Christmas Eve on Bourbon Street was kind of a strange experience.
A few bars were open, many offering three-for-one drink specials, and a few had live music. One bar had a band doing a searing rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps,” for no one except a couple bartenders.
Several strip clubs were open, as were a few restaurants—but little else.
As the evening drew late, the only reasonable restaurant we could find was Tony Moran’s, an Italian restaurant on the first floor of the historic Old Absinthe House in the heart of the French Quarter.
The only people in the French Quarter these days are storm-rattled residents seeking a decent meal and perhaps a few hours away from their new rag-tag lives.
At dinner we met the Rev. Gregory Pembo, pastor at Vieux Carre Assembly, eating at the table next to us. He struck up a conversation with us that lasted the entire meal.
He was a wine dealer who left the business when he said God told him to start a ministry in the French Quarter. He’s been at it roughly 10 years, and before Katrina, had about 40 people regularly attending Sunday services. Now he’s down to a few parishioners each Sunday.
A lifelong New Orleans resident, he relished the chance to start a ministry in a city he adores.
He and his wife lived by one of the levies (that eventually failed), so when Katrina hit they evacuated to North Carolina for six weeks. They returned to find their home destroyed, his mother’s home destroyed, and his tiny church water logged.
“It got me in every corner of my life,” he said.
Pembo talked at great length about the loss, but more about his desire for his beloved city to rebuild. A huge sports fan, he dreams of the city hosting another Super Bowl, among his favorite memories.
At this moment, he is conducting his Christmas service at the church. He peppered the French Quarter with hand-written leaflets announcing the service. He hoped to get a few more parishioners than normal.
Good luck, Reverend Pembo. Hope you get your Super Bowl.