New Evangeline Downs Chaplains
Represent the Best of Both Worlds
12/15/2005 12:39:55 PM  -  The Horsemen's Journal - Winter 2005 

Chaplains Pete Criswell and Daniel Corte Jr., scheduled to join forces to provide outreach ministry to the horse racing community in Southern Louisiana during a time of acute need, represent the best of both worlds for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America.
Criswell, 60, has been an RTCA chaplain since 1983, when he began his ministry at Delta Downs. He is the most experienced of the organization’s 58 chaplains who serve at over 100 tracks and breeding farm areas throughout North America. “Chaplain Pete” served at Louisiana Downs from 1984 through 1988, when he left to take the same position at the newly opened Remington Downs. In 2001, he moved to the New Mexico tracks.
Daniel Corte Jr., 29, is the son of a San Diego Hispanic church pastor who also serves as the chaplain at nearby San Luis Rey Downs training center. Chaplain Corte Jr. is earning a bachelor’s degree from LaVerne University and took his first chaplaincy position last November at Delta Downs. He is part of the Hispanic culture and is computer literate.
The day before Hurricane Rita struck the area, Corte; his wife, Bianca; and their 10-day old baby, Daniel Corte III; evacuated Orange, Texas and moved to a tiny town near Alexandria, Louisiana, where his family and seven others spent over two weeks in a tiny cabin. He recently moved to the Shreveport area to assist Louisiana Downs Chaplain Jimmy Sistruck in his efforts to aid the hard-hit Louisiana horse racing community.