Our Lady of Fatima Villa was founded in 1947 by the Dominican Sisters of Kenosha, Wis., to provide care for the elderly in a home-like environment and promote spirituality in its residents. The bishop's visit was part of the villa's annual celebration. He came to deliver Mass along with his fellow priests, and to honor three very special residents.

Bill and Josephine Maclay

Residents Bill and Josephine Maclay were honored for being married for 63 years. However, Bill Maclay couldn't understand what all the hoopla was about.

"I was kind of surprised. I never thought it was a big deal--it was taken for granted between us," Maclay says.

Tragically, his wife died suddenly a week before their blessing.

"It was the shock of a lifetime. Completely," he says.

However, Maclay still considers himself lucky for having her in his life for as long as he did--Jo Maclay was a cancer survivor.

Thirteen years ago, doctors gave her a grim diagnosis, Maclay says.

"I was really prepared for the worst. I understood her chances weren't good," he says.

However, she survived, and doctors thought she was cured. Therefore, despite her unexpected death two weeks ago, Maclay says he considers himself blessed to have had another 13 years with her.

The Maclays met in college in Missoula, Mont., where he was studying engineering and teaching pilots for the U.S. Air Corps during the summer. One night, he crashed a freshman mixer at the school.

"I danced with a cute blonde for a couple of minutes, and got her name," he recalls.

Despite the fact that Maclay had made a promise to himself not to get seriously involved with anyone until he was assured graduation, he went to great lengths to track down the "cute blonde" after the party.

"Since I had two jobs on campus, the next day I used that [access] to get her [file]. Then, with a little fumble, I called her up and said, 'How would you like to go flying?' " Maclay says.

She agreed, and he picked her up and took her to the airport.

After they had been up in the air for a while, Maclay pulled a suave pilot's trick--he dipped the plane, forcing her to slide down the seat and into his arms, and they shared their first kiss.

The rest is history.

"I never had another date with another girl, from that day on," he says.

A few years after they were married, Maclay says his wife admitted to him that, after they began dating, her sorority sisters called a meeting with her one night to convince her that he was bad news, and that he liked to take a girl on a few dates and then drop her. Maclay admits that was probably true, before he met the right girl.

"But Jo and I clicked. We always did," he says, matter-of-factly. "I fell in love with her; it was beyond my control."

Bill and Josephine Maclay, the parents of two sons and two daughters, lived together in the villa for about two years, where Bill remains a resident.

The Rev. Bronius Kaunas

McGrath also honored the Rev. Bronius Kaunas, who has been a priest for 65 years.

Kaunas was born in Lithuania in 1915. He was ordained as a priest for the Oblates of St. Joseph in Asti, Italy, on April 19, 1942.

For 60 years of his 65-year career, he has served as a missionary to California. Concurrently, he spent 12 years as a novice master, served as a member of the Oblate community at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Santa Cruz for 30 years, and also served as a pastor of St. Dominic Savio Parish in Bass Lake and St. Vincent de Paul in Davenport.

Kaunas has lived in the villa for nearly a year.

Myrtle McKenna

Myrtle McKenna was honored by the bishop in celebration of her 101st birthday. She has lived in the villa for about two years.

McKenna was born on a ranch in Hood River, Ore., on Nov. 3, 1904.

She and her husband Vincent loved to dance, and earned many trophies. She was also well known for her gardening skills, growing flowers, berries and juicy tomatoes. Her garden was a sight to see, says her lifelong friend and next-door neighbor, Irene Percy. It featured a waterfall and a shrine to the Blessed Mother, which the McKennas built with their own hands.

McKenna joined Percy's mother on many local senior citizens' trips, her favorite being to Reno, where she delighted in the nickel slots.

She was also very active in the church, teaching religious education and transfiguration at St. Christopher's. For 40 years, she counted the Sunday collections every Monday morning.