About Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church · Lake Arthur, Louisiana
Our Lady of the Lake is a Roman Catholic parish in Lake Arthur, Louisiana, in the southeastern part of Jefferson Davis (Jeff Davis) Civil Parish, within the Diocese of Lake Charles. Founded in 1922 by Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard of Lafayette, it serves about 650–682 registered families and runs the longest-running Catholic presence on the lake. The parish is currently led by Reverend Jay Alexius and is supported by the Altar Society, Catholic Daughters, Knights of Columbus, Junior Catholic Daughters, a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd religious education program, a Bereavement Group, a Lake Arthur Meal Ministry, a Fall Family Festival, and care of two historic cemeteries.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Lake
- Rector
- Reverend Jay Alexius
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lake Charles
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Lake is a multi-generational parish that has anchored Catholic life around Lake Arthur for more than a century. Daily and weekly Masses are celebrated at multiple convenient times, with Confession heard before every Mass, and the parish runs a robust Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program alongside a strong adult faith formation track. Members care for neighbors through the Lake Arthur Meal Ministry and Bereavement Group, sustain two historic cemeteries (Andrus Cove and St. Anthony), gather in the Altar Society, Catholic Daughters, Knights of Columbus, and Junior Catholic Daughters, and come together each autumn for the Fall Family Festival on the grounds of the former Benedictine monastery. It is a place where rural Cajun-Southwest Louisiana Catholic tradition is lived out week by week.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before weekday Masses
- 1 hour before weekend Masses
- Saturday 3:30 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
- Sunday 8:00 a.m.–8:45 a.m.
- Sunday 4:00 p.m.–4:45 p.m.
- Tuesday 5:00 p.m.–5:20 p.m.
- Wednesday 11:30 a.m.–11:50 a.m.
- Thursday 5:00 p.m.–5:20 p.m.
- Friday (one hour before weekday Mass, see schedule)
- By appointment
History of Our Lady of the Lake Parish
Catholic worship in the Lake Arthur area long predates the parish. Pioneers like Atanas Hebert settled the south shore of the lake in 1811, and the first priest of record, Rev. P. F. Parisot, traveled up the Mermentau from Galveston in 1852, baptizing infants along both banks. A St. Theresa Chapel at Lakeside served as the spiritual center until 1891, when the territory was joined to the new Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Jennings; Rev. Joseph Peeters would come by boat and horseback to say Mass there. By 1922 Lake Arthur had grown enough for Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard of Lafayette to establish Our Lady of the Lake as an independent parish, with Rev. William E. Allen as founding pastor.
- 1852 — Rev. P. F. Parisot arrives from Galveston by boat
- Late 1800s — St. Theresa Chapel serves Catholics at Lakeside
- 1891 — Territory attached to Our Lady Help of Christians, Jennings
- 1922 — Parish established by Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard
- 1922–1935 — Founding pastor Rev. William E. Allen serves
- 1954 — Present church building constructed (500 seats)
- 1956 — New rectory completed
- 1983–1997 — Msgr. Charles Dubois remodels and expands the church
Pastoral Staff
Reverend Jay Alexius is the current pastor, supported by a secretary, bookkeeper, coordinators of religious education and adult faith formation, part-time secretaries, and maintenance volunteers. The parish coordinates its safe-environment program through the Diocese of Lake Charles.
- Pastor — Rev. Jay Alexius
- Secretary — Gloria O'Blanc
- Bookkeeper — Dharma Trahan
- CGS Religious Education Coordinator — Mary Ellen Sweeney
- CGS Religious Education Assistant
- Adult Catechesis Coordinator — Erin Fontenot
- Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
- Part-time Secretaries — Cindy Green, Ginger Roché, Lynette Fox
- Safe Environment — Cindy Green
- Maintenance Volunteers
Devotions and Prayer Life
The parish maintains a rhythm of traditional Catholic devotion: a daily Rosary is prayed half an hour before every Mass, a Rosary for Life is offered on the first Tuesday of every month, and the Stations of the Cross are prayed at 6:00 p.m. on Lenten Fridays. November brings the Visitation of the Cemeteries and the Office of the Dead after the Wednesday noon Mass. The annual Orate Retreat and the Pentecost Cursillo Walk round out the prayer calendar.
