Jerome LeDoux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jerome Gaston LeDoux |
|
|---|---|
| Church | St. Augustine |
| Archdiocese | New Orleans |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | Society of the Divine Word, May 11, 1957 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 26, 1930 Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA |
| Died | January 7, 2019 (aged 88) Opelousas, Louisiana, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Father Jerome LeDoux (February 26, 1930 – January 7, 2019) was a Black Catholic priest. He was part of the Society of the Divine Word, a group of Catholic missionaries.
He was most famous for his work at St. Augustine Church in New Orleans. Father LeDoux was known for his lively church services. These services often included elements of African culture and music. He also had a very energetic style and was a talented writer.
Father LeDoux was featured in a documentary film about St. Augustine Church. This film showed what happened after Hurricane Katrina. Even though he was known across the country, he mostly worked in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Jerome LeDoux was born on February 26, 1930. His hometown was Lake Charles, Louisiana.
He followed his older brother, Louis, to high school. They both attended St. Augustine's Seminary in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. This seminary was run by the Society of the Divine Word and was for Black students. At that time, many seminaries in the US did not accept African Americans. St. Augustine's was created in 1920 to train Black men to become priests. Jerome graduated from the seminary in 1947. In 1952, his brother Louis became the first Black priest to serve in the Southern US.
At St. Augustine's, Jerome LeDoux studied music and classic subjects. These included Greek, Latin, and French. He also received religious training. After high school, he spent two years at the Society of the Divine Word's main seminary in Techny, Illinois. He then went to Divine Word Seminary in Epworth, Iowa, for two years of college. He finished his theology studies at St. Augustine's in 1953. Jerome LeDoux became a priest in 1957.
He continued his studies at the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. There, he earned a master's degree in theology. He also received a doctorate in canon law, which is church law. He finished these studies in 1961.
His Time as a Priest
After finishing his studies, Father LeDoux became a teacher. He taught theology and church law at St. Augustine's Seminary from 1961 to 1967. Later, he taught theology at Xavier University of Louisiana from 1969 to 1980.
Starting in 1981, Father LeDoux served as a pastor at several churches. He was the pastor at St. Martin de Porres Church in Prairie View, Texas, from 1981 to 1984. Then he moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, he was pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church from 1984 to 1988. His longest time as a pastor was at St. Augustine Church in New Orleans. He served there from 1990 to 2006.
St. Augustine Church in New Orleans
Father LeDoux's energetic style became very clear during his time in New Orleans. He wore colorful robes called vestments during church services. He would dance in the aisles and even rode a donkey to church on Palm Sunday.
His Masses often included jazz music, African drumming, and dancing. He sometimes added Mardi Gras Indian chants and second line parades. To honor African-American history, Father LeDoux sometimes wore the uniform of the Buffalo soldiers. These were African-American soldiers who served in the US Army.
In 2005, a New Orleans newspaper called him "the people's priest." They said his sermons and golden voice were the church's real draw.
The Tomb of the Unknown Slave
Father LeDoux and some church members had an idea for a special memorial. They wanted to create a Tomb of the Unknown Slave. With help from the church handyman and others, this shrine was built. It was placed in a garden at St. Augustine Church and finished by 2005.
The shrine is made of heavy chains and iron shackles shaped like a cross. It weighs about 1500 pounds. A plaque on the church wall explains its meaning. The church property was once part of the Claude Tremé Plantation House. The shrine marks the graves of unknown enslaved people from that area.
Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Father LeDoux chose to stay at St. Augustine Church instead of leaving the city. He was stuck at the church for eight days. He was a vegan, so he ate pasta and marinara sauce. He also welcomed people who had lost their homes in the hurricane.
About six months later, the archbishop of New Orleans decided to close the church. The church members, led by Father LeDoux, strongly disagreed with this decision. Because of this public disagreement, the archbishop removed Father LeDoux as pastor.
After leaving St. Augustine, he became pastor of Our Mother of Mercy Church in Fort Worth, Texas. He served there from 2006 to 2015.
In 2011, Father LeDoux wrote a book called War of the Pews. It shared his personal story of St. Augustine Church after Hurricane Katrina. The book also talked about the challenges churches faced with fewer people attending services. The title refers to a time when people paid fees for church pews.
Starting in 1969, Father LeDoux wrote a weekly column called "Reflections on Life." This column appeared in several newspapers. He wrote it for many years. In a 2018 interview, Father LeDoux said that music can bring people together. He felt this was especially true in New Orleans, with its many different cultures.
Death
Father LeDoux passed away from heart disease on January 7, 2019. He died at Lafayette General Hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana. At the time of his death, he was living at Holy Ghost Church in Opelousas, Louisiana. He is buried in the cemetery at St. Augustine's Seminary.
Recognition
In 2007, St. Augustine Church honored Father LeDoux with a Golden Jubilee. This celebrated his 50 years as a priest. The celebration included a "jazz mass" with famous musicians like the Tremé Brass Band and Trombone Shorty. The St. Augustine Soulful Voices Choir also performed.
The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, declared "Fr. Jerome LeDoux Day" in the city in 2007. Around the same time, the New Orleans City Council recognized St. Augustine Church's contributions to the city's music. Father LeDoux had helped grow this musical heritage during his time there. A New Orleans artist named Richard Thomas painted a poster honoring Father LeDoux. Money from selling prints of the poster helped his church.
Also in 2007, filmmaker Peter Entell made a documentary film called "Shake the Devil Off." It was about St. Augustine Church and its fight to stay open after Hurricane Katrina. The film showed Father LeDoux doing his daily church work. It also highlighted his dismissal and replacement by a white priest in this mostly African-American church. In the film, Entell suggested that racism played a role in the local church leaders' decision. The film's name comes from a gospel song sung by Father LeDoux and church members in the movie.
