Ken Canedo Performs in Louisiana for Students Displaced by Hurricanes

 On Thursday, January 5, 2006, spiritandsong.com artists Jesse Manibusan and Ken Canedo gave a very special concert to over 1400 high school students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  The concert was a treat to the students, who will be returning soon to their normal routines as schools once again open their doors.

  One of the “hidden” stories in the wake of the devastating hurricanes is the way they upended the schools of the Louisiana and Mississippi regions.  Four Catholic high schools in New Orleans found their campuses unusable: Mt. Carmel Academy; St. Mary’s Dominican High School; Brother Martin High School; and Ursuline Academy.  Archbishop Rummel High School in nearby Metairie generously welcomed these four schools, creating the new Archbishop Rummel Transitional High School.  Suddenly, students from all-boys or all-girls institutions found themselves studying side-by-side with school rivals and members of the opposite sex. 

  “We pulled this (transitional) school together, complete with faculty, students and curriculum, in about five days,” said Gary Ault, a teacher of religion at Archbishop Rummel High School.  “It has been a marvelous experience.  Many of these kids lost homes, and some have families displaced in different cities as parents are pursuing job opportunities.  The spirit is good and the kids are so cooperative as they cope day-to-day with the many issues of hurricane recovery.”

  Ault came up with the idea of a concert as a way to reward the students as they prepare to return to their home campuses.  He had chaperoned a group of his students as they participated in the National Catholic Youth Conference in Atlanta in October, joining over 20,000 Catholic teens in a weeklong celebration of their faith.  At the conference, Ault met Canedo, an old acquaintance, who introduced him to Manibusan.  Ault and his students were excited to watch the duo perform at the conference and knew they had to invite them to New Orleans. 

  Ault envisioned the school concert as a rally that will encourage the students of the combined campuses as they begin yet another journey in their lives.  In addition to performing their music, Manibusan and Canedo shared stories, inspiration and comedy, all within a prayerful context.

Saturday: 5:30 pm

Sunday: 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:15 am
Mon-Fr: 8:15 am
in the chapel; Wed in the Church.

Holy Days: 8:15 am, 7:00 pm

Reconciliation
Saturday: 4-5 pm