Windows Wednesday

This is one of the stained glass windows hanging in St. Genevieve Church in Bayou Liberty
According to an elderly parishioner, these particular windows hung in one of the original St. Genevieve Churches circa 1852. This lady remembers going to church not via horse or car, but by paddling up Bayou Liberty

Pirogue Races Return

After a two year hiatus, the 60th Annual Bayou Liberty Pirogue Races return on June 3rd. During that time, major construction was under way on the property of St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The celebration will be June 3 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the St. Genevieve Landing, located just four miles west of Slidell, on Louisiana 433 at the Bayou Liberty Bridge crossing.


The old Bayou Liberty Bridge

Chaired by the late Junior Pichon for over 50 years, the races have been handed down to his daughter Beth DiMarco.

From nola dot com:
Thanks to DiMarco, chairwoman of this year’s event, her father’s dream will live on.

“We are honored to pay tribute to our dad this year,” DiMarco said. “He’ll be smiling down on us from heaven.”

The day of celebration on Bayou Liberty will feature competitive paddling, including: Men’s championship race; common boat race; two-man canoe race; kayak race; women’s championship race; women over 40 race; men over 40 race; girls 13-16 and 8-12 races; and boys 8-12 and 13-16 races.

ne of the highlights of the day of competition is the hilarious 'blindfold race.'

The prized Bayou Liberty Pirogue Championship raffle also will return. Tickets are $1 each, with ticket holders vying for a 14-foot Fiberglass pirogue, first prize; Propane seafood frying setup, second prize; and fleur-de-lis rocker, third prize.

A separate raffle will be held for a shotgun. Only 300 raffle tickets will be sold for $5 each.

Various game, food and beverage booths also will be featured. Among the traditional race-day favorites being dished out will be gumbo, red beans and rice, hamburgers and hot dogs and snoballs. Ice chests are not allowed on the premises.

Music will be provided by Band of Brothers, and Big Al and the Heavyweights.

Commemorative hats and T-shirts also will be available for purchase the day of the races.

For information on how to support “Back on the Bayou,” contact DiMarco at 985.643.2581

Pirogue Races Cancelled again

The Bayou Liberty Pirogue Championships, traditionally held on the first Sunday of June, will not be held for the second consecutive year.

According to A.L. “Junior” Pichon, former St. Tammany Parish Councilman and chairman and master of ceremonies for the races for nearly 30 years, access to the Bayou Liberty boat launch area is extremely limited during the construction of nearby St. Genevieve Catholic Church.

“We looked at maybe holding the races on the other side of the bayou, but that has too many problems,” Pichon said. “But we’ll be back in our old spot next year, for sure.”

The oldest pirogue racing competition in the state, the Bayou Liberty Pirogue Championships were originally organized as a fundraiser for the church and, since that time, also have supported playground maintenance at the Bayou Liberty Civic Center.
Since then the contest has become a destination race for paddlers from as far away as Mississippi and Hahnville.

St. Genevieve Catholic Church, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, is being rebuilt on its original site. It will measure nearly 12,000-square-feet and be able to accommodate more than 500 parishioners.

The new church will cost $3 million, plus another $1 million to outfit, once it has been built. The Archdiocese of New Orleans has set aside about $2 million for the construction. Fundraisers by parishioners have been ongoing.

Though disappointed at the cancellation, organizers vow that the Bayou Liberty Pirogue Championships will return.

“This is part of our heritage,” Pichon said.

St. Genevieve Church Update - May 2011

I've been trying to stay updated on the reconstruction of St. Genevieve Church on Bayou Liberty and I'm excited to post pictures showing the updated construction activity. I haven't travelled past the Church for a few months now due to repaving of Bayou Liberty Road, but I chose that route last Saturday knowing there would not be any construction and was excited to see the new Church taking shape.

First, an artists rendering of the new building.

What follows are the steel beams giving the structure its shape

And here lies the original steeple, painted and ready to once again rise to the heavens.