About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · New Iberia, Louisiana
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Roman Catholic parish in New Iberia, Louisiana, part of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. The parish was founded on October 1, 1949 by Monsignor Wayne Richard, with the first Mass celebrated on Christmas Day of that same year, and has served the Cajun-country community of New Iberia for more than 70 years. Today it is led by Father Garrett Savoie with the assistance of Deacon Durk Viator, offering three Sunday Masses, a Saturday vigil, weekday Masses Tuesday through Friday, and a Sacramental Preparation program for First Reconciliation and First Communion. The parish describes itself as one of the oldest operating and thriving churches in the city, and warmly invites newcomers to join the family.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Rector
- Father Garrett Savoie
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a long-established, family-style parish where visitors are welcomed into a multi-generational Catholic community rooted in the Cajun country of south Louisiana. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, ongoing Reconciliation, Sacramental Preparation for First Communion, a Parish School of Religion program, parish dinners and the famous parish-wide gumbo, Bible Study, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court Blessed Mother Teresa #2550, altar servers, and outreach through the local Catholic High School Advisory Council. With Father Garrett Savoie as pastor and Deacon Durk Viator serving alongside him, the parish combines stable clergy leadership with the small-parish warmth that the website openly invites newcomers to experience.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 15 minutes before each weekday Mass (Tue–Fri)
- Saturdays 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (and by appointment)
About Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Roman Catholic parish in New Iberia, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Lafayette. The parish's own Introduction page describes it as a small church whose main goal is to spread the Catholic faith and profess love for God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to welcome newcomers into the parish family. The site emphasizes its 70-plus year history and its role as one of the oldest operating and thriving parishes in New Iberia.
- Second-oldest Catholic parish in the city of New Iberia
- Founded by Monsignor Wayne Richard
- First Mass celebrated Christmas Day, 1949
Parish History
The parish traces its origin to a discussion that began in November 1947. Construction started in June 1949, and the parish was formally founded on October 1, 1949. Monsignor Wayne Richard spearheaded the project, became its first pastor, and celebrated the inaugural Mass on Christmas Day, 1949. Through the decades the parish has weathered changes in society, clergy transitions, and physical additions and has remained a stable presence in the New Iberia Catholic community for over seventy years. The parish publicly honors this continuity and thanks its parishioners for sustaining it.
- 1947 – parish discussion begins
- June 1949 – construction begins
- October 1, 1949 – parish founded
- Christmas Day, 1949 – first Mass celebrated by Monsignor Wayne Richard
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
Our Lady of Perpetual Help follows a traditional Southern parish schedule: no Mass on Mondays, a 12:15 PM weekday Mass Tuesday through Friday, a 4:30 PM Saturday vigil, and three Sunday Masses at 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, and 11:00 AM. The parish also publishes special seasonal schedules for Ash Wednesday (12:15 PM and 6:00 PM) and Holy Week, with Holy Thursday Mass at 6:00 PM and other Triduum times posted on the website.
- Weekday Mass: Tue–Fri at 12:15 PM
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM
- Sunday: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
- Ash Wednesday: 12:15 PM and 6:00 PM
- Holy Thursday: 6:00 PM
Sacramental Preparation & Eucharist
Children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion must be registered in the parish's Sacramental Preparation Process and attend the Parish School of Religion. Students past 2nd grade who have had no previous catechesis receive First Reconciliation and First Communion in their second year of PSR (for example, a 3rd grader in their first year would receive the sacraments in 4th grade). The Eucharist page on the parish website includes a substantial catechetical reflection on the sacrament drawn from the USCCB.
- Combined PSR enrollment + Sacramental Preparation Process required
- Two-year catechesis for students entering without prior formation
Faith Formation (Parish School of Religion)
The Parish School of Religion (PSR) provides religious education for grades 6 through 10. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, beginning in early September and continuing through March, with scheduling aligned to the school calendar. Registration opens in July, and parents are encouraged to call Ms. Peggy with questions about enrollment.
- Grades 6–10
- Sundays 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
- September through March
- Registration in July
- Contact: Ms. Peggy at 337-365-5481 or 337-380-4829
Parish Staff and Leadership
The Meet the Staff page lists the pastor and deacon, the administrative team, trustees, and parish school advisory representatives. Father Garrett Savoie has served as pastor for ten or more years and Deacon Durk Viator assists him in liturgical and pastoral ministry. The administrative staff handles Safe Environment, religious education, sacramental scheduling, the bulletin, bookkeeping, and custodial needs.
- Pastor: Father Garrett Savoie
- Deacon: Deacon Durk Viator
- Adm. Asst. / Safe Environment / DRE: Brody Finley
- Sacristan / Bookkeeper: Ms. Peggy (per bulletin listing)
- Office Assistant: Roxanne Hebert
- Receptionist / Bulletin Editor: Michael Bonin
- Trustees: Juliette Viator, Cheryl Lopez, Peggy Tauzin, Karen 'Kerrie' Laviolette
- Catholic High School Advisory Council Representatives: Joleigh Hulin, Anne Minvielle
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Beyond the Sunday liturgies, Our Lady of Perpetual Help sustains a small but active roster of ministries that welcome participation from newcomers. The parish actively recruits altar servers (contact the Parish Life Center at 337-365-5481), hosts Bible Study, supports youth formation through participation in the Steubenville Youth Conference, and houses the local court of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
- Altar Servers (recruiting)
- Bible Study
- Steubenville Youth Conference (youth)
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas – Court Blessed Mother Teresa #2550 (2nd Monday of the month, 6:00 PM, Parish Life Center; June and July excluded)
- Parish dinners and parish-wide gumbo
- Catholic High School Advisory Council
Parish Life, Outreach, and Identity
The parish's identity is deeply Cajun-rooted in south Louisiana, and Father Garrett Savoie is publicly credited with steering signature parish events including dinners, Confirmation celebrations, and the parish-wide gumbo. Through seventy-plus years and multiple pastors, the parish frames itself as a stable, multi-generational Catholic community that has 'stood strong and willing to serve the community' and invites all comers to find a home there.
- Cajun country / south Louisiana heritage
- Parish-wide gumbo as a signature event
- Confirmation retreats and parish dinners
- Multi-generational Catholic community
Visit, Contact, and Office Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at 337-365-5481 or fax at 337-365-5483, or send a message through the contact form on the website (olphni.weconnect.com/contact). Office hours are Monday 11:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00–4:00 PM; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 8:30 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00–4:00 PM; the office is closed on Friday.
- Address: 1303 St. Jude Avenue, New Iberia, LA 70560
- Phone: 337-365-5481
- Fax: 337-365-5483
- Email: [email protected]
- Monday: 11:00 AM–12:00 PM, 1:00–4:00 PM
- Tue–Thu: 8:30 AM–12:00 PM, 1:00–4:00 PM
- Friday: Closed
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Wayne Richard1949–
Founder and first pastor; celebrated the first Mass on Christmas Day, 1949.
- Father Garrett Savoie10+ years as of the current website write-up (post ~2014/2015)
Current pastor; has directed church dinners, confirmation, parish-wide gumbo and other parish events.