For Father Garrett Savoie, his faith is and has always been instilled in him – and it’s what drives him today.

Fr. Savoie serves as priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and starting July 1, he will begin a new chapter as the chancellor at Catholic High School in New Iberia. His new role will allow him to help further the future generations with their faith.

Born and raised in the small community in Mire, Fr. Savoie graduated from Notre Dame in New Orleans in 2002, then attended Louisiana State University Eunice.

After a brief time at LSU E, he would then transition to Saint Joseph Seminary College where he graduated in 2009 and completed his schooling at Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology in 2013.

Almost 10 years to the day, Fr. Savoie would be ordained on June 8 of 2013. Working as an associate at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church from 2014 to 2016, Fr. Savoie would return in February of 2019 as pastor.

And like the Panthers of yesterday, today and tomorrow he will soon guide at CHS, Fr. Savoie’s faith has been a part of his life since he could remember. Fr. Savoie credits his family and their strong belief system as a guiding factor in his faith.

Fr. Savoie compares his faith to that of a married couple. How did they know they were supposed to be married? It’s something that was always ingrained in you, he said.

“It’s just something that was alway there,” Fr. Savoie said.

In a similar way, being raised in the faith – Mass every weekend, going to Catholic school – Fr. Savoie knew from an early age that this was what he was supposed to do.

“It was just second nature. It just seemed like the right thing to do from an early age” he added.

And while he never got one of those two-by-fours-to-the-head moments that you see in so many movies to tell him what to do, the love and desire to have faith be a part of his life forever was always there.

On a personal level, Fr. Saovie believes that faith informs everything you do in your life. It’s his foundation and it’s part of who he is as a person. Believing should not come secondary, he said.

“At the highest order, should be God,” Fr. Savoie said. “God, family and those types of things. But God should always be on top.”

That yearning for faith and informing everything he does is what led him to his new role as chancellor at CHS. At an ACTS retreat in February of 2019, that belief was affirmed in him.

Fr. Savoie said it was instilled in him the idea that the Lord calls and all He wants if for us to answer.

“I answered the Lord and the bishop’s call to serve the people at OLPH and in this new role as Chancellor,” Fr. Savoie recalled. “I hope that the Lord will continue to give me the graces needed to serve his people in whatever way He needs.”

Throughout this transition in a new role at CHS, Fr. Savoie thanked Fr. William Blanda of CHS for his time and what he’s done for the school, its staff and students. As well as helping him get ready for this next chapter in his life.

Fr. Savoie wants to continue the traditions of teaching at CHS – like those of Fr. Blanda. But at the same time, move it forward at what the modern world needs.

“Not to change the teachings of the faith, but rather move along and continue to preserve,” Fr. Savoie said. “ I see myself being a caring, compassionate pastor to those kids, to bring them up in the faith and let them see that the faith is still alive and faith is still well.”

When asked which verse resonates with him at this point in his life, Fr. Savoie said, Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ ‘Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me.’