Msgr. Giroir: Mardi Gras or Rummel? Let’s flip a doubloon

By Peter Finney  Jr.
 

OK, perhaps Rummel gets the nod, but it’s a photo finish.

Consider this. Msgr. Giroir, the pastor of St. Anselm Parish in Madisonville, has one of the largest doubloon collections in the city, including a rare silver Rex doubloon from the 1960 parade, the first time any krewe threw a branded doubloon. The collection rivals the one the late Msgr. Charles Pagliughi put together.
 

“Father (Mark) Lomax gave me the 1960 Rex,” Msgr. Giroir said, referring to the pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Mandeville. “He and his brother were watching Rex in 1960 when it ended by the Union (Passenger Terminal) Station, and some guy threw them a bag of doubloons. They didn’t know what it was, but they kept it.”
 

As a kid, Msgr. Giroir tagged along with his father to “all the parades,” and after becoming a priest, he would bless the floats in the Krewe of Pontchartrain in New Orleans East. Each year, he would ride in the spot vacated by the king.
 

“The captain of Pontchartrain used to bring all the school kids to the den and show them the floats, and he would tell them, ‘Father Frank is going to be right here!’” Msgr. Giroir said.
 

After all these years, Msgr. Giroir is chaplain of the Krewe of Argus, which rolls in Metairie on Mardi Gras. His main duty as chaplain is providing weather insurance and blessing the floats.
 

Father ‘Nash Roberts’
 

“The captain and co-captains tell me, ‘If it rains, next year, we’re going to get a rabbi,’” Msgr. Giroir said. “And I tell them, ‘If it doesn’t rain, next year we’re going to get a new captain and co-captains.’ They acted like we had control over it. My first couple of years, I didn’t wear a collar when I blessed the floats. Now, I do. If you don’t, they think you’re just some guy throwing water on a float.”
 

In Argus, Msgr. Giroir always is “last man on the last float.” He got a kick recently when the parade ended and he disembarked from the float. A young boy dashed up to him excitedly about the good weather.
 

“He pointed to me and said, ‘Your prayer really worked!’” Msgr. Giroir said. “I told him, ‘Buddy, you’re the only one who heard my prayer. We’ve got to thank God. You made my year!’”
 

Msgr. Giroir is carrying on a tradition of priests who enjoy Mardi Gras. He said the old Krewe of Freret, whose captain was Frank’s Steakhouse owner Iggy Barreca, religiously reserved its last float for priests. Some of the regulars who rode in Freret were Fathers Francis Boeshans, John Bendix, Joe Tranchina, Earl Larose, Ken Ryan and Danny Poche.

Another Mardi Gras aficionado was Jesuit Father Harry Tompson, who always rode on the last float of Rex and was a regular rider in Babylon and Bacchus. 
 

Msgr. Giroir’s former parishioners at St. Rita Parish in Harahan, David and Dottie Haydel, each year ship Haydel’s king cakes to New Orleans priests who have gone on to become bishops.
 

“This is just a special part of our culture,” Msgr. Giroir said. “It goes deeper than just a special event. Just seeing all the people, all the families – that’s the fun thing.”