By Michael Motes

The Rev. Anthony J. Kalb, C.SS.R., will be honored at a reception at St. Gerard’s Church in Fort Oglethorpe on Wednesday, June 21, to celebrate his golden jubilee as a member of the Redemptorist Order. Fr. Kalb has been assistant pastor of St. Gerard’s for the past six years.

A native of Philadelphia, Fr. Kalb was ordained at Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary on June 21, 1927. His first assignment was to St. Michael’s Church in Baltimore.

As a missionary, Fr. Kalb has been stationed in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He has been in the southeast for 26 years; 17 of these have been in Georgia. For 11 years he was stationed at St. Joseph’s in Dalton. While in Dalton, he served the then mission churches of St. Francis in Cartersville and St. Bernadette’s in Cedartown.

Invitations to the June 21 reception have been mailed to 150 priests. Priests from the Archdiocese of Atlanta and from Chattanooga will attend. Redemptorist Father Raymond F. Govern, pastor of St. Gerard’s will deliver the homily at the concelebrated Mass. The public is invited.

In August, Fr. Kalb will attend a celebration in West End, N.J. for members of his religious order who are celebrating silver and golden jubilees of their service.