About Our Lady of Prompt Succor · White Castle, Louisiana
Our Lady of Prompt Succor is a small Roman Catholic parish serving White Castle and the surrounding Mississippi River communities of Iberville Parish, Louisiana. Located at 32615 Bowie Street in White Castle, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Baton Rouge and bears the name of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, the principal patroness of the state of Louisiana since 1928. It is one of the older rural parishes in the diocese, with records dating its operation as a religious organization to 1899. The parish celebrates Mass on Sunday and Tuesday mornings, with weekly confession and Eucharistic Adoration offered alongside the Tuesday Mass.
- Established
- 1899
- Patron
- Our Lady of Prompt Succor (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Prompt Succor — Patroness of Louisiana)
- Rector
- Rev. Al M. Davidson (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
Our Lady of Prompt Succor is a close-knit, rural Catholic parish where the small congregation gathers twice a week — Sunday at 9 AM and Tuesday at 9 AM — to celebrate Mass together. The Tuesday morning gathering also includes Eucharistic Adoration from 8 to 9 AM and the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 8 to 8:45 AM, making it a single weekly hour of prayer, penance, and Eucharist that anchors the spiritual life of the parish. Worshiping here means joining a historic Iberville Parish community that bears the name of Louisiana's patroness and continues the long River Parishes Catholic tradition.
Mass times at Our Lady of Prompt Succor
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (preceding the 9 AM Mass)
About Our Lady of Prompt Succor
Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in White Castle, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. According to business filings the parish has been in continuous operation as a religious organization since 1899, making it one of the older small-town Catholic parishes of the River Parishes region. The parish takes its name from the Marian title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, the principal patroness of the state of Louisiana.
- Diocese of Baton Rouge parish
- In operation since 1899
- Located in White Castle, Iberville Parish, Louisiana
- Named for Louisiana's patroness
The Devotion of Our Lady of Prompt Succor
The devotion of Our Lady of Prompt Succor — French: Notre-Dame du Prompt Secours — has its origin in New Orleans among the Ursuline Sisters in 1809–1810, when Mother St. Michel Gensoul promised the Blessed Virgin that she would honor her under this title if Pope Pius VII would grant her request to come to America. Pope Pius VII responded favorably on 29 April 1809. Two famous miracles are associated with the title: a sudden wind shift that spared the Ursuline convent during the great New Orleans fire of 1812, and the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans on 8 January 1815, after the nuns kept an all-night vigil and the convent's prioress vowed an annual Mass of Thanksgiving. Pope Pius IX authorized the public devotion on 21 September 1851, and Pope Pius XI declared the Blessed Virgin under this title the principal patroness of the State of Louisiana on 13 June 1928. The feast day of Our Lady of Prompt Succor is 8 January.
- Devotion originates in New Orleans, 1809–1810
- Miracle of the 1812 New Orleans fire
- Battle of New Orleans, 8 January 1815
- Declared patroness of Louisiana in 1928
- Feast day: January 8
Clergy & Leadership
According to the Diocese of Baton Rouge's published clergy listing, Our Lady of Prompt Succor is currently administered by Rev. Al M. Davidson, who also serves as Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker in Pierre Part. Rev. Alexander J. Sheldon serves as Sacramental Minister for the parish. The arrangement reflects the smaller size of the parish and the diocese's model of regional priestly ministry across the rural deaneries.
- Rev. Al M. Davidson — Administrator (also Pastor, St. Joseph the Worker, Pierre Part)
- Rev. Alexander J. Sheldon — Sacramental Minister
Parish Identity & Community
White Castle is a small Mississippi River town in Iberville Parish, historically home to Cajun and Creole Catholic communities. The parish's Facebook page carries the affectionate local nickname 'Pigeon Catholic,' a term rooted in Cajun French parish culture and used by generations of River Parishes faithful. The parish is identified in the Diocese of Baton Rouge's parish finder and is listed among the parishes in the diocese.
- Located in the historic River Parishes Cajun/Creole Catholic region
- Locally known by the nickname 'Pigeon Catholic'
- Listed in the Diocese of Baton Rouge parish finder
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at the address below. The parish maintains a Facebook page — 'Our Lady of Prompt Succor, White Castle' (whitecastlepigeoncatholic) — where bulletins, Father Alec's letters, and parish announcements are regularly posted.
- Address: 32615 Bowie Street, White Castle, LA 70788
- Phone: (225) 545-3635
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/whitecastlepigeoncatholic