[StBernard] Saints go marching in at St Bernard

[Westley Annis]

Saints go marching in at St Bernard

All Saints Day in the cemetery of St Bernard Parish, a few miles outside New
Orleans, held a special poignancy this year in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
which struck the area, first colonized by Canary Island settlers in the
eighteenth century, with an extraordinary force.
 
Almost every home and business was damaged, including historical landmarks
like the Islenos Museum Complex which is dedicated to the parish's Canary
Islands culture and heritage. In fact some sources say that only two house
were untouched by the floods.
Since the deadly visitation in August 2005, many members of the Los Islenos
Heritage Society have been scattered across the city and even as far as
Baton Rouge. Several of the oldest members have died in recent months from
what is believed to be a direct consequence of Katrina-induced mental and
physical stress.
"Of course, All Saints Day is a way of honouring the saints," said one
Isleno, "but this year it's also a way for us to honour our recently
deceased ancestors as well."
The day centred on the St Bernard Catholic Cemetery, founded in 1787, and
the final resting place of the Canary colonists who founded the parish, as
well as many of the area's prominent Creole-French sugar planters and their
families. More than 90% of the 1,000 graves belong to Islenos and their
descendants.
The activities included church services and a reception in the church's
parking area; these  were financed with money from an $8,000 grant to the
society made by the Canary regional government to help preserve the group's
heritage.