“You are members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:19-21)
St. Joseph Catholic Church is located in the Southern Deanery of the Diocese of Lafayette in the village of Loreauville, Louisiana along the Bayou Teche. We are a Catholic community centered upon Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the center of our lives and so we humbly respond to Him with our love, worship and adoration. If you live in our area, or if you have been away from the Sacraments, or if you are just curious about the Catholic faith, you are always welcome at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Know that you are welcome to join us for Mass or stop by for a visit. We feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to minister to you.
About Us (Courtesy of www.americantowns.com)
It all began on April 15, 1871. A settler in Fausse Pointe, that is, the enormous tract of land between the Bayou Teche and Lake Fausse Pointe, donated a piece of his property to the Diocese with the stipulation that a church be constructed. His name was Ozaire Joseph Loreau. He was thirty-one years of age when he made this donation. Ozaire Loreau was the son of Joseph Loreau and Herma Boutte. He was born on the third of September 1840. The property he donated had to be received by the Bishop of the diocese and in those days this area was in the diocese of New Orleans. Archbishop Perche was the bishop at this time. The donation was received by Father Louis Chasse, Pastor of St. Peter’s in New Iberia. The property measured two arpents. Prior to April 15, 1871, a building on the present church site was used for a church by the people in the area. There is evidence that even prior to this church building there was another chapel given by a Mr. Picou. It would seem that the town was once named after this gentleman. Records indicate that this first chapel was destroyed in a storm in 1869 and that it had been built during or immediately after the Civil War.
The priests in those days who ministered to the people of Loreau Ville were from St. Peter’s Parish in New Iberia. They were assigned to Fausse Pointe since 1838 when New Iberia itself was raised to the status of a parish carved out of the parish of St. Martin de Tours in St. Martinville. Thus, St. Joseph’s Church was first a mission attached to a mother church.
Father Louis Chasse of St. Peter’s in New Iberia was the priest who, due to the requests of the people of Loreauville, approached the Archbishop of New Orleans to present the people’s petition to see their mission church raised to a parish. Loreauville became a full fledged parish on February 9, 1873 and Father Charles Beaubien from Montreal, Canada was named the first pastor.
After Easter 1872, a bell was donated by a Monsieur le Colonel Alcediade DeBlanc. Work began immediately to put a bell tower on the church. New windows were also made, along with a new confessional & communion table. These were paid for from pew rents. The entire church, pews and bell tower were then painted by the parishioners.
In 1879 a storm caused considerable damage to the church structure. By the following year, a new church rose in its place. In 1961 this church was torn down to make room for a more modern church. The corner stone of the church built in 1880 has been placed in the wall of our present building.