Church History - Early Parish Years

Before the 20th Century | Mission Years | Early Parish Years

The Waiting Years | A Time of Rebirth | A Time of Renewal

EARLY PARISH YEARS

In 1955 the tiny mission was officially name St. Joseph the Carpenter, and in 1957 the

final note was paid for the new land. In August of that very same year, the name of the

parish was changed from "St. Joseph the Carpenter" to "St. Joseph the Worker". This

new name was given because the pope had established a new feast day of the same name.

At this time, Mount Carmel Sisters moved in to the parish to teach in the school.

A "Parish Club" was established to raise funds for the school. Permission was granted for

the first Sunday evening mass as a special convenience to shift workers.

By April of 1958 the new one-story classroom building was completed and the sisters

moved into their new convent on Pine Street. An "Altar Society" sponsored spaghetti

dinners and other fund-raising activities. Many other new parish organizations also came

into being at this time. The "Catholic Colored Good Will Club" continued to raise money

for their new property. The Parish Fair and the Procession of the St. Joseph Altar were

major traditions sponsored by the Italian Catholic community. Fr. Anthony Rousso was

the Pastor at this time.

January of 1959 marked the beginning of a time that would be painful and confusing to

the people of St. Joseph the Worker. The Archbishop of New Orleans had issued a

statement officially ending the sanction of discrimination in Catholic churches. Two weeks

later, two black teenagers sat up front in the "white section" of church at one of the masses.

The ushers ordered them to move, but they refused. Angry and harsh words were

exchanged between many who were gathered on that day and on the following Sundays

as more and more blacks began to move up to the front.

On Sunday March 1st , as two black teenagers, who had been sitting up front left the

church, violence erupted inside and outside of the church. The teenagers were beaten

with fists, tools and a blackjack. Arrests were made on both sides of the conflict and the

black youth and older man who tried to assist them were treated at Charity Hospital for

lacerations of the head and eyes. This ugly day in our history, painful as it was, was at

the same time a day of new life for our church.

Church leaders called for the parishioners to pray of spiritual healing. Parish organizations

continued on...still segregated but Sunday worship was officially integrated, and it would

be for evermore.