St. Landry Salutes Pastor
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
The noise and laughter inside Vallentin Hall approached almost deafening levels on Sunday morning as St. Landry Catholic Church parishioners provided a raucous farewell reception for Pastor Neil Pettit.
Handshakes and hugs from nearly 100 persons greeted Pettit as he walked from the church into a reception area inside the residence for the Sister Servants of Jesus Christ following a late morning mass.
Pettit, who has spent five years as St. Landry pastor, is being reassigned effective July 1 as pastor for St. Michael Archangel Catholic Church in Crowley.
St. Landry is scheduled to receive Father Charles “Billy” Massie, who is leaving St. Ann Catholic Church in Mamou.
The move to St. Michael’s in Crowley is the fourth pastoral assignment for Pettit during 13 years as a priest.
As he stepped away from the punch and cake and those who crowded into the greeting area, Pettit indicated his greatest accomplishment at St. Landry included reinstituting an adoration chapel at Vallentin in addition to overseeing a renovation for the two-story residence for the nuns who are dedicated to assisting local residents and Opelousas Catholic School.
“The Sisters Servants are carrying on an important ministry for the community in addition to continuing the work of the Marianite Sisters who lived here before them,” Pettit said during a brief interview.
Pettit noted that it’s always difficult for a priest to leave a church where he has become briefly established as pastor.
Diocesan priests are normally not offered a choice by the bishop of where they plan to serve, added Pettit.
“Every assignment represents another chance at serving the people of God. Where we go is always an open book,” Pettit added.
