Progress & Organization: Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church, Pointe Coupee Parish, La. Part Three of "Historic Sketch" File submitted by Pauline Bizette Brandy This is an excerpt from the booklet, Historic Sketch, St. Ann Parish, Morganza, La. Diamond Jubilee, 1872 to 1947. It was compiled and published for the church's Diamond Jubilee which was celebrated at Morganza, La. on January 18, 1948. It is reprinted by permission of St. Ann's Catholic Church, Morganza, La. For records of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, you may contact the Archives via mail: Diocese of Baton Rouge, Archives, P.O. Box 2028, Baton Rouge, La. 70821-2028 Phone: (504) 387-0561 Fax: (504) 387-8789 E-mail: chancery@diobr.org Or visit their website at http://diobr.org/Welcome.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------ ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------ With the summer of 1883, a new era opened for Our Lady of Seven Dolors parish of Raccourci. An energetic young pastor took the reins and the needed pace of enthusiasm and desire for organization were given to the parish, for in August of that year (1883), just a short time before his death, Archbishop Perche sent Rev. Charles Clark, native of New Orleans, as pastor at Raccourci. Father Clark was not a newcomer in that section, having served as assistant during the first years of his priesthood in the Reccourci area, under Father Glendon and Father Doutre. At the time of his appointment as pastor, he was only 30 years old. Born at New Orleans in 1853, he began his studies for the priesthood as a young boy, and was ordained in 1877. He remained a short time at New Orleans, then went to Pointe Coupee parish as assistant. He was then assigned as assistant at St. Patrick's Church, New Orleans, and from there he was called by the Archbishop to assume charge of Raccourci. One of the important features of his administration was the erection of the parish church. In his report for the year 1888, Father Clark states that the new church cost $5,000. The indebtedness for its construction, he lists as incurred in May, 1887. The church was a frame structure, elevated from the ground, with sharply pitched roof, and topped by a spire at the front center. On both sides, the walls pierced by Gothic windows. The trim interior with its slim Gothic columns and pointed arch ceiling, was embellished with a modest main altar, two small side altars, and several statues. On one side of the building stood a modest presbytery, and on the church property spread the parish cemetery of about four acres. In July, 1888, Father clark erected a school, but since he was unable to obtain Sisters to staff it, he employed two lay teachers. He listed the school as costing $1,475. For the first year (1888), the enrollment showed 18 boys and 17 girls. Just how much work Father Clark did may be gleaned from the fact that although these improvements had entailed a total expense of $6,475, his successor on January 1, 1889, reported that there remained due on the debt for the church only $262.65, and on the school, $850 -- a total indebtedness of $1,112.65. Father Clark's report for 1884, showed an estimated Catholic population of 1000 -- whites 800, and Colored 200. There had been 555 Holy Communions, 35 Baptisms, six marriages and seven funerals. The first Communion class numbered 224 children. A note by the pastor gives us a clue to the first Confirmation. He states that there had not been any administering of Confirmation in the parish in eight years, hence, since this was written in 1885, the Confirmation must have been given in 1877 by Archbishop Perche. However, Archbishop Janssens came to Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church in 1888 and gave Confirmation to a class of 124 persons. Father Clark served four mission stations, in addition to his care of the parish church at Raccourci. One of these was St. Joseph's Chapel at Red River Landing, also referred to as Red River Landing. This belonged to Joseph Torras, and the chapel had been in existence for some time already. Through Father Clark, Mr. Torras donated to Archbishop Francis X. Leray, on April 23, 1887, the property - one-half acre by two acres - with the church building on it and its furnishings. The zealous and energetic young pastor did not confine his efforts to physical improvements. He turned his attention to the organization of the parishioner into Catholic societies. His report for 1884 showed no Catholic societies in the parish, but that for 1888, lists the Ladies of the Sanctuary Society, the Purgatorian Society and the Catholic Knights of America. The number of Communions for the year had dropped to only 325, but Baptisms had increased to 59, including nine adults. The pew auction brought in $105, and the collection only $42. It was with keen regret that the parishioners learned that their young pastor was transferred in April, 1889, to the parish of Ponchatoula. Later, he served as pastor at Bayou Goula, and while on a visit at New Orleans to a dentist, December 10, 1897, he died suddenly, sitting in the dentist's chair, while under chloroform. As Father Clark's successor, Archbishop Janssens sent a devout, zealous Canadian priest, Rev. Fabian A.B. Laforest, as pastor of Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church at Raccourci. Father Laforest, like his predecessor, gave his attention to improvement of the parish plant, the care of the missions and the promotion of parish societies. During his first year as pastor, he expended $300 for new vestments, Stations of the Cross and a new sanctuary lamp. Pew rents rose that year as the result of his urgings to $450. Father Laforest also introduced devotion to St. Ann, so widely known and practiced in Canada at Beaupre. The sanctuary organization became known as the Altar Society of the Ladies of St. Ann. Later the two were divided and one organization was known as the Ladies of St. Ann, and the other served as the Altar Society. He made repairs to the presbytery, likewise to the school, which showed an increase in enrollment, but it continued to be staffed by lay teachers. In 1890, Father Laforest organized the Cemetery Association for the improvement and proper care of the parish graveyard. During that year, he made substantial improvements to the presbytery and in 1891, expended $1,344.50 for the embellishment and repair of the parish church. The number of Holy Communions in 1890 had reached 525, and the following year, 850, graphic evidence of the spiritual influence of Father Laforest. Since the death of Father Van de Moere in 1876, St. Francis Church at Pointe Coupee was served for several years by Father Berthet, who had attended to Raccourci for a time, during the vacancy of the pastorate. Then St. Francis, the pioneer church of the whole district, became a mission of Raccourci. Father Laforest in 1890, served it every other month. Since that time, it remained a mission of Raccourci, then of St. Ann's at Morganza. The vastness of the field of labor of zealous Father Laforest may be realized from this report to the Archbishop: "Stations served: St. Joseph's Chapel, Red River Landing; Bayou Sara (across the river), every other month; St. Francis of Pointe Coupee, every other month; Raccourci; I say mass at Cat Island, Tunica, New Texas Interior and Fordoche about four times each year." Father Leforest served the Raccourci parish until January 1893, and later became pastor of St. Peter's Church at Carencro, La. He had zealously and energetically carried on the work and progress inaugurated by Father Clark, and brought Our Lady of Seven Dolors parish to a high point of organization and spiritual achievements.