- Daily Rosary — 30 minutes before all Masses
- Monthly Rosary for Life — 1st Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
- Stations of the Cross — Lenten Fridays, 6:00 p.m.
- Office of the Dead — after Wednesday noon Mass during November
- Visitation of the Cemeteries — November
- Pentecost Cursillo Walk
- Annual Orate Retreat
Parish Ministries, Organizations, and Councils
Parish organizations meet regularly in the Oustalet Center and the church, and the parish runs multiple outreach and formation ministries that reflect the long Catholic heritage of southeast Jeff Davis Parish.
- Altar Society — 1st Tuesday at 1 PM (no meetings Jun–Aug)
- Catholic Daughters — 2nd Thursday at 6:15 PM, Oustalet Center
- Junior Catholic Daughters — meeting TBA
- Knights of Columbus — 2nd Tuesday at 6 PM, Oustalet Center
- Adult Faith Formation
- Bereavement Group
- Come, Lord Jesus
- Lake Arthur Meal Ministry
- Spiritual Group
- Fall Family Festival
- Latin English Mass
Faith Formation: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Religious education for children is run through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, coordinated by Mary Ellen Sweeney with the help of an assistant and a team of catechists. A separate track of Adult Catechesis, coordinated by Erin Fontenot, walks adults through the same atrium-style formation used for the children.
- CGS Coordinator — Mary Ellen Sweeney
- CGS Religious Education Assistant
- Adult Catechesis — Erin Fontenot
- Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
- Safe Environment — Cindy Green (Diocese of Lake Charles policy)
Sacraments
Baptisms and marriages are scheduled by appointment through the parish office. Confession is heard before every Mass and by appointment. The Diocese of Lake Charles Safe Environment Policy applies to all parish sacramental programs.
- Baptism — by appointment
- Marriage — by appointment
- Penance — 30 min before weekday Masses; 1 hr before weekend Masses; by appointment
- Safe Environment — Diocese of Lake Charles policy in force
Cemeteries
The parish oversees two historic Catholic cemeteries that anchor the community's memory: Andrus Cove Cemetery (named for the Andrus family pioneer settlement of 1832) and St. Anthony Cemetery. Both are visited annually in the November Visitation of the Cemeteries, and the Office of the Dead is prayed over those buried there after the Wednesday noon Mass during November.
- Andrus Cove Cemetery
- St. Anthony Cemetery
- November Visitation of the Cemeteries
- Office of the Dead — after Wednesday noon Mass in November
Outreach: Fall Family Festival and Meal Ministry
Two of the parish's most visible expressions of community life are the annual Fall Family Festival and the Lake Arthur Meal Ministry. The Fall Family Festival is held on the grounds that once housed a Benedictine monastery and serves as the parish's chief fundraiser, with about 25 booth chairmen serving annually. The Lake Arthur Meal Ministry provides meals to those in need, and a Bereavement Group ministers to families at the time of loss.
- Fall Family Festival (annual bazaar on former monastery grounds)
- Lake Arthur Meal Ministry
- Bereavement Group
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William E. Allen1922–1935
Founding pastor; first celebrated Mass in St. Theresa Chapel, traveling by boat and later by secondhand car
- Rev. Louis de Monsabert1935–1941
- Rev. Gustave Berube1941–1949
- Rev. Wilfred Labbe1949–1952
- Rev. Harry Pelous1952–1964
- Rev. Jude Speyrer1964–1969
Later became Bishop of Lake Charles
- Rev. Charles Soileau1969–1974
- Rev. William Koche1974–1975
- Rev. Gerard Smit1975–1983
- Msgr. Charles Dubois1983–1997
Completely remodeled the church, added multiple buildings, and created the prayer garden with Pietà
- Rev. Maurice Martineau1997–
Listed in the parish's 2000-era history as pastor following Msgr. Dubois