Flags Ordered Flown at Half-Staff for SJSC Alum Judge Mulé

Gov. Jeff Landry has ordered that the U.S. and Louisiana state flags be flown at half-staff over the State Capitol and all state buildings from sunrise until sunset tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 11), as an expression of respect and to honor St. Ben’s alumnus Judge Salvadore Mulé, who passed away on Jan. 1 at the age of 92.

Judge Mulé, Class of 1950, was the first lay president of the St. Joseph Seminary College Alumni Association and was the college’s Alumnus of the Year recipient in 2010. He was a retired judge, humanitarian, and devout Catholic who served the people of Louisiana and United States for his entire adult life.

Read the Governor’s Executive Order

Judge Mulé’s family will receive guests, as well as pray the Holy Rosary, at Bagnell & Son Funeral Home (75212 Lee Road, Covington) tonight (Friday) from 5-7 p.m.

Visitation will be held at Saint Joseph Abbey from 1-2 p.m. Saturday. The Funeral Mass will begin at 2 p.m., and burial will follow in the Saint Joseph Abbey Cemetery. A Celebration of Life reception will be held from 4-6 p.m. in Jonathan Hall at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (11345 St. John Church Road, Folsom).

Born during the Great Depression to Sicilian immigrants, Judge Mulé learned to love God and love America. His parents, neighborhood grocers in the Tremé, instilled in him and his 10 siblings to work hard and always give to others.

From the sacrifices of his parents and family, Judge Mulé was fortunate to attend St. Joseph Seminary from age 12 until his high school graduation in 1950. He then received his bachelor’s degree in Church History from Notre Dame Seminary. Following his college graduation, he joined the U.S. Army, where he honorably served at the Southern European NATO Headquarters in Naples, Italy.

Upon his return to the States, Judge Mulé worked at Esso and Sears – saving his money to attend Loyola Law School. Although the days were long and the return bus rides home to New Orleans East late, he remained determined and received his law degree in 1962. Post graduation, he served in private practice in New Orleans.

In 1976, Judge Mulé was elected an Orleans Parish Juvenile Court Judge, a position he was re-elected to twice and held for 24 years. During this tenure, he was instrumental in enacting the Louisiana Children’s Code – the organized compilation of all state laws affecting juveniles and juvenile delinquency. He was also the first juvenile judge in Louisiana to implement mediation – a practice essential in the rehabilitation of juveniles today. He also proudly managed thousands of adoption cases for families in New Orleans.

In 1985, Judge Mulé started CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in New Orleans, a program designed to advocate for abused and neglected children in foster care. CASA has not only become a valuable tool for the courts throughout Louisiana, but also throughout the entire United States.

Upon his retirement in Orleans Parish, Judge Mulé was appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court to serve as the Administrative Judge of the East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court. Following his three-year service in Baton Rouge, he was appointed judge for the 21st Judicial District Court. While there, Judge Mulé heard all juvenile matters for Tangipahoa, Livingston, and St. Helena Parishes. Additionally, he served as a judge pro tempore in Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes. He also served many years as a Commissioner of the Florida Parishes Juvenile Justice District.

Judge Mulé was recognized numerous times for his outstanding work to help change lives, particularly those of juveniles. In 1988, he was named Louisiana Judge of the Year by the Louisiana CASA Association. In 1990, he was elected and served as the president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. In 1994, he was awarded the National Judge of the Year by the National CASA Association. And, in 2000, he was the recipient of the Judge Richard Ware Award from the Louisiana Children’s Trust Fund.

Known for his selfless work on the behalf of underprivileged children, Judge Mulé was recruited by the late Fr. Harry Tompson, S.J. to serve as a charter member of the Jesuit Program for Living and Learning and to serve annually for Boys Hope/Girls Hope. From the hard work and dedication of Boys Hope/Girls Hope, numerous underprivileged, abused, and/or neglected youth who show the potential of college aspirations are given Catholic high school education, housing, and counseling.

Judge Mulé was actively involved in church activities since he was an altar boy at St. Augustine Church. From singing in the St. Louis Cathedral Choir to serving as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist at Mercy Hospital, he volunteered countless hours to Christ’s work. A past president of the St. Thomas More Catholic Lawyers Association, he volunteered annually for the Red Mass. For 25 years, he served as the weekly radio and Christmas Eve Midnight Mass television commentator at the St. Louis Cathedral. He served as a lector, Eucharistic minister, altar server, and pastoral council member at St. Matthias and Holy Name of Jesus churches.

After Hurricane Katrina, Judge Mulé and his wife, Margaret Mary, moved to Folsom – where he was a lector, Eucharistic minister, Advocate Officer of the Knights of Columbus, and president of the pastoral council of St. John the Baptist Church. Together with Margaret Mary, he led the parish’s annual St. Joseph’s Altar.

Always striving to help children, Judge Mulé was a school board member at St. James Major High and Holy Name of Jesus Elementary. He taught CCD classes at Resurrection Church and was a volunteer Latin tutor for high school students across the metro area. For three years, Judge Mulé was a volunteer adjunct professor of Juvenile Law at Loyola Law School. He was a supporter of Jesuit High School, St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College, and Spring Hill College.

Judge Mulé was a leader in the campaign for Capital Improvements for the Sisters Servants of Mary – a religious order who nurse the terminally ill throughout Greater New Orleans. He also volunteered with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Louisiana Right to Life, and Habitat for Humanity. He was a regular attendee and avid supporter for decades of the Manresa House of Retreats. He was also a lifelong member of the Contessa Entellina Society, the oldest Italian/Sicilian Society in New Orleans.

Judge Mulé was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Margaret Mary Falcon Mule’. He is survived by his three sons Thomas (Theresa), Michael (Merriweather), and Millard (Sarah); his six grandchildren Rosalie, Camille, Salvadore, Maximilian, Gabriel, and Isabella; his sister Margaret Ann Mulé; and numerous other family members and friends.