Ronny Broussard had tears welling in the eyes of some of the hundred or so people who listened to his new song, “I Wanna Come Home,” during the city’s annual Katrina memorial onservance this morning.
Broussard’s ode to the spirit of the people of Biloxi was one of the highlights of a 25-minute observance that featured prayers from Bishop Roger Morin of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Rev. Eric Dickey of the First Missionary Baptist Church, Associate Pastor Ashley Austin of First Baptist Church of Biloxi, and Chaplain and Deputy Chief John Jennings of the Biloxi Fire Department.
“They say that the sixth anniversary does not have the importance of the first anniversary, or the fifth or the 10th, but I think every milestone like this is important,” Mayor A.J. Holloway told the audience.
“We gather here today to remember what we have been through, how far we’ve come, and, most importantly, we gather to remember those who were lost in Katrina. We must never forget.”
Students from Biloxi High School and St. Patrick Catholic High School read the names of the 52 Biloxi residents who perished in the storm.
And it was Broussard’s moving rendition of “I Wanna Come Home,” which evoked memories of a care-free yet resilient pre-Katrina Biloxi, that closed the observance in somber fashion.
See video of the song: To see a video of Broussard’s performance, click here.
See the complete ceremony online: Video of the entire ceremony this morning is also on the city’s YouTube channel. To go to there, click here.
Biloxi & Katrina: The city’s award-winning documentary “Biloxi & Katrina: A Story of Resolve and Resilience” airs this evening at 8:30 and 10:30 in Cable One homes across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. See it on Cable Channel 13, except in Diamondhead where it is on Cable 90.
