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History

St. Alphonsus School History

In the last two decades of the nineteenth century a local teacher, Mrs. Amelia Landry, conducted classes at Vicknair Place on Frenchtown Road. Her school became known as St. Joseph School. Students came from miles around and from nearby parishes to be instructed in typical academic areas as well as in art, music, and religion. Mrs. Landry began to raise funds for a church. The first church, St. Francis of Assisi, was built in 1898 as a mission of St. Joseph Church in Baton Rouge. In 1962 the mission was established as a new parish and given the name of St. Alphonsus Liguori after the founder of the Redemptorist Priests. In typical Redemptorist fashion, the new parish set to work. Only one year after its inception, a parish school with 131 students in grades one to four was opened. Fr. Joseph M. Greenwell, served as the first principal while Sr. Janet Marie Abbachi, SSND served as administrator. The School Sisters of Notre Dame served the school until 1971. Lay principals Mrs. Genevieve Stockstill and Mr. Harold Copes served the school from 1971 until 1984. Sr. Esther Hulin, a Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille, was named principal upon their departure. As Sr. Esther retired in 2006, the school community welcomed Mrs. Shirley Bougere as the new principal of St. Alphonsus School. Mrs. Bougere was with the St. Alphonsus Community for three years. When Mrs. Bougere left to continue her educational journey, Dr. Cynthia Ryals became Principal of St. Alphonsus School beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. The leaders of St. Alphonsus School have molded many children into wonderful adults, many of which have returned to teach at St. Alphonsus.