by Israel.
The plane was flown first
to Beirut, Lebanon, where
some of the women and
children, including Mrs.
McLouglin, were released.
It then went to Algiers,
Algeria, where more
passengers were freed.
The plane flew back to
Beirut June 15, where Navy
Frogman Robert Stethem
of Waldorf, Md. was shot
and killed. At the same
time, some American
hostages with Jewish-
sounding names reportedly
were taken off the plane,
and more hijackers board
ed.
The airliner then flew a
second time to Algiers,
where several other
hostages were released.
The plane returned to
Beirut a third time June 16
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with about 30 remaining
U.S. male passengers.
As friends and relatives
in the United States waited
for more information,
prayer vigils and Masses
for the hostages were held
at Rockford Diocese chur
ches.
At a meeting June 14 of
the U.S. bishops in Col-
legeville, Minn., the hijack
ing’s first day, Bishop
O’Neill told National
Catholic News Service, “I
hope and pray they’ll be
safe. They’re all very fine
pastors.”
Bishop O’Neill said he
received word of the hi
jacking in a call from his
chancery office shortly
before a noontime Mass
concelebrated by the
bishops.
Deacon Is Held,
Wife Is Released
Along with two priests, Permanent Deacon Ray
mond Johnson, 63, has been taken hostage in Beirut.
Deacon Johnson, who serves in the parish of Annun
ciation in Aurora, Ill., which is in the Rockford
diocese, along with his wife Margaret, went on the
pilgrimage at the suggestion of his pastor Father
Sebastian Crow, O.S.B.
“I was to go myself,” said Father Crow, “but it did
not work out. So Raymond and Margaret went, along
with members from St. Margaret Mary parish. He is
a wonderful man, very dedicated and since his retire
ment very active in the diaconate program.”
Margaret Johnson was released by the hijackers
and taken to Paris.
Deacon Raymond Johnson was a truck driver with
the Sunbeam Razor Company. He and his wife have
six children. Three are married; the youngest is 24
years old.
“We are praying for Raymond,” said Father Crow.
“He is a man of deep faith. The whole parish is pray
ing.”
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