History

Our story began on June 18, 1988, when Archbishop Philip M. Hannan created the newest parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and named it Mary, Queen of Peace, a Catholic community set among the pretty pines of Mandeville that still bring so many to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

This new parish started small, but it started off with people of faith and never stopped growing. With our first pastor, the Rev. William O’Donnell, we began to worship at Rouquette Lodge and before long moved to a space in the Turtle Creek Shopping Center on Highway 22.

The Rev. Ronald L. Calkins was appointed as the second pastor in July 1995. Not long after his arrival, our story added a new chapter when we moved into a new building on West Causeway Approach. The building included worship space, offices and classrooms. The church, which seated about 500 people, was blessed in January 1996 by Archbishop Francis B. Schulte. It was in this new home, with room to grow, that our parish family blossomed. It was announced in the spring of 1996 that Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic School would open that fall to grades Kindergarten through second. With Mrs. Rhonda Parenton as its first principal, the school started in the church building with about 30 students. But like the parish it serves, the little school with big dreams grew quickly. In 1998, the new school building opened to grades pre-K through fourth with a new principal, Dr. Thomas Spranley.

With Dr. Jan Daniel Lancaster as principal, the school continued to blossom, and plans were made for a new classroom building to replace the modular classrooms that were added after Katrina. Under the leadership of Principal Sybil Skansi, the new classroom building was blessed by Archbishop Gregory Aymond on September 5, 2012.

Hurricane Katrina is, of course, a big part of our story. The storm that hit on August 29, 2005, left our church building unscathed but left our community ever changed. On the Saturday after Katrina, in a church building without power but filled with prayer, a small congregation gathered to celebrate Mass. By the following weekend, hundreds came to Mary, Queen of Peace, many of them seeking refuge from the devastated areas of St. Bernard and New Orleans. As a parish known for its warm welcome, we embraced them all, those who came to stay and those who needed a temporary place to call home. We offered places to live; we opened “Mary’s Market” to provide necessities; we offered dispersed congregations from St. Bernard a chance to celebrate Mass here; and mostly, we offered love and hope, fed by our faith.

Many of these new families were looking for a Catholic school for their children, and our school family responded. With the dedication and support of our principal, faculty, staff and parents, the school more than doubled in size in one year.

With a growing congregation, Mary, Queen of Peace was happy to move into our beautiful new church building, which was dedicated by Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes on October 5, 2008; the Parish Center, which formerly housed our church, now is home to a parish hall, offices, classrooms, a child-care room and a youth room.

On June 23, 2013, Mary, Queen of Peace kicked off a yearlong celebration of our 25th anniversary of Living the Good News, and in July 2014, Fr. John-Nhan Tran became the third pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace. In the same year, Fr. Ian Bozant was appointed parochial vicar - a first for our parish. He was followed by Fr. Jared Rodrigue in 2017, Fr. Edward Kofi Owusu-Ansah in 2020, Fr. Francis Nguyen in 2022, and Fr. Stephen Okoro in 2023.

Fr. John led Mary, Queen of Peace for nearly nine years, showing us the true heart of a servant leader. He led hurricane recovery trips, cared for the poor and the sick, and was a walking witness of faith in the Lord. It was also his vision that led to the installation of the beautiful statue of Ave Regina Pacis in front of our Parish Center in February 2018.

In October 2022, Fr. John was named Auxiliary Bishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He was ordained on January 23, 2023, with many parishioners in attendance. 

The new bishop's departure left a hole in our hearts, but Fr. Harry Bugler came out of his recent retirement to shepherd us warmly and wisely through June 2023, when a new pastor, Rev. Robert T. Cooper, began his ministry as the fourth pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace. Fr. Cooper was installed as pastor on July 31, 2023. We were blessed to have all of our pastors with us, at left, except for Bishop John Tran, whose photo Fr. Cooper is holding. From left, Fr. Harry Bugler, Fr. Cooper, Fr. Ronnie Calkins, and Fr. William O'Donnell, founding pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace.