Education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth. This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ and His teaching. In this way, those who meet Him are drawn by the very power of the Gospel to lead a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good, and true; a life of Christian witness nurtured and strengthened within the community of our Lord’s disciples, the Church. (Pope Benedict XVI to US Catholic Educators in April 2008)
These words from Pope Benedict XVI express the reason the town of Gueydan has been blessed to have a Catholic elementary school for many years. St. Peter School was founded by long-time Pastor of St. Peter Church, Msgr. Francis Garneau. It’s original name was St. Philomena School. Its doors were opened on September 10, 1954, with a registration of 94 students distributed in four grades. The faculty included three Grey Nuns of the Cross from Canada and one lay teacher. By 1958, the school had expanded to eight grades, with the first graduation being held the following year with thirteen students graduating. The peak registration was 215 students in 1964. Since then, the enrollment has fluctuated around the number 100 in grades Pre-K through 8. St. Peter School continues to rely on the generous support of the community and looks forward to providing many more years of forming the children of Gueydan in the Catholic intellectual tradition to be true disciples in the Church and the world.
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