Article written by Christopher MacDowell '19
On Tuesday, October 9, Brother Martin High School began its eleventh annual Great Read celebration. Each year, a Great Read committee chooses one significant book to be read by all students and faculty. Mr. Ryan Gallagher ‘00, Principal of Brother Martin, described the Great Read as an “opportunity for our entire school community to bond over one conversation.” The program has traditionally featured non-fiction works with relatable events and people. Coinciding with New Orleans’ Tricentennial, the 150 year anniversary of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, and fifty years of Brother Martin High School, this year’s Great Read is It Happened in New Orleans by Bonnye E. Stuart.
As a ninth-generation New Orleanian, Ms. Stuart pursued her passion for history and journalism as an undergraduate in Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Journalism and as a post-graduate in the communication department at the University of New Orleans. Currently, she is a faculty member in the Communications/ Journalism Department at Winthrop University in South Carolina. Brother Martin was honored to have Ms. Stuart as a guest on campus to discuss her book and her perspective on what it means to be a New Orleanian. Mr. Gallagher asserted that this is “a unique opportunity to explore the heritage of our own city as we celebrate the heritage of our school and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.”
Ms. Stuart began her discussion by sharing that her inspiration for It Happened in New Orleans was rooted in her own French heritage. She emphasized the importance of understanding our history so that it may be shared with future generations. Furthermore, Ms. Stuart described New Orleans as the “cultural gem of the country” because of its historic tradition as a meeting place of many diverse cultures.
The idea of New Orleans as a flash-point of different types of people is critical to understanding the power possessed by citizens to shape their history. In her book, Ms. Stuart focused on this theme by touching upon the triumphs both of ordinary people and of the out sized personalities that contributed to New Orleans’ prosperity. Within the first few chapters of It Happened in New Orleans, two harrowing stories perfectly capture the grit of our people. In the first story, French brothers Iberville and Bienville, out-gunned and out-manned, used their wit to deceive British Naval Captain Banks into forfeiting his attempt at capturing the Louisiana Territory. In the second, a great fire breaks out in 1788, consuming what is now St. Louis Cathedral and endangering the Ursuline Convent. Miraculously, the convent was spared of any damage due to the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on behalf of the Ursuline Nuns and the people of New Orleans. What unites these two stories is that the power of faith in God and in fellow men and women enable the enduring success of our city. Faith has served as the anchor of New Orleans for three hundred years, empowering its people to conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles. With faith, the city is aptly prepared for its next three hundred years.
As this year’s Great Read program continues, Brother Martin students will have ongoing classroom discussions about the significance of New Orleans from multiple perspectives including those of religion, art, science and technology, and history.
By reading and discussing Ms. Stuart’s It Happened in New Orleans, the Brother Martin community hopes to gain a better understanding of the city’s culture and our individual and collective places in it.
- Article written by Christopher MacDowell '19