 The history of the District of New Orleans - Santa Fe includes both beginnings and endings. In 1865, the District of New Orleans was created but only lasted until 1871. The schools which already existed in Louisiana became part of the new District. Additional schools were opened in Pass Christian, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and New Orleans, Louisiana. But by 1900, all of these schools had closed.
In 1867 the District of Santa Fe was established. It was to last only until 1882. The Brothers taught in the Precinct 4, public school of Santa Fe, New Mexico and are credited, along with the Sisters of Loreto, with establishing the public school system of New Mexico. St. Nicholas School in Bernallilo, New Mexico was founded in 1872 and continued to exist until 1947. Agua Fria School was also founded in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1872, but lasted only one (1) year. The Brothers who staffed these schools were French, Canadian, and American. In 1875, the District of St. Louis was established and the New Mexico schools were ceded to this new District.
 As the 20th century began, anti-Catholic sentiments continued to grow stronger in France. Some French Brothers joined their confreres in communities existing in other countries, being welcomed into established schools, or founding new schools. Most startling was the transfer of almost entire French Districts to other lands, re-establishing themselves by founding new Districts in Mexico, the Antilles, Panama, and Brazil.
However, in 1914, revolution with an anti-Catholic bias struck again, this time in Mexico. Many French and Mexican Brothers chose expatriation from Mexico, with many of the French and Mexican Brothers being dispersed throughout the United States.
 The Superiors decided to maintain the District of Mexico, even if in diaspora, and the schools in New Mexico, then under the District of St. Louis were once again ceded to another District, the District of Mexico. These remaining schools in New Mexico were in Bernallilo (St. Nicholas), Las Vegas (Las Vegas Institute), and, of course, in Santa Fe (St. Michael's). A number of the French and Mexican Brothers were called to staff these schools.
The Superiors also sought openings in Louisiana where the last school in New Orleans had only closed in 1900. The Benedictines, who were administering and staffing a school in Covington, Louisiana (St. Paul's College), were anxious to return to their monastery and were seeking a teaching order to take over the school. The Christian Brothers did so in 1918, also, in the same year, establishing a school in New Iberia, Louisiana (St. Peter's College). In 1919, the Brothers established a school in Lafayette, Louisiana (Cathedral High School, the parent school along with Mt. Carmel High School, of the present Cathedral-Carmel Elementary School). These schools in New Mexico and Louisiana were part of the re-foundation of the District of Mexico.
 By 1921, some French and Mexican Brothers were able to return to Mexico and a new District, Mexico/Antilles was established by the Superiors. In that same year, the Superiors decided to separate the schools in Louisiana and New Mexico from the District of Mexico/Antilles. Thus, in 1921, a new District was created. Taking the names of the 19th century Districts of New Orleans and Santa Fe, the new District was named the District of New Orleans-Santa Fe.
 With the founding of the new District of New Orleans-Santa Fe, a suitable property was sought for the Provincialate, Novitiate, and Juniorate. Fortuitously, a seemingly abandoned property in Lafayette, Louisiana went up for sale. The property was then overgrown with weeds and trash had been strewn on the fifty arpents that were offered at a very reasonable price of $7,250.00. The Brothers built a first building in 1923 and a novitiate building in 1927. Brother Anatolien Alfred planted what are now mature live oaks which boarder the road giving access to the property. Magnolia, as it is affectionately called, because this was the name of the original plantation, is now the site of the Provincialate and of a retirement home for Brothers of the District.
While the Districts of Baltimore, New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco were under the supervision of an American Councilor, called Assistant to the Superior General, the supervision of the new District of New Orleans-Santa Fe was given to the French Assistant in Paris. The District of New Orleans-Santa Fe was known in the United States as the "French District." This lasted until 1946, when the District of New Orleans-Santa Fe was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Assistant for the United States.
 At present, the New Orleans-Santa Fe District ministers in apostolates in Covington, Louisiana (St. Paul's); Denver, Colorado (J. K. Mullen High School); New Orleans, Louisiana (De La Salle High School and Christian Brothers School); and Santa Fe, New Mexico (St. Michael's High School and the College of Santa Fe). The District of New Orleans -Santa Fe continues to maintain a Lasallian relationship in El Paso, Texas (Cathedral High School, where the District is under contract to the Diocese of El Paso); in Lafayette, Louisiana (Cathedral -Carmel School); Catholic High School in New Iberia, Louisiana, and in Metairie, Louisiana (Archbishop Rummel High). |
The District of New Orleans - Santa Fe