A Brief History of the Catholic Church on the River Road
1700
In Spring of 1700, Iberville made his second voyage up the Mississippi, Mass was celebrated along the way. In 1721, settlers from Switzerland, Germany and Eastern France began to settle what would be known as the German Coast. In 1765, Acadians began to settle in Ascension and St. James parishes in what would be called the Acadian Co
ast.
1800
By 1807 there were 105 Catholic families living on the East Bank of St. A chapel called St. Michel de Cantrelle was built. In 1831, St. Michael's became a separate parish served by priests from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and a new larger, brick church was built. In 1840, the Jesuit Fathers began to serve the River Road parishioners, and in 1849, they erected the mission chapel of St. Joseph in Paulina. In 1852, the Jesuit Fathers left the River Road, and the church in St. James Parish was again served by Diocesan priests until in 1863, when the Society of Mary, new to this country, accepted St. Michael's Parish as their first Marist ministry in the United States. On April 30, 1874, the St. Vincent de Paul chapel, later to be called St. Philomena Chapel, was built in Grand Point. In 1875 the chapel at Union, first built in 1831, was replaced by the new, present church building. In 1876, St. Michael's was enlarged and the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was built. Because of the growth of Lutcher with the Lutcher and Moore Cypress Company, and Gramercy with Gramercy Sugar Company, St. Joseph became a separate parish October 1,1900, serving both of these communities.
1900
In 1904 the Our Lady of Prompt Succor Chapel in Lutcher was opened, and then enlarged in 1927. Also in 1904, St. Mary's Chapel completed its expansion of the two transepts, Altar, and sacristies. On June 13, 1920, the Sacred Heart Mission was blessed and opened, served by priests from St. Joseph's. On June 26, 1920, at 11:15 a.m., a week after the dedication of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Mission, the St. Joseph church and rectory and other outbuildings burned to the ground within 45 minutes. On December 20, 1921, the new, present church of St. Joseph was dedicated. On August 17, 1935, three Dominican Sisters arrived and St. Joseph Parochial School, later to be known as St. Peter Chanel Interparochial School, opened. On January 30, 1955, a cornerstone was laid for the new, present church in Gramercy, and the church was dedicated on December 4, 1955. On November 1, 1961, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus became a separate parish, and on November 8, 1961, the Diocese of Baton Rouge was erected. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy caused much damage along the River Road. One casualty was the St. Philomena Chapel which was badly damaged and taken down a few years later. In 1982, the present Lutcher Chapel was constructed and the old one taken down. In December, 1996, the Marist Provincial Office announced that due to a shortage of vocations, the Marists would be leaving the Paulina and Gramercy parishes. On July 14, 1997, Fr. Frank M. Uter was assigned as the shared pastor of both parishes, and was installed by Bishop Alfred Hughes on August 15, 1997. In January, 1998, the Jesuit Provincial missioned Fr. Louis Poché, S.J. to be assigned in residence in the two parishes. Today
Today, the parishes of St. Joseph and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus have a combined total of nearly 2,200 families. Dedication to Stewardship of Prayer, Time and Talent, and Finance have fostered many lay ministries which serve educational, community and spiritual needs, as well as the needs of the homebound, the imprisoned and the poor.
