BRIAN J. COSTELLO
9561 False River Rd.
New Roads, LA 70760
Email: bcostellohistory@yahoo.com
An eleventh generation Louisianan and lifelong resident of Pointe Coupée Parish; author of 23
books and numerous feature articles since 1987; public speaker and participant in various
documentaries on Louisiana Carnival, history, culture, comparative religion, flood control and
linguistics; community and church volunteer in various humanitarian undertakings.
Books Published as Sole Author
New Roads: A Community in Retrospect (1993)
Chronicles of Carnival: A History of the New Roads Mardi Gras (1993)
The Catholic Church in Pointe Coupée, A Faith Journey (1996)
Louisiana Mardi Gras, A Historical Guide to the State’s Carnival Parades Outside New
Orleans (1997)
A History of Pointe Coupée Parish, Louisiana (1999, 2005)
The Life, Family and Legacy of Julien Poydras (2001)
From Ternant to Parlange: A Creole Plantation Through Seven Generations (2002)
From Porche to Labatut: Two Centuries on the Pointe Coupée Coast (2002)
Creole Pointe Coupée, A Sociological Analysis (2002)
The House of Lejeune (2002)
A History of Carnival in Louisiana (2003)
Darby, A House and Family on Spanish Lake (2003)
Quintessential Creoles: The Tounoir Family of Pointe Coupée (2003)
Canal Street and Beyond: Louisiana’s 20th Century Department Stores (2003)
C’est Ca Ye’ Dit: Creole Folk Tales, Superstitions, Remedies, Customs, Nicknames and
Linguistic Peculiarities of Pointe Coupée Parish, Louisiana (2004).
Rolling for Charity: A Pictorial History of the New Roads Lions Carnival Parade (2004)
Desolation Unmeasured… The Tragic History of Floods in Pointe Coupée Parish,
Louisiana (2007)
A History of Pointe Coupée Parish, Louisiana, The Murray G. LeBeau Memorial Edition
(2010)
Louisiana Celebrations, From Carnival and its climax, Mardi Gras, to Holidays, Festivals and
Other Fetes (to be released in February 2015)
Books Published as Collaborative Works
Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735-1835, published by The Historic
New Orleans Collection (2010)
New Roads and Old Rivers: Authentic Old Louisiana in Pointe Coupée Parish, published by LSU
Press (2012)
The Flood of 1912, published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2012)
Louisiana’s French Creole Culinary and Linguistic Heritage: Facts vs. Fiction Before and Since
“Cajunization,” published by Creole Bookstore (2013)
Speaking in Tongues: Louisiana’s Colonial French, Creole and Cajun Languages Tell Their
Story, an Amazon Kindle Book (2013)
Costello
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Secular Career
2009-Present
1996-2009
1988-1996
1987-1988
Founding and current historian and archivist of the Pointe Coupée Parish
Library Historic Materials Collection; independent historian; freelance
writer; public speaker
Independent Abstractor (in myriad Louisiana courthouses in areas of real
estate, mineral, historical and genealogical research)
Editor, Pointe Coupée Banner
Columnist, Pointe Coupée Democrat
Education
Graduate courses in Archival Science, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge
B.A. Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge (History major, English minor)
Foreign Languages
Fluent in Standard French and Louisiana Creole.
Secular Organization Membership
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Founding and current President of Le Cercle Historique since 1992
Member of Lions International since 1993, holding Privileged Membership since 2010.
Life Member of Lions Eye Foundation since 1993. Served as Chairman of the New
Roads Lions Carnival charitable fundraiser 1993-2010. Reigned as King of Carnival in
2009.
Member of American Catholic Historical Association
Member of Catholic Writers’ Guild
Member of two New Orleans Carnival organizations
Recognitions
Recipient of Daughters of the American Revolution Award for Outstanding Historical
Publications in 1992; the Community Center Carnival Award in 2003; the Creole People’s Award
from the Creole Heritage Center of Northwestern State University in 2004; two awards at the
Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference in 2006; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Mississippi
River Commission Award for Excellence in 2007, 2008, 2012-2014; the New Orleans Civil War
Study Group “Deo Vindice” Award in 2009; the Woodmen of the World Community Leadership
Award in 2009; the Pointe Coupée Parish Police Jury Award for Literary Achievement in
preserving Louisiana history and culture in 2011; was designated by the State of Louisiana Office
of Culture, Recreation and Tourism as the “Local to Rub Elbows With” for the state’s “Plantation
Country” region in 2012; recognized during Bastille Day 2012 in Ville Platte, Louisiana for
continued work in the preservation and promotion of the state’s Creole history and culture;
received the Key to the City of New Roads, Louisiana in 2012; the Greater Pointe Coupee
Chamber of Commerce Humanity Award in 2014 ; named Confederate Historical Association of
Belgium Liaison for Louisiana in 2014.
Costello
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Community Ministries
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Volunteer in New Roads and Morganza Red Cross evacuation centers, supply
distribution and relief efforts in wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005
Holiday food drives and distribution to the needy
Nursing home, hospital, homebound and religious house visitations
Mentoring at-risk student groups
Docent for community tours
Spirituality
Eleventh-generation member St. Mary of False River-St. Francis of Pointe Coupee
church parish, New Roads, LA. Baptism (1967), Confirmation (1981), Marriage to Mary
Julie Langlois (2000) and Investiture in Cord of St. Joseph (2013), all at St. Mary.
Apostolate Membership
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Universale Arciconfraternita di Santa Filomena (Italy) – Representative
for Louisiana
Associazione Beati Coniugi Maria e Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi (Italy)
Militia Immaculatae Knights at the Foot of the Cross
Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary
Universal Living Rosary Association of St. Philomena
Association of Marian Helpers
Congregation of the Children of Mary
Pious Union of Saint Joseph for the Suffering and Dying
St. Mary of False River Church Ministries
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Liturgy Committee member during pastorate of Rt. Rev. Robert Berggreen
Coordinating annual “America Needs Fatima” Rosary crusade during
pastorate of Rt. Rev. Berggreen
Historical, archival and docent services since pastorate of Rev. Victor
Messina
Promoting special Liturgical celebrations, including church and school
anniversaries, Masses of thanksgiving and in remembrance of community
founders since pastorate of Rev. Victor Messina
Occasional tour docent, altar server, gift bearer and usher since pastorate
of Rev. Victor Messina
Pastoral Council member during pastorate of Rev. Robert Stine
Lector and Commentator during pastorates of Revs. Victor Messina, Miles
Walsh, Mark Alise and Michael Schatzle