In 1959, Fidel Castro's revolutionaries defeated the Cuban dictatorial regime of Fulgencio Batista, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed Alaska and Hawaii the 49th and 50th states, and Buddy Holly died in a plane crash outside Mason City, Iowa.

Here in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, with Cardinal James Francis McIntyre in his 11th year as archbishop, 22 priests were ordained to serve in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Seven of these men have died. But taken together, they represent some 750 years of priestly ministry.

On April 6, Fathers Francis Cassidy, John Daly, Kevin Larkin, Jeremiah O'Neill, Thomas Peacha, Cornelius Phelan, Al Scott, Peter Tsang and Thomas Weible, and Msgrs. Sean Flanagan, John Foley, Michael Killeen, John Mihan, William O'Keeffe and Francis Weber were honored at the annual Chrism Mass during Holy Week.

Their deceased classmates - Fathers Tito Bongay, Donal Gearty, Patrick Gorman, Melvin Vincent Haggin, John Thom and Warren Tierney, and Msgr. John Rohde -were also recognized.

Below are profiles of two 2009 golden jubilarians.

A 'packed' life
"I always wanted to be a priest as long as I can remember," says Msgr. Sean Flanagan, pastor emeritus at St. Bartholomew Church in Long Beach. "We had priests teaching in the high school and parish priests in Ireland. I was an altar server, and I liked the ritual of the whole thing.

"I used to make altars myself and made my younger brother be the congregation. He'd say, 'Why can't I be the priest?' And I'd wouldn't let him, the poor guy," he recalls with a chuckle. "I even had a pulpit made from a big Van Houten cocoa display box. I remember I used to say the rosary from it, but I don't remember preaching."

Msgr. Flanagan says he picked Los Angeles to be missioned to after being ordained at St. Kieran College in Killkenny because a lot of his priest friends from Ireland were already here. Also, a seminary teacher would often color his dry religion lectures with colorful stories of Southern California.

He was just 24 when he arrived in Orange County, which was then part of the archdiocese, to take on his first assignment at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in La Habra. He loved it right off because the young families, who'd settled in the growing community after World War II, made him feel "welcomed."

He also served as an associate pastor at Visitation Church in Westchester, St. John the Evangelist and Cathedral Chapel in Los Angeles and St. Anthony in San Gabriel. Then in 1981, he became pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church. For the next 21 1/2 years he led the Reseda parish. Long Beach's St. Bartholomew Church was his second, and final, assignment as pastor.

Msgr. Flanagan says the 50 years as a priest have been packed. Along the way, he earned a master's degree in history from Loyola University and got involved in the United Farm Workers' movement. Cesar Chavez, in fact, became not only an inspiration but also a friend. He recalls a saying from the labor leader that still resonates: "To be a man is to suffer for others."

And then there was the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s. While giving a series of workshops on its documents, he fell in love with the teachings of Vatican II. He reports it was a heady time to be a young priest with Pope John XXIII leading the universal church.

"I think that was the most exciting thing of my 50 years as a priest," he confides.

The challenges came mostly when Msgr. Flanagan became a pastor. At first he tried to "please" everybody, but quickly found that was impossible. No matter what decision he'd make, there were always people in the pews who would second guess him. But people were - and still are - also the source of his greatest joy.

"I just love that contact with people, and I'm interested in their ongoing stories," he says. "I find people's stories far more interesting than any novel. A novel is just a poor reflection of people's lives.

"I've always wanted to be a priest and nothing else," the 73-year-old cleric adds. "And it's been a rewarding life. If I had to do it all over again, I would make the same decision. I really somehow was destined to be a priest."

'Grandpa Joe'
Father Al Scott also has a vocation story to tell. The grandson of legendary L.A. lawyer Joseph Scott was thinking of becoming a Christian Brother when "Grandpa Joe" heard about it and called him down to his law office one Saturday morning and asked: "So, did you ever think of becoming a priest?"

"Gramps, I couldn't do it, it's too hard," the young man responded, thinking of all the theological and philosophical tracts he would have to study.

But the attorney simply laid out all the wonderful things a priest does, going through the sacraments from baptisms to confessions, marriages to anointing the sick and dying.

"And a few months later I'm at the seminary for the second year of collage," Father Scott recalls. "So he was a very influential person in my life. He was a real mentor - his lifestyle, everything. He was really special."

His first assignment was Our Lady of Guadalupe in Santa Barbara, followed by St. Joachim in Costa Mesa. But the rest of his priestly service was as a religion teacher in local Catholic high schools: St. Monica's in Santa Monica, St. Bernard's in Playa del Rey, St. Anthony's in Long Beach and St. Joseph's in Lakewood.

"I taught religion the whole time, and I emphasized morality," he reports. "I loved morality because it was very interesting to teach."

When Father Scott stopped teaching in 2002, he continued working as an associate in parishes, and has done so at St. Cyprian's even after he turned 75 last year. He still celebrates two Sunday Masses and hears confessions. He also fills in at other parishes, especially funerals and weddings, when needed.

In addition, he regularly works with the Missionary Sisters of Charity to feed the homeless in Long Beach and visits nursing homes with students. And most Saturday evenings, he brings recovering alcoholics and addicts out to dinner and to a show or concert after.

"I love my work, I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I'm in excellent health," the 76-year-old man points out. "Why sit around. I pull a full parish load. Oh, my life's interesting. I'm enjoying it."

One outstanding joy during his five decades as a priest has been following the example of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in making a holy hour before the Eucharist every day. Another joy was meeting and talking to Mother Teresa before she died in 1997.

"I love helping people to help themselves and to feel that I can share with Christ the ministry of showing people the map of life," he says. "I think that's so important. It's not always immediately rewarding. But Mother Teresa has been my great hero."

The challenges in his priesthood have come from seeing so many people who are lost, having no direction, and then being rebuffed while trying to show them that with Christ there is always new life. He says a priest, or anyone, working with broken individuals is not going to have a trophy room of successes. The best you can do is offer them help along life's road.

"It has gone pretty fast, but it's a wonderful life," says Father Scott. "I think of that old Jimmy Stewart movie. It's been a wonderful life. I still feel very active, very positive, very challenged - and love the priesthood.

"I'm very happy being a priest," he stresses. "I love what I'm doing. So I take good care of myself, so I can with God's grace do more work. And when he wants me, I'm out of here."