Management & Finance

Church Organ

On the evening of December 28, 2024, the church was struck by lightning during a severe thunderstorm.  As a result of the strike, the bell tolling system, the security camera system, the copula and walkway lights, as well as the church’s hybrid pipe organ were damaged.  We immediately reach out to our service technicians to remedy these issues.

However, the organ was evaluated, and major damages was found in the relay systems which control the pipe and digital voices and the organ console.  The relay system dating to 1993 and the console dating from the early 2000s were no longer serviceable. As a result, we filed a claim with our diocesan insurer of record to repair the organ and to recuperate the costs of the other damage.

After filing the claim, investigations were done by the insurance adjuster and concluded that the claim and damages were merited and have agreed to pay for the repair of the organ as well as reimburse the parish for the expenses of repairing the other systems that were affected.

The organ repair will include a new console, relay and control systems for the pipe work, as well as all new digital voicing.  The current organ curating firm, A.E. Schleuter Pipe Organ Company, will carry out the work. The organ repair will be $457,229.  Please note that the organ repair is being funded by the insurance claim. The only costs associated with the projects will be any needed electrical updating to prevent future incidents. During the interim, Ben LeBleu has worked with A.E. Schleuter to procure a loaner instrument at no cost to the parish.  The repair will take approximately 10-12 months to complete.  Once completed, the organ will be fully playable again, and we look forward to resuming our monthly organ tours. We thank you for your patience and understanding while this project is underway. Should you have any questions we encourage you to contact our Director of Sacred Music, Ben LeBleu, at 337.359.4864 or ben@stpetersofnewiberia.com for more information.

St. Peter Cemetery Endowment, What Is It, And How Does It Work?

By: Ben LeBleu

As we begin the month of November, our thoughts are immediately drawn to All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  In addition to cleaning graves and placing new flowers in preparation for the blessing of the cemetery, we are asked to consider making a contribution to the St. Peter Cemetery Endowment.  Many of you graciously pay annual dues for either the graves of your loved ones, or a grave that you may have adopted.  Perhaps the question has come to mind, “How is the endowment different from the dues?  How are the funds collected from the cemetery dues used?”  Both of these are valid questions.  

The St. Peter Cemetery Endowment was formed many years ago as a result of the ardent desire of those who worked tirelessly to clean and reclaim the cemetery after it a period of less than adequate maintenance and upkeep.  The funds donated to the endowment are deposited into a dedicated, interest-bearing account with the singular purpose of providing the needed capital for the general upkeep of the cemetery in perpetuity.  The endowment differs from a savings account in that the funds of the endowment are secured and only the interest on the account may be used while the principal, or corpus of the endowment, remains unused. The interest earned by the endowment is reinvested into the endowment to assist in its growth. The donations collected from this collection are directly deposited into the endowment thus increasing the principal amount and allowing for further interest growth.  

The cemetery dues, on the other hand, that are collected each year from the annual billing are used to cover the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery as well as the utilities and insurance costs. These funds are the main source of operating revenue for the cemetery.   The dues are, at this time, able to cover most of the expenses of the year.  As we strive to maintain the cemetery and keep it as a fitting resting place, it is contingent upon our annual income from dues remaining the same or increasing slightly.  This way, we are able continue the current level of upkeep and not have to draw prematurely from the endowment.   In addition, we have been able to work with the New Iberia City Police to do regular patrols to keep the cemetery a safe place for visitors. 

We invite you to take time this month to visit our historic cemetery.  In addition to our endowment, we have several other opportunities available such as: one-time perpetual payments, sponsorships, and donor options.  It is only through your generosity that we are able to care for and preserve our historic cemetery and honor our loved ones resting there.

Memorial Giving Opportunities

Our parish is always moving forward to enhance the beauty of our church and increase piety and devotion.  We are currently awaiting the arrival of some liturgical furnishings that will assist in both beautification and piety.  By popular request we have commissioned an altar rail which will be located in front of the center pews of the nave of the church.  In addition, we have commissioned the fabrication of matching sanctuary kneelers for the altar servers and a more amble cantor stand.  We have been blessed to already receive donations that just about cover the cost of the altar rail.  The list below is an account of what is still owed.  If you would like to help donate funds to any of these furnishings, please contact the parish office or simply send in a donation clearly marked that it is designated for this purpose.  These furnishings should be arriving and installed by the end of September or beginning of October.

  • Altar Rail: $445 (still owed)

  • Sanctuary Kneelers for Altar Servers: $3,125

  • Cantor’s Stand and Platform:  $2,515

Pastor’s Youth Council

Dear Parishioners,

Each and every parish of our Diocese shares the same priority of concern for parish life.  When asked what areas of parish life need more attention, most people will say it is the youth.  We all agree on this as it is a challenge.  I am convinced that the formulation of a youth group in this day and age is not successful because our young people already have so many commitments with school and athletic programs.  Furthermore, if a youth group does exist, most never having more than 10-15 steady members, the activities that are offered never seem to reach the young parishioners who are not part of the youth group. I have decided to take an alternate approach here at St. Peter to reach out to the youth of our parish.  

In lieu of a youth group, I have established a Pastor’s Youth Council comprised of college students and seniors in high school. They will be working directly with me in order to create an environment here at St.  Peter Parish where there will be regular activities (spiritual, apostolic, and communal) in which all the youth of the parish are invited, not just for those who belong to an established youth group. These eight members of the Pastor’s Youth Council have already met with me to begin planning activities for the next coming months.  Stay tuned for more information as the announcement of these events unfold.

I would think that the greatest compliment concerning youth ministry here at St. Peter would be for moms and dads to say, “We love belonging to St. Peter Parish.  They offer so much for our children.”

May the Good Lord, through the intercession of St. John Bosco, intercede for us as this newly formed Council prepares to minister to the younger parishioners of St. Peter Parish. 

Fr. Blanda

Needed Budget Income for St. Peter Parish

Occasionally I see in some parish bulletins the reporting of the weekly collection along with the budget income figure that is needed each week. Perhaps the practice does give parishioners the visual aid to see what the weekend collection needs to be each week to make ends meet. We might in the future consider doing that here at St. Peter.

In the meantime, I though I would share with you some interesting figures. In order for our weekly offerings to reach our budget goals, the following would be the target for our weekly offertory giving and our monthly second collections:

  • General Offertory (First Collection taken each Sunday) *$11,500/week

  • Second Collection for Property and Liability Insurance **$5,500/month

  • CHS Subsidy: $2,000/bi-monthly

  • Maintenance and Repair ***$3,500/month

If we were to discontinue the second collections that stay in the parish as listed above, our general offertory collection would have to reach approximately $15,000/week.

On behalf of the Pastoral Council and our Finance Committee, we thank you for your financial commitment to St. Peter Parish.

Fr. Blanda

* This takes in to account the collections of Christmas and other Holy Days of Obligation that do not fall on Sundays.
** This would be the monthly income needed without the annual insurance appeal.
*** This is an approximate figure based on regular maintenance and repair issues. This figure does not include special projects.