Benefit Concert for:  SAINT JOSEPH ABBEY AND SEMINARY COLLEGE
Given by:  ST. PETER TEEN CHOIR
Special Guest:  Cellist, James Rosenbloom
When:  7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2016
Where:  St. Peter Catholic Church, 125 E 19th Avenue, Covington LA

On March 11, Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College suffered extensive damage as a result of the nearby Bogue Falaya River overflowing its banks.  The floodwaters inundated the Abbey grounds, damaging 31 buildings and structures and leaving the Abbey facing losses expected to exceed $30 million.  This hundred-year flood on March 11 even surpassed the high water mark from the last major flooding at the Abbey in 1927. 

In 1889, a small group of monks traveled from Saint Meinrad Abbey in Indiana to establish Saint Joseph Abbey. The monks established Saint Joseph Seminary College in 1891. The Seminary College is the only undergraduate level seminary in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, educating men for the Roman Catholic priesthood from numerous dioceses throughout the Southeast United States. 

The annual Abbey Youth Festival, an event set to draw around 4,000 youth on March 12, had to be canceled prior to the flooding out of concern for the festival attendees traveling to the event since there was already extensive flooding throughout the region.  The St. Peter Teen Choir of St. Peter Catholic Church in Covington had been invited to sing for the Mass at Abbey Youth Fest and had spent much time and effort in preparation for this event.  Recognizing the overwhelming need at the Abbey, the choir will be applying that hard work toward helping the Abbey by providing a benefit concert using much of the music they had prepared for the Abbey Youth Fest Mass, including original compositions by director, Mary Beth Russell.

The concert is free and open to the public, but a love offering will be taken up during the evening to aid the Abbey and Seminary in recovery from the extensive damages incurred as a result of the flooding.  All proceeds from the concert will go directly toward recovery efforts. 

You may also visit helptheabbey.com to contribute to the Abbey’s recovery efforts.

For more information on the concert, contact St. Peter Catholic Church at 985-892-2422.