The Holy Rosary Institute is getting a boost in its renovation efforts. It was once the only Catholic school for blacks in Lafayette. The school closed in 1993, but in recent years there’s been an effort to commemorate its history in the parish. The state is now helping out.
The state dedicated $500,000 in next years budget to help with renovations and those with connections to the school, say it’s a good step in keeping the “Holy Rosary” alive.
Dustin Cravins is the president of the Holy Rosary redevelopment board. The board has been working to secure funds for more than a decade.
“It will look exactly as it did, as those who attended will remember on the outside. But on the inside, it will be the brightest and the newest and the most impressive facility this city has to offer,” Cravins said.
Cravins says this isn’t just a big deal for the school.
“It’s a tremendous win for not only Holy Rosary, but for this community but for this community that often times feels like they’ve been forgotten,” Cravins said.
With new funding from the state, the board plans to restore the chapel, add retail space, a library and resource center and urgent care. Years after the school close, alumni are happy to see the revamp.
“You saw friendship, you saw teamwork, you saw comradery. So many great things you saw right here on this campus. This was a great campus for people to gather together and meet to talk about the wonderful things that are going on in the Lafayette area,” Vincent Pierre said.
Their hope is to bring that campus back to life.
“This project is about this community. It’s about servicing the needs of the people within this community and it’s theirs,” Cravins said.
In addition to the $500,000 this upcoming budget year, the Holy Rosary will get one million dollars every year for the next four years.
