Back to Blog
Product

Father John J. O'Looney Returns for St. Anthony Catholic School's Centennial

3 min read

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. St. Anthony Catholic School, the first Catholic school in Broward County, celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, September 13, 2026. After the 10:30 a.m. Centennial Mass and a walk down memory lane curated by parent volunteers, students, alumni, parents, and parishioners filled the school gymnasium and cafeteria to talk with Father John J. O'Looney.

Who was Father O'Looney?

Father John J. O'Looney (1900 to 1978) became St. Anthony's pastor in 1928 and led the parish for more than four decades. For the centennial, the school wanted its community to meet him again, not just read about him.

How the persona came together

  • The request. The school approached ConstantLife.AI about three weeks before the centennial.
  • The archive. Parent volunteers and History Fort Lauderdale gathered Father O'Looney's personal letters, newspaper clippings, archival records, photographs, and recordings.
  • Digitizing on site. The materials were digitized at History Fort Lauderdale and curated into the persona's knowledge.
  • The conversation. On the day, visitors asked Father O'Looney questions out loud and heard him answer, drawing on those primary sources.

A highlight of the day

St. Anthony's ROBOCANES robotics team, who shared robotics demonstrations at the celebration, called the O'Looney persona a highlight and a unique way for the community to learn about St. Anthony's history.

In the news

Bring your history to life

Schools, parishes, and museums interested in their own historical persona can learn more at constantlife.ai.