Last weekend, St. Peter School held its annual Fishermen’s Festival fundraiser. The school has been in operation since 1930 and has a special place in the hearts of Jeanne and me, not only because we both attended St. Peter’s but because our four children were also blessed with a solid foundation in a safe environment.  

Every year, we make it a habit to attend the festival, get a great meal and see many people working hard to make it a success. Many of the workers are children and grandchildren of people with whom we attended school.

The day after the festival, I ran into C. J. Remondet, a school board member, and he excitedly talked about all the good things happening at the school. I told him I think St. Peter School is one of the best-kept secrets, not only in St. John Parish but the entire River Parishes.

As we parted, I told C.J. I would write an article about the school.

As I reminisce about my school days that started in 1941, the enrollment was over 500 students. The tuition was 50 cents a month, and in 1947 when I graduated, it was $2 a month.  

In the late 90s, the enrollment was under 120 students, and the Archdiocese of New Orleans wanted to close the school. In 1997 a few parents decided otherwise. They came together, raised money and were passionate about rescuing an institution that meant so much to them and the Catholic community.  

Today, after years of struggling, the school is alive and well and determined to grow. This year, there are 180 students with small manageable classes. The staff and teachers, together with volunteers, don’t have a job; they have a ministry, and the children are the top priority.  

A school that was dying has survived and is serving the needs of a community. The success can be attributed to people who refused to give up but got up and made a difference.       

To name some of the people responsible for the new spirit of St. Peter School would be an injustice. It just proves that when motivated people come together for a cause (not concerned about who gets the credit), good things happen.

St. Peter School up until now was the best kept secret in the River Parishes, but that’s about to change.

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477, or email hkeller@comcast.net.