Beyond Surviving to Thriving – Redemptorist St. Gerard Catholic School
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March 14, 2023Anticipation is growing for the second annual “Messengers of Hope” Gala for St. Gerard Catholic School in Baton Rouge on Sunday, April 2. Internationally renowned Chef John Folse is once again hosting the Gala at White Oak Estate and Gardens, ensuring a wonderful event designed to help secure the future of the elementary school.
St. Gerard Majella Parish was founded by the Redemptorists at the end of the Second World War to serve a flourishing neighborhood composed of blue collar and local business families. From the school’s inception in 1958, dedicated Sisters of Notre Dame, lay teachers and generous parishioners created a familial community and fostered a tradition of educational excellence.
School enrollment peaked at about 2,000 students in the early 1960s. In the years since, the Catholic population of the north Baton Rouge neighborhood has declined. The average age of St. Gerard parishioners now stands in the 70-something range, and the school also has suffered. Growing poverty in the area adds additional challenges.
The situation was so dire that there was talk that Redemptorist St. Gerard Catholic School would be closing until the arrival of Fr. Tat Hoang as pastor and Cheryl Domino as principal four years ago. The enduring love for St. Gerard and its tradition of excellence is now fueling a quiet revival of the elementary school.
A dedicated group of school alumni, the Friends of Redemptorist St. Gerard, has returned to help a new generation of neighborhood kids. Kathy Woods, who grew up in St. Gerard Parish in the 1960s, said that the school had a huge impact on graduates and they remain a very tightknit community. A loan portfolio manager in the financial industry, Kathy helps raise funds for the parish and school, and is involved with the Gala. Although she no longer lives within the boundaries of St. Gerard Parish, she and many alumni are focused on trying to get this school back to where it was for the people who now live in the area.
“Fr. Tat and Cheryl helped identify the biggest needs, and we all began asking who we knew who could help. Fr. Tat has a gift for bringing in people and helping them understand that they’re cared about,” Kathy said.
“Most of the students aren’t Catholic, but they all go to Mass and participate. They get more guidance, instruction and care than they would in a public school. It’s a labor of love for all of us.”
Building Redemptorist St. Gerard back up is a work in progress, with the Friends involved in everything from the quality of education to the physical maintenance of the church. According to Kathy, everyone began tapping into their networks for help with everything from tutoring to fundraising. It was a case of people knowing the right people to get things done.
Tony’s Seafood Market, a neighborhood landmark dating back to the late 1950s, has always stepped in to help the school and parish. In addition to many necessary building repairs, one of the first projects was obtaining new computers for the computer lab. Purchasing a school bus is now being discussed.
Kathy points out the stark options for children in the neighborhood. “If these kids didn’t go to St. Gerard, they’d be enrolled at a public school in the neighborhood. Their futures practically hinge on this school,” she said.
For the children and their families, the stakes are high. Most of the students receive state vouchers to attend St. Gerard, which has become a gateway to future academic success. Many St. Gerard graduates now go on to the Baton Rouge Magnet High School, one of the highest ranked high schools in Louisiana, or to an academically driven Catholic high school.
Ensuring the children’s success requires plenty of volunteer hours. St. Gerard’s has an after-school and tutoring program where the kids can get help with homework and enjoy a variety of fun activities, including athletic programs. Parents are grateful for the opportunities for their children to participate in these activities and support the school’s programs to the degree they can, given their limited resources and time.
Kathy notes that just completing the enrollment application takes lots of work – gathering documents and filling out forms – and it shows that they are interested in their children getting a better education. “Protestant families have no problem with their kids getting a Catholic religious education because they know their kids are in a safe place. They’re also being taught how to communicate, respect and love each other,” she added.
Although Friends of Redemptorist St. Gerard raises funds, many members take advantage of the opportunity to return to their roots. “We approach all past graduates of St. Gerard, and many come back to help at the school and church,” Kathy said. “Families of past parishioners now come together for Christmas Mass, and every year attendance grows. St. Gerard tugs at the heartstrings, and slowly there’s more and more people filling the pews.”
The Knights of Columbus is another important partner that brings people into the church, often by hosting events like high school reunions tied to a Mass. Kathy describes St. Gerard’s enduring mission as creating an academically excellent school that also provides spiritual and moral guidance.
“We want to bring the school back to where it was when we were young – beyond surviving to thriving. We’d like to expand beyond the close neighborhood. We’ve been blessed with some wonderful people who are not just writing checks, but showing up and doing amazing things for the school. They’re not doing it for a tax write off; they’re doing it for the kids, and they see the difference their involvement makes.”
For more information about the “Messengers of Hope” Gala, visit: https://www.stgerardmajellachurch.org/
For more about Redemptorist St. Gerard School, visit: http://rsgbr.org/
