A judge for the Archdiocese of New Orleans' bankruptcy case will hear objections this week to the planned sale of a historic Black Catholic school building. The chancery is offloading the property to fund settlements stemming from widespread clergy sex abuse.
Advocates say Marie Couvent, the wealthy 19th-century Creole foundress of the Institute Catholique at 1941 Dauphine St., should have her legacy preserved. Among them is Kim Braud, an alumna of Holy Redeemer School, one of several institutions later housed on the Couvent School property in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood. Braud filed a motion to intervene in the sale on Dec. 23.
Judge Meredith S. Grabill of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana will hold a virtual hearing on the matter Friday morning at 9:30am CT.
“The Archdiocese has filed a response to my motion to halt the sale of the property,” said Braud, who started the Couvent Collective to support entrepreneurship in underserved communities. She is spearheading the legal efforts to intervene in the sale.
“I remain fully committed to advocating for the preservation of Holy Redeemer’s legacy and ensuring its future serves the community as intended… Together, we can work to honor and protect this vital piece of our history.”
At issue is an agreement for the archdiocese to sell the Dauphine property for $1.1 million to Cambronne Real Estate, a New Orleans-area firm represented by Danny McKearan, a local business owner named in court documents concerning the transaction.
Braud says she previously submitted a $1.9 million purchase offer, which was rejected. She planned to make the building a community hub linked to her Couvent Collective outfit. She is one of many prominent alumni of the former schools at the property, including New Orleans' first Black mayor Ernest “Dutch” Morial and author Keith Weldon Medley.
The archdiocese, which legally took ownership of the property in 2020 after operating Catholic schools there for a century, overcame a major hurdle in the process: Couvent stipulated in her will that it “never be sold under any pretext whatsoever.”
Despite the sale now nearly greenlit in bankruptcy court, Braud says there is hope that Cambronne could undertake efforts to ensure the name of Couvent is not forgotten.
“The new owner has expressed a willingness to consider options for preserving and celebrating her legacy,” Braud told BCM on Jan. 17.
“One of the suggestions I made during our conversation was to name the building after Couvent. ”
Braud has since met with alumni of Holy Redeemer School to take input on how to best move forward. She plans to continue monthly Zoom meetings to keep them abreast on developments and to continue to press for the preservation of Couvent’s legacy.
It remains unclear how Cambronne plans to use the building more generally, and McKearan did not share details in a brief exchange with BCM. The Archdiocese of New Orleans did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Those interested in Friday’s court hearing can call in at +1 (504) 517-1385 (code: 129611), and view video without sound at gotomeet.me/JudgeGrabill. There will be no in-person option due to recent inclement weather in New Orleans.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
