A brand new beginning for Our Lady of Wisdom and the Ragin’ Cajun Catholics 

After 83 years, Our Lady of Wisdom Church and Catholic Student Center will be moving to a new home across the street from its current location. Construction has begun, with the parking lot around Earl K. Long Gymnasium and a portion of the sidewalk along Girard Park Cir. recently fenced off three weeks ago. 

The new Church will be large enough to seat 584 people, and the new Student Center will be a 25,000 square foot facility. 

The new home will be the mark of a new beginning for Our Lady of Wisdom and the Ragin’ Cajun Catholics, as it will better facilitate the ministry’s mission. It will also mark a new beginning for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, as the building will become a new landmark that beautifies the campus. 

Mary Hernandez, the executive director of advancement at Our Lady of Wisdom, is one of the project leaders. She shared that the project was first proposed about 12 years ago, after concerns were posed from space constraints and old age of the current facility that led to disrepairs. 

According to Hernandez, the ministry also saw large increases in numbers, which further strained the already limited space. “It was just very apparent that it was time for a new home for the students,” Hernandez said. 

Since then, the project embarked on a decade-long journey. Hernandez shared, “It’s been quite a journey […], gathering support, planning, designing, selecting the right architect.” 

Reverend Patrick Broussard, pastor and chaplain at Our Lady of Wisdom, is also among the project’s leaders. Broussard and Hernandez shared that one of the main aims for the new Church and Student Center is for it to carry over the same sense of home and community that had been created at the current space. 

The second aim for the Church is for it to be a representation of Catholic churches on campus. With regards to this, Hernandez said, “Because of that, we selected an architect who specializes in Catholic art and architecture.” 

To bring the vision alive, the Church partnered with McCrery Architects from Washington, D.C. Commenting on the designing process of the new church, Broussard shared that the architects took into account the rich Acadian history of Lafayette. “It’s very Acadian inspired,” he said. Similarly, the student center was modeled after the work by architect and Acadiana native, A. Hays Town. 

A big component of the project was the land acquisition process. The current land that the facility was built on was leased from the State of Louisiana as part of a 100-year lease plan which comes to an end in less than two decades. Hence, the ministry set out to acquire land for permanent ownership. 

According to Scott Hebert, the director of facility management, the University swapped properties with the Diocese of Lafayette, with the 1.4 acres of land beside Earl K. Long Gym now belonging to the Diocese and the five acres of land at the health sciences campus belonging to the University. 

In addition to the agreement, Hebert shared, “Once their church is built and occupied, the existing footprint of Wisdom reverts back to the university so that corner piece becomes University property.” The agreement was mutually beneficial as it was necessary for the growth of both parties. 

With the construction of the new Church and Student Center, several disruptions are to be expected. According to Hebert, a conflict that his office foresees to be potentially problematic is the construction of the new engineering building happening concurrently. 

Hebert said, “What we’ve been doing is trying to coordinate closely with the Diocese and their team to figure out how we can accomplish both of these projects […], but also not affect the significant impact to the students.” 

Expected disruptions include delivery trucks transporting construction materials for both projects, which may pose some danger especially to students walking around the construction site. However, Hebert ensured that the deliveries will be scheduled such that they pose as little inconvenience as possible. 

Other disruptions include road closures, a significant loss of parking space and disrupted pedestrian pathways. The parking lot around Earl K. Long and a portion of the sidewalk along Girard Park Cir beside Earl K. Long were fenced off, which led to students having to re-route their pathways. 

In terms of road closures, the affected road will be Girard Park Cir. and closures will not be prolonged. According to Hebert, road closures will be sporadic depending on the aspect of the construction being carried out, and only one lane will be closed. 

“When that happens, there will be flaggers and traffic control individuals there provided by the contractors to allow traffic to still flow on one way, on one lane,” Hebert assured. 

Construction of the new Church and Student Center is projected to be completed by September of 2026, according to LEMOINE, the project’s contractor. 

According to Broussard, the new Catholic Student Center will include an adoration chapel, four Bible study rooms, a library, lecture hall, cafe and outdoor spaces like courtyards. There will also be a grand hall which will be a venue for events like wedding receptions and large conferences. 

Broussard expressed, “It’s exciting to think about all the new memories that are going to be made in the new Student Center.” 

Hernandez shared that it has been a challenge managing the lack of space at the current Church and Student Center. With the increased capacity at the new facility, there will be more space for students to carry out meetings and activities, the ministry is also better able to host on a larger scale. She said, “We can bring in, […], bigger, well known speakers and have more space to accommodate them.” 

Landon Richards, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, said, “This place is, […], literally busting at the seams, like we have so many people here, […] I think it would just be really good to have enough space to accommodate everyone.” 

Hernandez also shared that the new home will be largely significant for the students in terms of providing a space for them to nurture their minds and spirituality, aside from academics. She said, “We’re happy to serve that part of students’ needs.” 

Nolan Savoy, a freshman majoring in psychology, commented, “For UL to have such a huge building, […], that has all the room, has all the space, has the beauty of every other church around this area, it’s going to offer a lot more for UL students as a whole.” 

Our Lady of Wisdom Church and Catholic Student Center has seen many generations create fond and lasting memories. While the space will be left behind, the legacy of the ministry and the spirit of the community will live on in the new home. 

It will be a bittersweet goodbye to the space that has come a long way from when the Ragin’ Cajun Catholic Student Ministry was the Newman Club in 1923 and when the Church was first built and dedicated on Mar. 23, 1942. 

Our Lady of Wisdom is still seeking donations for the project. The project budget was $35 million, as of Feb. 20, $28 million has been raised from pledges and gifts. Hernandez expressed, “Every gift matters, every gift helps us to get to our goal.” To make a donation, reach out to the ministry or visit the website ragincajuncatholics.org/ ournewhome.