SLS 25RS-520 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 30
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
COMMENDATIONS. Recognizes the 90-year anniversary of Immaculate Heart of Mary
Catholic Church in Lafayette.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and congratulate the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on the
3 occasion of its Ninetieth Anniversary celebration.
4 WHEREAS, Arnold Janssen, a diocesan priest founded the Society of the Divine
5 Word (SVD) in the Netherlands on September 8, 1875, drawing mostly from German priests
6 and religious exiles in the Netherlands, and by 1882, society missionaries were being sent
7 into China, Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United
8 States and many other locations across the world; and
9 WHEREAS, in 1905, SVD missionaries were working in African-American parishes
10 in Mississippi and St. Augustine Seminary, and since May, 1929, SVD missionaries have
11 been in charge of the Holy Rosary Institute in Lafayette where Father Herman Palzelt, the
12 director of the Holy Rosary Institute, built a rectory and school for the Immaculate Heart of
13 Mary Parish using private donations from across the country; and
14 WHEREAS, with only two African-American priests in the entire country, the first
15 bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, the late Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard, proposing a place for
16 African-American priests to serve the Lord, accepted four African-American priests newly
17 ordained on May 23, 1934, by the SVD at St. Augustine Seminary, Bay St. Louis,
18 Mississippi into the Diocese of Lafayette: Father Anthony Bourges, Father Maurice
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SLS 25RS-520 ORIGINAL
1 Rousseve, Father Vincent Smith, and Father Francis Wade; and
2 WHEREAS, initially sent to serve in Alexandria, these African-American priests
3 were assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and tasked to serve the 50,000
4 African-American Catholics in the Diocese of Lafayette at that time laying the original
5 foundation of evangelism, education, collaboration, leadership, and service for the church
6 family; and
7 WHEREAS, the new church celebrated Holy Mass for the first time on the Fourth
8 Sunday of Advent, December 23, 1934, with the solemn dedication of the church occurring
9 on February 10, 1935; and
10 WHEREAS, within five years the Parish was a center of bursting activity having
11 more than 2,300 parishioners; a house next to the church was renovated to accommodate five
12 Sisters of the Holy Family on August 10, 1944, which Bishop Jeanmard dedicated as a new
13 convent on September 17, 1944 and as a result of the courage, foresight, and activities of the
14 four SVD priests, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church became the first southern parish to
15 have all African-American residents in both the rectory and the convent; and
16 WHEREAS, through the years, programs sponsored by Immaculate Heart of Mary
17 Catholic Church have included: (1) Faith Formation (CCD classes) for non-Catholic school
18 children seeking to receive any Sacraments; (2) Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
19 (RICA(CCD)); for people of all walks of life: those who have never been baptized, baptized
20 in another Christian faith and are interested in becoming a Catholic; people raised in other
21 faiths; people who were baptized Catholic but were not raised Catholic; and people with no
22 religious background at all; (3) Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA - Teens (CCD)) a process
23 by which our youth become Catholic providing education, hospitality, and support as they
24 welcome members to the Catholic faith and church community; (4) Young Adult Ministry
25 (YAM): a group designed for individuals ages 20-45 focusing on their needs, interests and
26 concerns of people in this age group with discussions involving current events, trends,
27 relationship building, professional development, peer mentoring, financial planning,
28 marriage, living single, parenting, and spirituality; (5) Youth Group, ages 10-18; to respond
29 to the social and spiritual needs of youth in our community through fun games, activities,
30 and events that allow them to express their faith through their own words and actions; and
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1 WHEREAS, although it first opened in 1934, the Immaculate Heart of Mary School
2 was forced to close prior to the 2016-2017 school year due to lack of enrollment numbers,
3 financial support, and needed academic performance; and
4 WHEREAS, continuing with its original mission and educational goals of the
5 Immaculate Heart of Mary School, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities provided
6 financial resources to operate a Prime Time Head Start program in Lafayette Parish through
7 the school, beginning in April, 2022; and
8 WHEREAS, this grant, through the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities,
9 allowed the school to have a new wing for nearly 200 more students, and provided a much
10 needed new playground, renovations to the gymnasium into another five classrooms,
11 renovations to its restrooms, repairs to the structure's roof and other general maintenance;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, through Prime Time Head Start the Immaculate Heart of Mary School
14 is a pillar in the Lafayette community promoting school readiness in preschoolers focusing
15 on positive child and family outcomes for bright futures; and
16 WHEREAS, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church has made a profound
17 and positive impact in the African-American community of Lafayette and surrounding areas.
18 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
19 does hereby commend and congratulate the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on
20 the occasion of its Ninetieth Anniversary serving the community of Lafayette and
21 surrounding areas and further acknowledges the contributions, dedication, and guidance of
22 the Immaculate Heart of Mary School to the youth in the community.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
24 Father Anthony Ataamine Anala, SVD.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SR 30 Original 2025 Regular Session Boudreaux
Commends Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on the occasion of its 90th
anniversary.
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