Beautiful ribbon cutting event at Orphan Train Museum

The rain stayed away and we had a beautiful ribbon cutting event at the Opelousas Orphan Train Museum. A representative from the National Orphan Train Museum was on hand along with dozens of descendants of the original riders. Reenactors came dressed in period costume of children, nuns, and railroad men. Our own pastor, Monsignor J. Robert Romero, was there along with our former pastor Father Tremie and Father DeBlanc. It's well worth a visit.

Some of the families represented were the Dupre's, Brown's (Briley), Roy's, Stelly's, Inhern, ... and a host of others.

Coincidentally, the New York Foundling Hospital, where the orphans came from, is celebrating its 140th anniversary.

Click here to read an article in the New York Times about the anniversary in New York.

The photo at the top is of some of the reenactors. Mrs. Flo Inhern, who was so instrumental in getting seeing this dream of a museum become reality, portrays one of the nuns.

The photo below is of a mural painted depicting the orphans arriving in Opelousas. Father Engberink can be seen there on the left.