Rosemary Odinet’s seven sons attended Holy Cross for 23 calendar years, from 1968 through 1991. If each son’s attendance is counted separately, she participated in activities at Holy Cross for 50 school years. During her several terms as President of the Athletic Association, she helped organize Las Vegas Night and other fundraisers. The Athletic Association purchased wrestling mats, refurbished locker rooms, and provided equipment for sports teams. Rosemary was instrumental in the building of the track at the Dauphine Street campus. Rosemary and other parents hosted multiple Tiger Invitational Wrestling Tournaments. She cooked and donated the food for the concessions. She could always be found in the concession stand unless one her sons was wrestling. She hosted the entire 1983 State Championship wrestling team and their families in Baton Rouge before the finals and afterward for a victory party. She was even asked by Coach Sam, Jesuit’s Wresting Coach, to provide food for the coaches and wrestlers at a tournament when their host forgot.

Rosemary fed countless numbers of students at August football camps, dual meets, Federation of Christian Athlete meetings, before baseball games, football games and cross country meets. Friends, students, athletes and strangers were always welcome at her home and table. Opponents from visiting/traveling teams had a place to stay and eat if needed. Rosemary paid the tuition for students whose family had fallen on difficult times. She was also known to buy an extra pair of cleats for a student who couldn’t afford them. On more than one occasion Rosemary had twenty plus kids sleep at her home after ball games or school social events. Once when a flash flood hit, she thirty young ladies sleep upstairs while their dates slept downstairs. As usual everyone had breakfast before they left the next morning.

While these may be some of the more obvious things Rosemary did for Holy Cross, the more important things are the constant prayers, ever lit novena candle, and always present Rosary. She worked countless hours with the Brothers of Holy Cross, the coaches, and the faculty to make Holy Cross a “FAMILY” that lived up to the motto “Crux Spes Unica.”