Rev. Kevin Wade Russell, a Catholic priest for 8 years, died on Feb. 17, 2018, in Blanco at the age of 54. He was born on April 23, 1963 in Channelview to Thomas Ivan and Cecilia JoAnn Russell.
During the Angelus prayer on Sunday, February 4, His Holiness Pope Francis announced that Friday, February 23, will be a day of prayer and fasting for peace, in particular for the populations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.