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Funeral service for Kathleen Blanco draws hundreds to Lafayette

Hundreds of people are gathered Saturday at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Lafayette to honor the state's only female governor.

Credit: AP

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco testifies on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, during a House Select Committee on Hurricane Katrina hearing. Seated Directly behind her are Sgt. Corey Allbritton, left, and Staff Sgt. Norman Norfleeet of the Louisina National Guard. Both been were serving in Iraq and lost their New Orleans homes in the hurricane. AP Photo/Dennis Cook)

LAFAYETTE, La. — Three days of public mourning for Louisiana's former governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, ended with a funeral Mass and burial service for the devout Catholic.

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Lafayette to honor the state's only female governor. After the Mass, Blanco will be buried in a private family service.

Blanco, who served one term as governor and various elected positions across two decades, was in Louisiana's top job during the destruction of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. She died a week ago from cancer. Blanco was 76.

The former governor was memorialized at prayer services Thursday in Baton Rouge and Friday in Lafayette. Hundreds of mourners packed the Louisiana Capitol for a public visitation.

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