BATON ROUGE — After serving as pastor at both New Hope Baptist Church and Second Baptist Church for nearly 50 years, Rev. Leo D. Cyrus Sr. is officially retiring. 

The reverend served as pastor at New Hope for 48 years and at Second Baptist for 41 years.

Cyrus will be honored with a pair of events at New Hope, which is on Greenwell Springs Road near Washington Avenue. Both events aim to celebrate his legacy and contributions to the community.

On Saturday, March 22, residents are invited to a special service at the church. On the following Sunday, practitioners are invited to attend the Culminating Worship Experience event, which will be a tribute to Rev. Cyrus featuring music and testimonies from community members.