FORWARD
THE WORD,
"pioneer," conjures bravery, courage and
determination, hardihood and faith—faith in God and
in self.
St. John the Baptist parish did not, like Topsy, just
grow up. Those pioneers who came from Canada, France,
Germany and Spain, it is they who toiled and moiled, who
starved and carved, and left us a rich heritage that pays
bountiful dividends from day to day, rich farmland that
made all else that came after possible; they pushed back
the wilderness and the swamp, defying with all their
might, at times capitulating to, "Ol' Man
River." Yet, paradoxically, out of the destructive
sands of the river they builded a richer parish.. From
this alluvion came the wealth of the parish, and on this
alluvium today is the many-faceted monument to those
pioneers, our own fathers and mothers!
Since the river played so large a part in the physical
history of the parish, it is quite appropriate that it
should have played a dominant part in its spiritual life
as well. In the spring of 1864, the Abbé Mina sent his
assistant, L'Abbé Lacour, across its waters to found the
parish of St. Peter. The Church, from the beginning, has
always been a major influence in the life of a community,
and St. Peter's has been that, beneficently. Forty-seven
years ago, the well-loved Reverend Father Badoil was
instrumental in having erected the present beautiful
edifice. Upon his death, Father Badeaux was assigned to
the parish. To him is credited the founding of the first
parochial school in the parish. Under the able guidance
of Monsignor Eyraud, St. Peter's has attained the
greatest membership in its history. This spring of the
year 1939, St. Peter's church celebrates its diamond
jubilee. In those seventy-five years it has been served
by the Fathers Lacour, Biron, Gavard, Badoil, Badeaux,
Eyraud Jacobi, Finnegan and Caillouet. Too, St. Peter's
has passed through many trials and tribulations, but the
pioneer spirit of the people of St. John the Baptist
parish has always kept the sacred fires of religion
burning brightly.
Through faith and unceasing labor, our fathers, mothers,
grandfathers and grandmothers present to this generation
fruits of those years, and to this enjoin them, in the
words of La Fontaine, "Gardez-vous, leur dit-il,
de vendre l'héritage que nous ont laissé nos parents:
un trésor est caché dedans."
Very little of the history of the west bank of the
Mississippi river was included. Expediency dictated the
trend the "history" was to follow.
Because of the paucity of material at hand such as
original documents, newspapers of the periods portrayed,
and other pertinent material, the writers had to depend
on secondary sources hearsay, material of doubtful
authenticity and prejudiced accounts. The historical
method of critical analysis and deduction was not used in
the compilation, so, therefore, the editors wish to
absolve themselves from the responsibility of all
historical inaccuracies that may be contained in this
work.
The Introduction, which gives a brief history of the
parish from the earliest time to 1807, was taken from a
manuscript supplied by Mr. Lyle Saxon, a distinguished
Louisiana writer.
The editors are indebted to the following persons whose
able assistance in gathering and compiling data, and
whose valuable suggestions, have made this book possible:
The teachers of the Leon Godchaux High School, who
furnished the agricultural, social, industrial and
educational chapters; Henry C. Maurin, who furnished the
chapter on the political phase; religion; members o f the
Book Committee, who helped in the organization of the
book, and the people of St. John, who cooperated
magnificently.
DONALD J.. MILLET.
|
