By Maureen Smith
ABERDEEN – St. Francis Parish honored one of the Glenmary missioners who helped plant and nurture the seeds of the Catholic Community there by naming the parish hall after Brother Terry O’Rourke. A new sign went up April 27. Brother Terry O’Rourke died on March 10, 2017, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as a Glenmary Missioner for 58 years, many of those in Mississippi.
Parishioner Bob Seymour said Brother Terry built the original parish hall at St. Francis. That building burned 12 years ago, but the mark Brother Terry left on the community is indelible.

ABERDEEN – St. Francis named the parish hall in honor of Bro. Terry O’Rourke, a beloved Glenmary and member of the community. The sign was finished on Friday, April 27. (Photo by Bob Seymor)

“The idea came up at the parish council meeting in April. It had been a year since he passed away and we thought this would be a good thing to do. The parish council presented the idea to the parish and everyone loved it,” said Seymour. He remembers Brother Terry and Father Tim Murphy started a food bank out of the garage of the parish hall. That operation, known as Loaves and Fishes, is not its own non-profit with a grocery store and its own delivery truck.
Although much of what Brother Terry did was visible, he also helped in small, quiet ways. Seymour said he always helped cook Wednesday suppers, played horseshoes with a group of retirees and, in his spare time, helped train service dogs for other people to use. “Seemed like he always had a dog here. Even when he moved into the retirement home he had a dog,” said Seymour.