New priest assesses Eunice

The Rev. Travis Abadie said coming to know Eunice has been wonderful experience.
Abadie is an associate pastor of St. Anthony Padua Church in Eunice and Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Duralde.
They are his first pastoral postings since being ordained in June 2015, he said.
Abadie spoke Thursday to the Eunice Kiwanis Club.
The priest offered his assessment of Eunice.
“It is small and young. Surprisingly young,” he said. “There is a great love of this place that keeps people here. There is something about this place that they don’t want to leave. Not only do you not want to leave, but you want to see it grow. You want to see it succeed.”
There is a sense of investment in Eunice by residents that doesn’t happen everywhere, he said.
“Organizations like the Kiwanis Club are to be thanked for that,” he said.
Abadie also updated the Kiwanis Club members on enrollment at St. Edmund.
There are 194 students in kindergarten through fifth grade; 113 students in sixth through eighth grade; and 116 students in ninth through 12 grade.
“Our chief goal for St. Edmund, for me as campus minister, is that we produce saints. That’s what we want you to be. We want you to be saints. We want you to be Christian,” he said.
Student success and happiness is measured by their flourishing as Christians.