Brothers of the Sacred Heart - Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans

Thanks to Amy Perryman, my editor at Arcadia, for believing in the project from the start. My deepest gratitude goes to everyone in the BOSH/BMHS community for their assistance and support, particularly Tommy Mitchell (class of 1979), assistant to the president and director of development; Kenny Spellman (class of 1984), alumni director; and Dennis Panepinto (class of 1981), events director/webmaster. My appreciation and respect go to all of the Brothers who assisted me. Thanks to Greg Rando (class of 1977), principal of BMHS, and Br. Francis David, SC, for liking the idea of the book in the first place and to Br. Ronald Talbot, SC, (St. Aloysius class of 1965) the current provincial in New Orleans, for graciously contributing the books foreword. Br. Bernard Couvillion, SC, offered wonderful insight on the Rule of Life (as well as resuming his role as my Composition II teacher). Br. Neal Golden, SC, (Cor Jesu class of 1957) provided a wealth of knowledge on the sports history of the schools, as well as many other aspects of the institutes history. Br. Henry Gaither, SC, and Br. Ivy LeBlanc, SC, were extremely helpful with factual points in the copy and photograph identifications. Thanks to Dominick Caronna (class of 1985), assistant band director, for finding some wonderful band photographs. Also thanks to Maj. Lester Amick, USMC (Retired), and Barry Hebert (class of 1974), BMHS athletic director, for photograph identification help.

All my love goes to my wife, Helen, and my sons, Justin (class of 2006) and Kevin (class of 2012), for putting up with me during the project. A huge thank-you goes to Jenifer Hill Akers for her copyediting skills. Thanks to the Special Collections staff at the Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans; Sally Stassi at the Historic New Orleans Collection; and Kara Brockman of the Archives Division, Clerk of Civil District Court, City of New Orleans. Irene Wainwright, archivist, Louisiana Collection, New Orleans Public Library, and her staff were wonderful to work with once again. Thanks to Arthur Hardy, Danny Ford (creator and webmaster of the BMHS Baseball Fan Web site), and Jack Dever for their photographs. Special thanks to the folks at the PJs Coffee Shop in Clearview Mall for giving me a wonderful work environment to escape to.

A Note on Abbreviations: The Brothers of the Sacred Heart (BOSH) Alumni Association uses three notations to indicate the year a man graduated from one of the three schools: (SA 1965) indicates a St. Aloysius grad, (CJ 1957) one from Cor Jesu, and just the year of graduation (2009) indicates Brother Martin High. Additionally, to make the distinction between Br. Martin Hernandez, SC, and the school named in his honor, Brother Martin High School is referred to by the abbreviation BMHS.

Photograph Credits: Unless otherwise noted, photographs in this book are courtesy of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, New Orleans Province, and Brother Martin High School.

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One

ORIGINS

Brother Polycarp, Brother Xavier, and our other predecessors followed in the footsteps of our founder, in gentleness and humility, growing in sanctity as they lived out our motto and shared hopeAmetur Cor Jesu!

Article 12, The Rule of Life of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart (2007)

In 1869, the institute acquired a two-story building on the corner of Barracks and Chartres Streets, and it opened St. Aloysius Academy that September. The first floor was converted into three classrooms. The second floor was built with a parlor, community room, and chapel, and the five Brothers who staffed the school slept in the attic. By 1884, the building was just too crowded, and Br. Arnould Bererd, SC, and the staff purchased the house next door.

In 1892, the Ursuline Sisters decided to leave Faubourg Marigny, focusing their work at their school on State Street, Uptown. The Sisters sold their building on the corner of Esplanade Avenue and North Rampart Street to the Brothers, who moved in for the fall term.

Br. Cyprian Sanhet, SC, became principal in 1902, supervising the school during a yellow fever epidemic in 1905. Enrollment dropped sharply because of that outbreak. Br. Alphonse Journy, SC, became principal that year, and St. Aloysiuss enrollment blossomed in his 11-year tenure. The school and staff weathered the severe damage caused by the Hurricane of 1915, and enrollment continued to grow once repairs were completed. The Brothers purchased most of the block at Esplanade and North Rampart in the postWorld War I period.

The neighborhoods of Faubourg Marigny and Bywater continued to grow after World War I, and the city desired to widen North Rampart Street to allow for two-track streetcar operations in the neutral ground. The city used its power of eminent domain to expropriate a portion of the corner of Esplanade and North Rampart, forcing the Brothers to demolish the Ursuline building.

ABB COINDRE. This painting, captioned, Father Andre Coindre, joyfully giving his Brothers of the Sacred Heart charge of the education of youth, is by an unknown artist (probably done in the 1820s).

THE INSTITUTES FOUNDER. Abb Andr Coindre founded the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in 1821 in Lyons, France. Coindre died in 1826, and his brother, Vincent, assumed leadership of the institute until 1841, when Brother Polycarp was the first brother named superior general.

BAY ST. LOUIS. A grave marker in the cemetery at St. Stanislaus College (SSC) in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, marks the passing of several of the Brothers who first came to America.

ST. ALOYSIUS ACADEMY. This architectural drawing depicts the building located at the corner of Barracks and Chartres Street in the French Quarter at the time of its purchase by the institute in 1869. Prior to photography, sales of property in New Orleans would be accompanied by a plan book plan, which usually included a description of the property, a map of the city block in which it was located, and an artists illustration of the building(s). The building was originally built as officers quarters for the Spanish garrison of the city. This is the only known illustration of the first St. Aloysius. (Courtesy of the Archives Division, Clerk of Civil District Court, City of New Orleans.)