NEW ORLEANS - Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina severely damaged its campus in the Lower Ninth Ward, students, alumni and school officials gathered to dedicate a new Holy Cross School in Gentilly. Under a mix of sun and clouds, a mix of emotions swept through the crowd of hundreds, who gathered for the official school dedication.
"There's always a little piece of your heart that misses the old campus and the beautiful oak trees and the location," said Dr. Kevin Watson, Holy Cross Class of '94. "But it's been such an extraordinary journey to get to where we are today, that I think the excitement certainly outweighs the fondness for the old campus."
The former Holy Cross campus shut down after Katrina and, without a permanent campus, the school was on the move.
"They were teaching some of these classes in Baton Rouge, at one point," said Paul Rainwater, director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "And now here they are, in a new facility."
The new $78 million dollar campus sits on Paris Avenue in the heart of a community hit hard by the storm. FEMA provided more than $71 million dollars to Holy Cross after Katrina. It's an investment that is seen as both financial and psychological.
"This is obviously an anchor," Rainwater said. "It gives the community confidence that, you know that state and federal agencies are willing to make this sort of investment, this neighborhood, this city, this community, is worth it."
School officials hope that as Holy Cross School establishes itself in Gentilly and continues to build, the same thing will happen in the surrounding community.
"I have at least three faculty and staff that have purchased homes within three blocks of this campus already-- have renovated and moved in. I have another one that is going to be moving in. I have a parent that bought a house on Crescent [Street], going to renovate it and move in," said Charles DiGange, Holy Cross' headmaster. "So, I think, just by the mere fact that we're here, we're starting to attract some life to the community, hopefully the revitalization of this community."
The school is also planning for its students to work on service projects in Gentilly, by helping rebuild storm damaged homes. The nearly 800 students enrolled at Holy Cross began attending classes in the new buildings this past fall. However, there are still several buildings under construction, including a new student center.
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