Church Staff

Father Paul Gros is a Diocesan priest of Baton Rouge.  He grew up in Baton Rouge and was a parishioner of Most Blessed Sacrament.  While a senior at Catholic High School, he began thinking and praying about the priesthood.  After graduation in 2000, he went to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg for three years when he decided to “drop everything and give it a shot.”  He enrolled at St. Joseph Seminary College and later at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.  He was ordained a priest 30 May 2009.  St. Margaret is Fr. Paul’s sixth assignment as a priest.  He served at Immaculate Conception in Denham Springs, Christ the King at LSU, the River Road Cluster (St. Michael in Convent, Sacred Heart in Gramercy and St. Joseph in Paulina), the Bayou Parishes (St. Anne in Napoleonville, Assumption in Plattenville, and St. Philomena in Labadieville), and finally St. George in Baton Rouge. In addition to his responsibilities at St. Margaret, Fr. Paul is the chaplain at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Hammond and Director of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate.  Fr. Paul is appreciative of the kindness of St. Margaret’s parishioners and their love for their clergy!

A native of Ponchatoula and a graduate of St. Joseph Catholic School and Ponchatoula High School, “Byrd” is one of two Permanent Deacons assigned to St. Margaret.  He was ordained to the diaconate 10 June 2017; St. Margaret is his first parish assignment. He is married to his best friend Debbie S. Corbett; he is a proud father of two and a grandfather of one.  Byrd noticed that after his assignment to St. Margaret “how welcoming and how giving are the people of St. Margaret! Whether it is a disaster in the community, a needy parishioner, or a newly ordained deacon, St. Margaret is a parish that opens its arms and welcomes all into the body of Christ, truly becoming Christ’s hands and his feet.”

Deacon Tim and his wife Gloria came to St. Margaret after Tim’s diaconate ordination in June 2017.  Residents of Hammond since returning to Louisiana in 2007, Tim has native roots. He is a proud father of four children and ten grandchildren.  Gloria and Tim are both involved in many ministries of our warm and welcoming community. He is most impressed by St. Margaret’s “genuine and accommodating spirit,” and he notes that he appreciates that “Our parishioners work hard, have a great faith and prayer life, and without a doubt know how to have fun.” Even one of Tim’s sons commented about our Parish that “we really have it going here at St. Margaret!”

Deacon Randall Waguespack is a native of Vacherie and a graduate of Nicholls State University.  He and his wife Patricia have been residing in Albany since the summer of 2010.  Deacon Randall was ordained on August 13, 2022, and he serves as a permanent deacon at St. Margaret; he is also the Director of the Diocesan Office of Life, Peace & Justice.  He began discernment for diaconate at the end of 2016; his family was one of the many families devastated by the flood that occurred in August of that year. He notes, “Experiencing the loss of so many personal possessions, really brings everything into perspective. The love of my family and my Church family during this time showed me that happiness can never be purchased and love conquers all.  What began as a nightmare, became one of the greatest blessings of my life, the road to a greater love for others and a greater love of God.”  Deacon Randall is surely a gift to St. Margaret!

Mary is a New Orleans native and lived there most of her life where she attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School from kindergarten through 8th grade and then St. Mary’s Dominican High School thereafter.  She continued her education at Southeastern Louisiana University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.  She later became a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Government Financial Manager. She retired in 2007 from the Orleans Levee District as the Chief Financial Officer and moved to Hammond in October of that same year. Mary says her involvement here at St. Margaret has been such a rewarding experience because the parish community is so welcoming, generous and caring.

Tammy is a native of New Orleans, and she attended Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Academy of the Holy Angels.  After moving to Albany, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.  She worked as a CPA since 1986 and most recently served as Financial Manager then as Decision Support Manager for the North Oaks Health System.  Tammy is married to life-long parishioner Eddie Resetar, Jr.  She enjoys painting, crochet, gardening, and collecting sea shells!  She notes of St. Margaret that our parish is a “warm, welcoming community to all and is always more-than-willing to assist those in need.”

The wife of a retired Navy veteran, a mother of three married children and a grandmother to four, Lucie has been on our staff since March 2015.  Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, she and Joe spent twenty-four years with the Navy, living all throughout the country. They relocated to our area in 1997 and immediately found a church family in St. Margaret.  Lucie is especially fond of “the generosity and friendliness of the people of our community, one that is vibrant and that continues to grow in faith and friendship through the involvement of parishioners in our many ministries.”

