About Our Lady of Fatima · Lake Charles, Louisiana
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Chapel is a mission chapel of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, located at 1700 Graham Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Lake Charles (Calcasieu civil parish). It serves the surrounding neighborhood with a single weekly Sunday Mass at 7:00 a.m., complementing the wider Mass schedule offered at the parent church of Immaculate Heart of Mary on Opelousas Street. Liturgical and pastoral life at the chapel is overseen by the pastor and staff of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, with the chapel functioning as a smaller, more intimate worship space in the IHM community.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Rector
- Rev. Rommel P. Tolentino
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lake Charles
Why belong here
Our Lady of Fatima Chapel is a small, neighborhood-scale Sunday worship site inside the larger Immaculate Heart of Mary parish family, making it a comfortable place for those who prefer an early, quieter 7:00 a.m. Mass in Calcasieu Parish. Parishioners are part of a culturally diverse IHM community committed to prayer, service, stewardship, and cultural worship, with full access to the sacraments, faith formation, devotional life (Eucharistic Adoration, Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Holy Hour of Reparation, First Friday Adoration), and outreach programs offered through Immaculate Heart of Mary's Pastoral Center at 2031 Opelousas Street.
Mass times at Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions are heard at the parent church, Immaculate Heart of Mary: Saturday 3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. (before the 4:00 p.m. Mass); 30 minutes prior to each Sunday Mass; Thursdays and First Fridays during the Holy Hour following the 7:00 a.m. Mass (7:45–8:15 a.m.); and by appointment through the Pastoral Center.
Adoration times
- Day Chapel Holy Hour/Individual Prayer at Immaculate Heart of Mary: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
- Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction at IHM: Thursdays, 7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
- Holy Hour of Reparation at IHM: every Thursday, 11:00 p.m.–12:00 midnight
- First Friday Adoration at IHM: 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
About Our Lady of Fatima Chapel
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Chapel is a mission chapel of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in the Diocese of Lake Charles. It is located at 1700 Graham Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana (Calcasieu civil parish), and offers one weekly Sunday Mass at 7:00 a.m. All pastoral administration, sacramental preparation, and office services are handled through the IHM Parish Pastoral Center at 2031 Opelousas Street.
- Type: Mission chapel of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
- Address: 1700 Graham Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601
- Diocese: Diocese of Lake Charles
- Civil parish: Calcasieu
History of Fatima Chapel and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
Our Lady of Fatima Chapel began as an outreach of Sacred Heart Parish in 1949 when Father Clement Roach, C.S.Sp., saw a need for a mission chapel in the outlying areas. Father Harold S. McNeil, C.S.Sp., was appointed its first pastor and recruited the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to teach the children. The mission grew, and Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard of the Diocese of Lafayette (then the mother diocese) erected Immaculate Heart of Mary as a parish in 1953.
- 1949 – five-acre lot purchased and four-room multi-purpose hall built for the new mission
- 1949 – Fr. Harold S. McNeil, C.S.Sp., assigned as first pastor
- 1953 – Immaculate Heart of Mary erected as a parish by Bishop Jeanmard; Fatima Chapel continues as a mission
- 1993 (July 1) – Holy Ghost Fathers depart; Diocese of Lake Charles assumes responsibility for IHM
- 1999 (July 1) – Fr. Karl Fusilier assigned as pastor; Fatima Chapel renovated and 14 stained-glass Stations of the Cross installed
- 2003 (November) – Fr. Timothy Goodly assigned; leads Hurricane Rita repairs and builds new rectory
- 2022 (July 1) – Fr. Rommel P. Tolentino appointed pastor
Parish Staff and Clergy
Pastoral leadership for Our Lady of Fatima Chapel is provided through the staff of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. Father Rommel P. Tolentino serves as pastor; Father Shaji Jose, HGN, and Father D.B. Thompson, JCL, serve as priests in residence. Deacon Joseph E. Bushnell has served the parish community since his ordination by Bishop Edward Braxton in December 2001.
- Rev. Rommel P. Tolentino — Pastor (appointed July 1, 2022)
- Rev. Shaji Jose, HGN — Priest in Residence
- Rev. D.B. Thompson, JCL — Priest in Residence (per 2024 diocesan directory)
- Deacon Joseph E. Bushnell
- Sister Maria Howell, RSM — Parish Life Coordinator/Assistant
- Jacqueline Mathews — Director of Religious Education (DRE) and Safe Environment Coordinator
- Sharon Samuel — Office Manager
- Willa Bushnell — Secretary/Receptionist
- Debbie LaFleur — Bookkeeper
Faith Formation: PREP and Sacraments
Children's faith formation is offered through the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) at Immaculate Heart of Mary. PREP classes meet on Sundays, 9:45 a.m.–10:45 a.m., during the school year. Registration takes place in Founders' Hall. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation, and Marriage is scheduled by appointment through the Pastoral Center; young adults who have received Baptism, Penance, and First Eucharist but not Confirmation are encouraged to contact the DRE.
- PREP (Parish Religious Education Program) — Sundays, 9:45–10:45 a.m.
- DRE: Jacqueline Mathews (337-436-6494)
- Baptism and Marriage — by appointment
- Safe Environment program for children and youth
Parish Life and Festivals
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, the parent community of Fatima Chapel, gathers twice a year for parish-wide celebrations that reflect the cultural and communal character of the congregation. The Black Heritage Festival in January and the Fall Bazaar in October are highlights of the social calendar. Parishioners are kept connected through weekly bulletins and the IHM Flocknote email/text system.
- Black Heritage Festival — January
- Fall Bazaar — October
- Bulletin (weekly; available on the parish website)
- Flocknote — text IHMCHURCH to 84576 or visit immaculateheartofmary4.flocknote.com
Contact, Office Hours, and Visiting
All administrative contact for Our Lady of Fatima Chapel is handled through the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Pastoral Center at 2031 Opelousas Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. The Pastoral Center is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Diocese of Lake Charles lists the parish email as [email protected].
- Parish Pastoral Center: 2031 Opelousas Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601
- Phone: 337-436-8093 — Fax: 337-436-8033
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–noon, 1:00–4:30 p.m.; Fri 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
- Website: ihmp.weconnect.com
- Fatima Chapel: 1700 Graham Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Harold S. McNeil, C.S.Sp.1949–
First pastor of the mission chapel; assistant pastor of Sacred Heart Parish; brought in the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for religious instruction.
- Rev. Herbert May1993–
Assigned as IHM pastor after the Holy Ghost Fathers departed the parish on July 1, 1993.
- Msgr. Ronald Groth1994/1995–1997
Parish Administrator from fall 1994 and pastor from July 1995; aided parish evangelization; IHM School ceased operating in 1997 on his watch.
- Rev. Karl Fusilier1999–
Assigned as pastor July 1, 1999; oversaw renovation of Fatima Chapel including installation of fourteen stained-glass Stations of the Cross windows.
- Rev. Timothy Goodly2003–
Assigned November 2003; led building renovations after Hurricane Rita and built a new rectory.
- Rev. Rommel P. Tolentino2022–
Appointed pastor July 1, 2022; current pastor.