Anniversary - Laying of the Cornerstone for St. Landry Catholic Church

Today is the 102 year anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone for the current building here at St. Landry Catholic Church. When standing outside of the church facing the front doors (to the east), the cornerstone is to your left. It was carved in 1907 and put into place on August 8, 1908. From my notes on the history of St. Landry Catholic Church ...

In 1900 a temporary church was completed. In 1902 the task of removing and clearing away the old church was started. In 1903 the foundation was formed with concrete and brick from the old church. On August 8, 1908 the cornerstone was laid. During the winter of 1908-1909 construction of the walls continued and was completed and occupied. On April 2, 1909, the first Friday of April, the first mass was said in the current St. Landry Church.  The interior of the church was not completed. Father John Engberink was our pastor who built the church. Father Engberink is buried in the floor of the church near the sanctuary.  Monsignor Albert Benedict Colliard followed Father Engberink as Pastor. Monsignor Colliard completed the interior. Monsignor Colliard is buried in St. Landry Cemetery near the cross.  Monsignor Broussard was the pastor following Monsignor Colliard. Monsignor Broussard in 1963 had the interior of the church redecorated and air conditioned.

As you can see from the photo at the top of this posting, the cornerstone is in Latin …

Ad

Laudem Dei Omnipotentis

Sub

Invocatione St. Landerici Epi – Et

Conf. Mense Januarii A.D. MCMVII

Primarius Novae Aedis Lapis

Collocatur Sedente S.S.D.N.

Pio Papa X

Reverendissime J.H. Blenk S.M. Arch

Rev. J. Engerbrink

Rectore Opelousas

Larry Jagneaux is a parishioner here that many of you know as a Eucharistic Minister at 10 AM Sunday mass.  Larry also teaches Latin 101 and Latin 102 at the Aquinas Institute and has published a textbook on Latin. He was gracious enough to translate the cornerstone as … (with a few additions to clear up the names and abbreviations)

To the praise of Almighty God, under the invocation of St. Landry, conferred in the month of January, 1907, the first stone of the new Church, set during the pontificate of Pope Pius X.  The most Reverend James Hubert Blenk, Society of Mary, being the Archbishop of New Orleans, and the Reverend John Engerbrink, Rector of Opelousas.