Shirley’s time at St. Margaret began with an urgent request from the pastor at that time – Msgr. Leo Guillot.  In 2005, in a pinch to find a bookkeeper, he reached out to her for help knowing that Shirley long kept the books at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Hammond.  Currently, Shirley serves as contributions manager, maintaining Parish Records including the parishioner census and records of all contributions to the parish. Shirley mentioned that her favorite thing about St. Margaret is “the support and feeling that we are all family, the Body of Christ.”  Shirley is a proud military mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and wife. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, sewing, baking, cooking and reading.

Gill and his wife Darlene moved to the area in October 1990.  At first, Gill began helping the pastors of St. Margaret with “small jobs” around the Church. Today, this has evolved into large jobs and full-scale renovations of parochial buildings in addition to his responsibilities as Maintenance Supervisor.  Gill is particularly proud to tell people about the friendliness of the people of St. Margaret and St. Thomas; he especially enjoys our community’s family atmosphere. He takes a personal interest in the many events around the parish, and he feels especially good when people compliments his handiwork!

Rachael is a current student at Divine Mercy University where she is pursuing her Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. After graduation, Rachael hopes to help others find healing through a holistic approach in her practice. Rachael loves Jesus, living a sacramental life, coffee, ministering to the youth, and a good shenanagin. The first thing that Rachael noticed about St. Margaret’s was the warmth that radiates from the intentional community which is firmly founded in faith in Christ.

A native of Hammond, Landon is a 2020 graduate of Hammond High Magnet School and currently attends Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University majoring in Theology.  After graduating from college, Landon plans to serve the church in its various needs.  He has worshipped at St. Margaret over the years but has recently become a devoted parishioner. Landon enjoys attending Mass, volunteering, and helping others. He also enjoys golf and spending time with God, friends, and family.

Cindy has been a parishioner of St. Margaret/St. Thomas Church for over ten years.  She serves as a lector for the 8:00 AM Mass at St. Thomas chapel and is active in various ministries in the Parish.  Before moving to Springfield, Cindy lived and worked in the Alexandria area and was an active member of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church.  After 25 years in business, she returned to school and graduated from LSU with a Fine Arts degree in graphic design.  “The prospect of spreading the love of St. Margaret/St. Thomas Church through digital media is exciting and I look forward to growing in the service of our community.”

Jason, a resident of Baton Rouge, is forty-four years young.  A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, he met Fr. Jamin as he began to discern priesthood.  He has been employed at St. Margaret since September 2017 and he is responsible for maintaining the twenty-five plus acres of the beautiful St. Margaret campus.  Jason noted that his favorite thing about St. Margaret aside from the community is “working with Fr. Jamin and our other team members while maintaining God’s gift of beauty – a passion of mine.”  He invites any parishioners to visit him and his supervisor Chev – his Labrador Retriever – as he manicures our grounds!

Jane has been a cantor at St. Margaret since 2017 at the 5:30PM Mass, and she is available for funerals a weddings. A native of Hammond, she holds degrees in Music from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond and from Indiana University.  She notes of St. Margaret that she is continually impressed by the sense of “home and community shown by the members of the Church.” She lives with her husband in Hammond where she currently teaches lessons in piano and voice.

Alyssa, a native of Livingston Parish, started playing piano at the age of eight. She was also a member of Livingston Parish Children’s Choirs (LPCC) for eight years. She graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge in 2016 and furthered her education at the University of New Orleans. There, she received two B.A.s – one in Music Studies and the other in English. Alyssa is excited to be a part of the St. Margaret family because “the community is always very warm and welcoming.”

Laura is one of our original cantors at St. Margaret, having served our community at various liturgies for well over five years.  She received her degree in Elementary Education (grades 1-5) at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond and currently teaches in one of the local school systems.  In her free time, she also teaches piano and voice lessons.  When asked about her favorite aspect of working at St. Margaret, she responded by commenting “how kind and close the parishioners are within the church” adding “It has been a privilege to sing for such a great community of faith!”

The second member of the “dynamic duo,” Adam has served as a cantor at St. Margaret Church and St. Thomas Chapel for a few years now.  He is an English Education graduate from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, and he teaches in a local school system.  Adam especially is grateful for our community’s “warm, welcoming pastor and congregation.”

Cynthia Davidson developed a love for music at an early age. She started singing with her grade school choir at Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic School in New Orleans in the 1980s. During her college years at the University of New Orleans and Loyola, she began to cantor at St James Major in Gentilly. She sang there for over 10 years.  She lives in Ponchatoula with her husband Richard and her two sons Preston and Colby. Cynthia currently holds a full time position with Dignity Memorial as Pre-Planning Advisor, assisting families to pre-arrange for funeral services and cemetery property needs.  It is an honor for her to serve families with grace and compassion. When asked what she likes best about St. Margaret, she says “the genuine kindness of the parishioners; they have been very welcoming to me and my family.”