Another New Orleans church parish rebounds after Katrina

New parish finally comes home to reopened church

Published: Monday, October 17, 2011, 9:30 AM

By Katie Urbaszewski, The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune For many parishioners of Transfiguration of Our Lord, the product of three parishes the Archdiocese of New Orleans merged after Hurricane Katrina, the first Mass held Sunday at the new parish's renovated church had a feel similar to a Mass on Christmas or Easter. People who hadn't come to Mass in years embraced and chatted with others outside the church, and even people not from any of the three parishes came to see the repaired church and hear Archbishop Gregory Aymond celebrate Mass and perform the dedication.

Enlarge John McCusker, The Times-Picayune John McCusker / The Times-Picayune Three Catholic parishes, St. Frances Cabrini, St. Raphael the Archangel and St. Thomas the Apostle have merged into Transfiguration of Our Lord at the site of St. Raphael Sunday, October 16, 2011. Archbishop Gregory Aymond was on hand for the first mass there. Three congregations combine to form Transfiguration of Our Lord gallery (7 photos)

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The building on Elysian Fields Avenue is a gutted and renovated version of the church of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, while the new parish has been led since the 2008 merger by the Rev. Paul Desrosiers from St. Frances Cabrini Parish. The third parish merged was St. Thomas Apostle, the parish representing the University of New Orleans; until now, its place of worship at UNO's Newman Center was the central church for all parishioners of the newly merged Transfiguration of Our Lord.
White folding chairs were lined up behind the pews for extra seats, and every chair was filled.
"I'm just happy because the community finally has a home," said Desrosiers, who received a standing ovation after Aymond thanked him for his help in moving the parish forward. The church's dedication brought former members together he had not seen for years, Desrosiers said.
"Water and mud filled this sacred place," Aymond said. "But this renovation has brought about a renewed beauty."
Aymond, who grew up in Gentilly, celebrated Mass at the original church when he was young.
Aymond acknowledged that merging the parish caused "some pain, grief and disappointment."
"At the same time, this is an example of new life and resurrection," he said. "These three communities are coming together as one parish, one family."
Former Cabrini parishioner Gregory Wright, a lay person affiliated with the Dominican Order of Preachers, said Sunday was bittersweet for many who missed their old church. Cabrini Church was badly damaged in Katrina, and Holy Cross School's new campus now stands where their church used to.
"It's the end of a long journey for us," Wright said. "It's the culmination of six years of the whole gamut of human emotion."
Another former Cabrini parishioner David Heilbron said he was happy to see that the parish's new church seemed to be bringing everyone together.
"Jesus is everywhere, with or without a church, but this is going to unite everyone," he said. "This parish is putting all different kinds of people together to go and serve and love the Lord."