National Guard honors Father Landry

of St. Gabriel Church in St. Gabriel and Sacred Heart Chapel at Carville, is a humble servant, but well known by military personnel as he passes through the gates of the Louisiana National Guard’s Gillis W. Long Center in Carville. 

In tune with the National Guard’s motto “always ready to serve,” Father Landry said he “likes to be among the people” and is ready at any moment to serve those who go into areas impacted by natural disasters, into combat overseas or challenge youth to change their lives for the better. He’s done this quietly but the National Guard heralded his work by presenting him with the Louisiana National Guard Distinguished Civilian Medal.

Father Landry received the award Dec. 15 “for over 11 years of exceptionally meritorious civilian service in support of the Louisiana military department and the Louisiana National Guard.”

The award stated, “Father (Charlie) Landry’s experience ‘can-do’ attitude and unselfish service far exceeded expectations. His untiring efforts and genuine concern for the needs of others demonstrated his excellence in keeping with the finest traditions of civilian service and reflects great credit upon himself, the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge and the Louisiana National Guard.”

Father Landry is actively involved with National Guard’s Youth Challenge Program, a residential program for at risk youth. Held twice a year, YCP is an alternative educational program which offers adolescents an opportunity to change their future. 

Students looking for a way to succeed outside of a traditional school setting learn life skills, self-discipline, leadership and responsibility while working to obtain a high school equivalency diploma. During the youths’ stay, Father Landry provides spiritual support, including a pre-graduation “cadette retreat” at the end of each class.

Father Landry also provides assistance with the Job Challenge Program, which offers job training for at-risk youth.

Additionally, he provides pastoral care for the military and community as pastor of Sacred Heart Chapel, located on the Gillis Long Center grounds and St. Gabriel Church in St. Gabriel. He’s been there to talk to, give words of support or hear a confession.

“(Father Landry) has provided first-class spiritual support to the soldiers and airmen of the Louisiana National Guard,” said Colonel John R. Angelloz, installation commander of the Gillis Long Center. He noted that Father Landry has been helpful during day-to-day routine operations “no matter what” as well as weekend Masses and at Carville (pre-COVID).

During a recent onsite visit by Major General Keith Waddell, adjutant general for the Louisiana National Guard, Angelloz talked about the many contributions Father Landry has made. Waddell, a New Roads native and graduate of Catholic High of Pointe Coupee, said he would approve a nomination of Father Landry for the award.

But big as the moment was for Father Landry, he quickly noted  his mission is to make sure the rich Catholic legacy at the Carville facility continues.

He and Angelloz noted that another key feature of the facility’s grounds is the National Hansen’s Disease Museum. The museum served as a quarantine hospital and treatment center for patients with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) from 1894-1999.

The hospital was first known as the Louisiana Leper Home, staffed by some dauntless Daughters of Charity, under the leadership of Sister Beatrice Hart, Sister Superior, who were recruited from Emmitsburg, Maryland. The sisters served as doctors, administrators, nurses, technicians, therapists, pharmacists, researchers, dieticians, mechanics, maintenance workers and political advocates for the hospital and its patients.

After the leprosy was able to get under control, the center was relocated to Baton Rouge in 1998. In 1999, the U.S. government returned title of the land at Carville back to the State of Louisiana, which now serves as an operations center and hosts the Youth Challenge Program.

“I like to tell people that the very first installation commander was Sister Beatrice,” mused Angelloz, whose friendship with Father Landry stems back to 1983, when Father Landry was a newly ordained Redemptorist priest serving at St. Alphonsus Church in Greenwell Springs. Going separate ways through the years, their friendship was renewed when their paths crossed again in Carville. 

Angelloz credited Father Landry with making church parishes and Catholic schools aware of the Catholic history at the facility and to fight the stigma of the disease that was around during Jesus’ time and to learn about the corporal works of mercy. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic schools were making field trips to the Hansen’s museum.

The “plague of disease” is something that people can relate to because of the pandemic but Angelloz said that with the assistance of Father Landry and the diocese, plans were laid out to respond to it from guidelines that involve the federal and state governments and the Catholic Church.

“We’re not going to sit down and take it on the chin. We’re going to fight back,” said Colonel Angelloz, who said Father Landry helps with keeping the faith and hope alive in otherwise troublesome times.

 “In talking about the teamwork that we have here, Father Charlie is a key part of that team,” said Angelloz.

Father Landry stated, “It’s one of the first places where state and religion work together to make something good for people.”

Bishop Michael G. Duca was present at the award presentation, which was kept secret until after Mass. Bishop Duca received a private tour of the museum and taken around the campus, a day which Father Landry referred to as “a diocesan moment.”

“For my past three years here in the diocese I have been impressed with the pastoral care that  Father Charlie has shown to the National Guard community at Carville. I am glad to see that his faithful service has been recognized in the presentation of this award,” said Bishop Duca.