Muriel Castille arrived in St. Martin Parish from La Rochelle, France, 30 years ago.
She came to teach French in local schools, and she quickly settled into life in Louisiana after getting married and starting a family of her own. But something about raising children so far from home made Castille realize how important it was to maintain a strong connection with her French culture and language.
She began volunteering with Alliance Française’s Lafayette chapter, not long after the group expanded from New Orleans in 2005. Located in downtown Lafayette at 735 Jefferson St., Alliance Française hosts game nights, coffee outings, French tables and other activities for people looking to speak French and dive into the area’s Francophone culture…