Father Jacques is pastor of St. Peter Claver Church in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. Treme was completely flooded when several levees broke releasing water from Lake Pontchartrain into much of the city. Pre-Katrina, St. Peter Claver, with its 2,500 families, was known as the largest African-American church in Louisiana. It has a reputation for being a vibrant parish community. St. Peter Claver Church, which sustained $2 million in damages reopened on Easter.

Treme started as an early (about 1830) French-speaking Creole of color community and later became a culturally mixed neighborhood typical of New Orleans. The residents of Treme take great pride in their history and musical traditions. Many downtown marching clubs parade through the streets; in fact the area has one of the highest concentrations of jazz parading in the city. The neighborhood includes Armstrong Park and Congo Square. Historically, the Treme neighborhood was home to several early musicians including George Lewis, Chris Kelly, Jimmie Noone, and Henry Ragas; it had a number of important social halls and commercial venues.