Abp. Aymond mourns Katrina victims, prays for those devastated by Laura

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald
(Photos by Michael Bayham and Peter Finney Jr.)

As Archbishop Gregory Aymond delivered the main reflection today at an ecumenical prayer service at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in Chalmette marking the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, he also prayed for the recent victims of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles and said the Archdiocese of New Orleans was marshaling material and financial support for those in the Lake Charles Diocese.

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans also has dispatched Tom Costanza, a veteran of hurricane relief, into the Lake Charles area to determine the areas of biggest need.

Archbishop Aymond said he was making plans to visit Lake Charles soon but wanted to wait a few days as a precaution against getting in the way of relief efforts.

“They are saying it could take two months to get power and water restored,” Archbishop Aymond said. 

Before the Katrina memorial service, the archbishop blessed a "garden" of painted metal lilies, designed by artist Luis Colemanares as symbols of death and rebirth. The lilies were commissioned by the St. Bernard Parish government, said former councilman Michael Bayham, who coordinated the 10th and 15th anniversary Katrina ceremonies.

Each flower was made for the family of the 164 St. Bernard residents who died in Katrina, but some have gone unclaimed and will remain on display at the government complex. 

"We developed the idea based on the Daughters of the British Empire during World War I with the poppy flowers,” Bayham said. “We thought, why not the lily, which is a symbol of death and rebirth. When you see a statue of St. Joseph, he’s usually holding a lily in his hand. We wanted something simple that would honor their memory.”

The archbishop prayed for the 1,833 persons who died in Katrina in 2005, and several speakers read aloud the names of the 164 who died in St. Bernard Parish.

"One of the things we are known for here in the South is our Southern hospitality," Archbishop Aymond said. "We remember welcoming people into our homes, into our churches. But we also know that sometimes, we have the unwelcome guest, and we certainly did in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, and she stayed around too long and caused a great deal of damage.

"We know that St. Bernard was hit very, very hard, and for those who experienced it, it was like yesterday. Very often, even today, people tell their stories about that time, and it was like it was just yesterday.

"Some of those images are engraved in our minds, like people leaving in rescue boats or people being caught on the roof of a house, stranded. Hurricane Katrina has changed our way of describing time. How often do we hear ourselves saying, ‘Oh, that was before Katrina; oh, that was after Katrina.’

"Today as we gather to remember 15 years ago Hurricane Katrina, we are also mindful of so many thousands of people who are affected by Hurricane Laura, especially the people of Lake Charles.

"We recall those who have died: 1,833 people lost their lives in Katrina. Today we commit them to the Lord's kingdom. We also remember those who still mourn, their family members and friends.

"We are here this morning because we know and believe as Christians that God is always with us. He holds us in the palm of his hands. We believe that we are his beloved daughters and sons. We believe that in times of trouble and disaster and challenge that this same God calls us ever closer to himself and he desires to walk with us, like the shepherd protects his sheep in times of danger.”

After the prayer service, government officials, including Louisiana Lieutenant Gov. Billy Nungesser, drove south to Shell Beach for another memorial ceremony.

Father Mark Lomax, pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mandeville, said the prayer service brought back difficult memories because as pastor of St. Mark Parish in Chalmette at the time of Katrina, he saw his parish inundated and so many lives lost.

One of his parish families lost three family members – an elderly mother and her two adult children. The elderly father survived only because he was able to hang on to the roof before he was rescued.

"Six of my parishioners were on that poster," Father Lomax said, fighting back tears.

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