Mission church should be put to good use

There’s good news for history buffs in St. Charles Parish. The school board is planning to put the old mission church in Luling up for sale with the stipulation that future owners cannot demolish it and must restore it.

The Spanish colonial revival style structure, which is classic on the outside, was built in 1926 by Mission of Holy Rosary which came to the parish in the late 1800s. In 1961, it became the home of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Parish.
The parish, however, built a new church at the end of Sugarhouse Lane in Luling. The old church was bought by the school board in  1974 and has served various purposes but is no longer used.

But its future is considered to be at risk by many who believe it is part of the history of the parish that should be preserved. It stands out as an expression of the early days of the twentieth century when buildings were constructed with a greater appreciation of artistic endeavor.

Hopefully the old church will be put to good use soon and the people here will be able to visit it as a restaurant or other business that will bring back the old days when life was slower paced. It is a treasure that deserves to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Appointment calls for bi-partisanship
Appointment of the next U. S. attorney in the eastern district will be a major test of bi-partisanship in America. The present attorney, Jim Letten, has done an outstanding job of fighting and eliminating the corruption that existed in Louisiana. But he is a Republican.

In a nation where the administration and Congress are under Democratic control, it is certainly possible to replace him and there is much talk about doing so. But it would send the wrong signal from the Democrats that they don’t practice what the people want.

President Obama should re-appoint Letten and Congress should approve it to continue a major improvement in our fight against corruption in government. By so doing, they will let us know that their party is putting the interest of the people above politics.