Special
Mary’s Manor A gift to God’s family Story by Janet Marcel Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier Officials of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux recently announced that the children of the late Al and Mary Danos – Marcel, René Danos David, Alyce and André representing the Mary & Al Danos Family Foundation, have donated their parents’ home to the diocese. The house, which is located at 15533 East Main Street off of Highway 308 in Cut Off, sits on approximately three acres of land and is 5,670 square feet with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, tennis courts and a swimming pool, reports Jimmie Danos, diocesan director of the Office of Building and Construction. Construction began in 1976 and the Danos family moved in to the house in 1977 when Marcel was six and René was four. René says her parents had a strict budget of $300,000 for the house and they stuck to that budget. Clifton Cheramie was the main contractor and Duel Martin Sr., the children’s maternal grandfather helped build the home, but Al Danos drove the first and the last piling under the house. While attending a Vandebilt Catholic High School baseball game last spring, René says she overheard someone who had just come from a diocesan meeting saying that there was some discussion about needing a place to 28 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • March 2020
house some of its retired priests in the future. René says she thought to herself she might just have a solution to that problem. René initially contacted the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana about the feasibility of her idea, then she met with Bishop Shelton J. Fabre to further discuss the details. The Danos children feel that donating the house to the diocese is in keeping with the wishes of their parents in that their parents’ will stated the proceeds from the sale of the house were to go to the Mary & Al Danos Family Foundation. After putting the house on the market but not finding the right buyer, René explains that she asked their attorney if donating it was an option. The house is located on a stretch of land belonging to the Danos family, which actually shares a driveway with her uncle’s home, so they felt that donating to the diocese would be a good fit. The name Mary’s Manor, after Mrs. Al (Mary M.) Danos, was given to the home by the family. René says her family is committed to helping with the upkeep of the home for the next several years through their foundation. “We discussed a yearly grant to help
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