Grand Réveil Acadien, the Great Acadian Awakening, a one week gathering of Acadians from around the world, will be held in Louisiana in October. South Louisiana, where Acadians are called Cajuns, is the home of many descendents of those who were ejected from Nova Scotia by the British in 1755; and is going all out to host the reunion. 

A major surname in South Louisiana, as well as still in Nova Scotia, is Guidry. The name has many spellings including Guédry, Geddry, Jeddry, Guildry and Guidry. All who share the surname are truly cousins, as we all are descended from Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petipas who migrated to Nova Scotia from France in the 1600s.

Marty Guidry is head of Les Guédry d'Asteur (the Guidrys of today), a group of my cousins who stay in touch through the Internet and meet at reunions scheduled to coincide with the larger meetings, such as the Grand Réveil in October and previous congresses of Acadians in Louisiana and Canada.

On February 12 Marty presided over a meeting in the historic Codofil building in Lafayette, Louisiana to plan for a Guidry Family Reunion as part of Grand Réveil Acadien. He previewed a history of the Cajun migration from Louisiana into Texas, including a report on Luefroy Guedry, a cousin who fought in the Battle San Jacinto. Listen: MP3 RealPlayer

Marty will make his full presentation, concentrating on the Cajuns who settled in Orange and Jefferson counties at the turn of the 20th Century, at a special gathering in Beaumont in April.

For additional information on Grand Réveil Acadien/Great Acadian Awakening Click Here