About OLPS

History

Our Lady of Prompt Succor School is located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River in the city of Westwego. Westwego in the 19th century was a settlement of six homes, two grain elevators, a one-room building housing, a bank, and a canal that connected the interior waterways to the Mississippi.

It was this canal that brought the survivors of the Great Hurricane of 1893, which demolished the community of Cheniere Caminada, to settle along its banks. Priests would come from St. Joseph in Gretna to say Mass, often in the homes of local residents. In 1906 a small chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of Prompt Succor as a mission of St. Joseph.

On February 4, 1920, the parish of Our Lady of Prompt Succor was established and Father Albert Koenig was appointed its first pastor.

In September of 1923, two Sisters of Mount Carmel were sent to Westwego to establish a mission. Classes for the few children in attendance were held in an old hall, but as enrollment increased Father Koenig saw the need for a proper school; and in 1924 had one constructed.

The present school building was built in 1949 and expanded in 1961, to accommodate twelve additional classrooms. The Sisters of Mt. Carmel continued to teach in the school until 1972. When the Sisters of Mt. Carmel left, the school was staffed by lay principals and lay teachers. In 1987 the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (commonly known as the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco) were assigned to Our Lady of Prompt Succor School. The Salesian Sisters are dedicated to the philosophy of St. John Bosco which is to teach with Reason, Religion, and Loving Kindness.



Our Lady of Prompt Succor School is an elementary school for students in grades PK-3 through 7th. OLPS participates in the Non-public School Early Childhood Development program (NSECD) sponsored by the Governor’s Office, the Scholarship for Educational Excellence program, as well as the A Community of Educators (ACE) Tuition Rebate Program. Our Lady of Prompt Succor School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). OLPS is a member in good standing of the National Catholic Educators Association (NCEA).