From South Dakota-There are nearly 39,000 ordained Catholic priests in America.
Fewer than 130 of them belong to the National Association of Priest Pilots, and about 30 of those flew their planes into Rapid City this week for the 50th annual convention of the organization.
One of them was the Rev. Mel Hemann, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, who serves as the current NAPP president.
At 84, Hemann piloted the 2-seater, RV 6 plane that he built himself into Rapid City for a four-day gathering that included a special tour of Ellsworth Air Force Base as well as the obligatory tourist stops such as Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial. The group stayed at Terra Sancta, a diocesan retreat center.
"It's just been delightful," Hemann said. "We've been having a wonderful time."
The Flying Padres, as they were nicknamed shortly after the association was given the Vatican's blessing in 1964, exists primarily to support and aid priests who use airplanes as a means of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, Hemann said. That happens more often in remote places like Africa and Alaska, where clergy minister to Catholics spread over vast distances in isolated villages and travel by car isn't feasible. But it also happens with priests like the Rev. Bob Lacey, pastor at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Dakota Dunes. Lacey, 34, uses his plane, a 1946 Cessna 140 "tail dragger," to get to different diocesan functions, attend meetings in other states and connect with his personal family back in his hometown of Trent. "It's convenient, it's faster and it's not as frustrating as driving," Lacey said.
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http://rapidcityjournal.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/flying-padres-use-airplanes-as-a-means-of-spreading-the/article_9d6406e7-3b62-5406-85cd-98ffa3b91de7.html
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