The history of Our Lady of Grace Parish has it’s origin with the very Reverend Monsignor Jean M. Eyraud, pastor of St. Peter’s Church in Reserve, in 1931. Monsignor Eyraud expressed his desire to build a school for the Negro children of his parish. Against much opposition, he proceeded to obtain the old John L. Ory public school building in Laplace and have it moved to St. Peter’s in Reserve. To help defray the cost of the school, the first fund raiser was given at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Ricard. The first donors, Mrs. Felicia Lapeyrolerie, Mrs. Johnny Ricard and Mrs. Olympia Voisin, donated then dollars each towards that end.

The old John L. Ory school building was moved to Reserve to become the first “colored” parochial school in the community. Under the name of St. Catherine School, the doors were opened to 176 Negro children in 1932. The school was named for Mother Katherine Drexel, founder of Xavier University, New Orleans, Louisiana. The school was staffed with graduate teachers from Xavier University. The first principal was Miss Nolia Joseph along with teachers Miss Emma Green, Anna Rose Bartholomew, Doris Payne, Estelle Banks, Mary Jacques, Marie Eva Duhe and Gladys Celestine. St. Catherine School included grades 1-6.

The school later became Our Lady of Grace School with its own church parish. Father Eyraud’s concern and push for Black Catholics led to this new Catholic parish in Reserve. The new Our Lady of Grace Parish was dedicated on June 13, 1937. The initial Josephite priests who served this parish during the early years of building the parish were Reverends Roderick Auclair, Joseph Rohleder, James Turner and Joseph LeFrois.

A new gymnasium including classrschoolooms for a high  was built in 1951. The first Our Lady of Grace Catholic School graduating class was held in 1955. Fire destroyed the original old school and convent on January 29, 1957. Rebuilding of the new convent and school began quickly and was dedicated on June 22, 1958.

The high school closed in 1966 due to declining enrollment. Our Lady of Grace Parish as it stands today consists of a new church that was dedicated in 1992 and a school that serves grades pre-k 3 year-olds thru 8th grade.

In 2012, we celebrated our 75th Anniversary, with the theme “We have come this far by faith”. Then our pastor was now Very Reverend Roderick J. D. Coates, SSJ, Vicar General of the Josephites. Our parochial vicar then who is now our pastor Reverend Christopher C. Amadi, SSJ. Since then we have suffered the loss of our school. However, we continue to thank God for our continued existence as a faith community.