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RENEWAL
Historic St. Genevieve Church will be rebuilt by archdiocese
Friday, January 26, 2007
By Sandra Pichon
Contributing writer

At a centuries-old place of worship in the heart of the Bayou Liberty community, St. Genevieve
Catholic Church is slated for demolition, but not before it was deconsecrated and the church's
many beautiful stained glass windows removed for repairs.

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In an emotionally charged service held in the church that was damaged beyond repair by
Hurricane Katrina, Archbishop Alfred Hughes called it a poignant moment for the parishioners and
himself.

"We come to inaugurate a new phase in the church parish," Hughes said. "We have come to
desconsecrate a building where we will no longer continue to hold sacred actions. Sacramental life
and devotional life have been nourished here since 1958, and this rich history will continue in a
different form."

The service began with a procession from the parish hall to the damaged church. The choir led the
procession and parishioners were given candles to light the interior for the service.

Hughes was assisted by Deacon Reginald Seymour of Epiphany Church of New Orleans and St.
Genevieve's pastor, the Rev. Roel Lungay, and Deacons George Menges, Paul Mumme and Dan
Haggerty. The service began at the place the baptismal font formerly stood.

"Let us remember the souls who were saved at this spot," Hughes prayed as quiet sobs filled the
church.

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"So many memories," wept Laura Narcisse.

Hughes then moved to the spot of the confessional where he prayed for the parishioners "whose
sins had been forgiven at this special place."

Stopping at the fifth Station of the Cross where a plaque that depicts Simon carrying the cross of
Jesus now leans against the wall, he spoke of the meaning of sacrifice and people's
responsibilities toward their fellow man.

Hughes continued the solemn service where the altar once stood and the tabernacle once housed
the Eucharist. The deconsecration concluded at the lectern where the Gospel was read.

A reception followed the service and was a time for parishioners to reflect on the history of the
community and church. Grant Pichon, a local historian for Bayou Liberty, showed Hughes photos
of Father Francis Balay, a Benedictine monk who traveled from St. Joseph Abbey to serve the
parish, as well as photos of the original mission of St. Genevieve and the original church that was
built in the 1800s.

With the deconsecration complete, skilled workers began Monday to remove the many stained
glass windows that graced the church. More than a dozen windows depict the Apostles Creed,
another dozen the 12 apostles; four represent Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and others high
above the altar, the Holy Spirit and the Bible.

Photos taken of the windows before their removal are on display in the fellowship hall. The
windows will be restored and reused when the new church is built. Demolition of the building will
proceed once all the windows have been removed. Both the church and the rectory will be torn
down.

In the months following Katrina, the church held Mass outdoors under the oaks until the fellowship
hall could be repaired. The hall will serve as the temporary church during the rebuilding.

St. Genevieve sits on the banks of Bayou Liberty on land donated in the 1800s by Madame
Anatole Cousin. She was the former Camille Pichon, another of the family names which can still be
found in the area then known as Bonfouca and now called Bayou Liberty. The church was named
St. Genevieve in memory of Cousin's mother, Genevieve Dubuisson Pichon.

For many years, the Chahta or Choctaw Indians who resided in the area from Bonfouca to the
Pearl River attended church at St. Genevieve. Father Adrian Rouquette, the first priest to be
ordained in the Louisiana Purchase, as well as the renowned French Dominican Father Pierre
Chocarne both worshipped there. At one time, it was a mission church of St. Theresa's which was
later named Our Lady of the Lake in Mandeville.

The cornerstone for the church damaged by Hurricane Katrina was laid in June 1958 with the Rev.
Daved Melacon officiating.

"In this church there have been 3,166 baptisms, 1,685 first communions, 1,376 confirmations, 638
marriages, 887 funerals and 15 adults who converted to Catholicism through the RCIA program,"
Hughes said.

Published on NOLA.com Friday, January 26, 2007 5:22 p.m.

Published in The Times-Picayune Sunday, January 28, 2007

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