About Sacred Heart Chapel · Butte La Rose, Louisiana
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel (also called Sacred Heart Mission Chapel) is a small Catholic mission chapel serving the Butte La Rose community in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, located on Herman Dupuis Road within the Atchafalaya Basin. It is a mission of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Henderson, sharing the same pastor and pastoral team, and is part of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. The chapel hosts one weekend Mass — Saturday at 3:00 PM — and Saturday confessions before Mass, providing the faithful of the surrounding bayou country a regular opportunity for the Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation. Its parishioners join those of Our Lady of Mercy in supporting and enjoying the annual Atchafalaya Basin Festival held each November.
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Richard, JCL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel serves the Catholic faithful of Butte La Rose, a tight-knit community in the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin. Because Mass is celebrated here only once a week (Saturday at 3:00 PM in English), the chapel is a small, neighborly worship site where families know one another. Worshippers enjoy confessions on Saturday afternoons at the chapel, daily Mass when visiting Henderson, and a vibrant parish life shared with Our Lady of Mercy — including the popular annual Atchafalaya Basin Festival fundraiser held each second Saturday in November.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM (Butte La Rose, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel)
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel — At a Glance
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel is a Catholic mission chapel in Butte La Rose, Louisiana, serving St. Martin Parish within the Atchafalaya Basin. Officially designated as 'Sacred Heart Mission Chapel' in the Diocese of Lafayette parish finder, the chapel sits at 1718 Herman Dupuis Road, Butte La Rose, LA 70517, and is reached through the parish rectory at (337) 228-2352. Worshippers gather for one Saturday Mass each week and for Saturday confessions immediately beforehand, with additional daily and weekend Masses and confessions available at the parent church, Our Lady of Mercy, just down the road in Henderson.
- Mission chapel of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Henderson
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
- Located in St. Martin Parish, 1718 Herman Dupuis Rd., Butte La Rose, LA 70517
- Phone: (337) 228-2352
- Website: olmhenderson.com
Pastoral Leadership
The current pastor of Our Lady of Mercy / Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel is Rev. Michael Richard, JCL, who also serves as a Judge on the Diocesan Tribunal of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. The Diocese lists his parish address as Our Lady of Mercy Church, P.O. Box 587 (Henderson Station), Breaux Bridge, LA 70517-0587, with the rectory phone (337) 228-2352. Before Fr. Richard, the parish was led by Rev. Lloyd Francis Benoit, who was announced as pastor in early 2019 and who served until the transition to Fr. Richard.
- Rev. Michael Richard, JCL — current Pastor (also Diocesan Tribunal Judge)
- Rev. Lloyd Francis Benoit — predecessor, introduced February 2019, first day March 11, 2019
Parish Community & Fundraising
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel is part of a single Catholic community that worships at two sites — the mission chapel in Butte La Rose and the parish church in Henderson — and that comes together for parish-wide fellowship. The community's flagship event is the Atchafalaya Basin Festival, an annual fundraiser that began in 2007 and is held each second Saturday in November at Henry Guidry Memorial Park in Henderson. The festival is free to attend, features live Cajun and Louisiana music, a cooking contest, an arts-and-crafts bazaar, a car and truck show, and children's activities, with all proceeds supporting Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church and Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel.
- Annual Atchafalaya Basin Festival — second Saturday of November
- Held at Henry Guidry Memorial Park, Henderson, LA
- Free admission; live music, food contest, car & truck show, arts & crafts
- Joint fundraiser for Our Lady of Mercy and Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel
- Begun in 2007
The Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana, which was erected in 1918 from the western half of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and now encompasses a large swath of south-central and southwestern Louisiana. The diocesan cathedral is St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Lafayette. The diocese's Parish Finder lists Sacred Heart Mission Chapel under its Our Lady of Mercy parish entry, and a diocesan profile of Fr. Michael Richard confirms him as pastor of Our Lady of Mercy and Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel while also serving on the diocesan Tribunal.
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana — canonical jurisdiction
- Cathedral: St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, Lafayette, LA
- Parish listed in diocesan Parish Finder as 'Sacred Heart Mission Chapel'
- Diocesan website: diolaf.org
Butte La Rose & the Atchafalaya Basin
Butte La Rose is a small, historic community on the Atchafalaya Basin in St. Martin Parish — an area settled by French-speaking Acadians and Creoles whose Catholic religious tradition is deeply rooted in the bayous and swamps. The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest river swamp in the United States and an internationally important wetland, and the chapel sits within this landscape. Local parishioners describe the Henderson–Butte La Rose area as the 'Gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin,' with weekend Masses and the Atchafalaya Basin Festival being key community anchors.
- Located within the Atchafalaya Basin
- Part of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
- Francophone Acadian/Creole Catholic heritage
- Gateway community for the Atchafalaya Basin
Contact & Visit
To visit Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel for the Saturday 3:00 PM Mass or for Saturday confessions at 2:30 PM, visitors should travel to 1718 Herman Dupuis Road in Butte La Rose, Louisiana 70517. All pastoral inquiries — weddings, baptisms, funerals, RCIA, sick calls — are handled through the parish rectory at Our Lady of Mercy, Henderson. The parish's shared website is olmhenderson.com.
- Address: 1718 Herman Dupuis Rd., Butte La Rose, LA 70517
- Rectory/Parish Office: P.O. Box 587 (Henderson Station), Breaux Bridge, LA 70517-0587
- Phone: (337) 228-2352
- Website: olmhenderson.com
- Diocese: diolaf.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Lloyd Francis Benoit
Predecessor as pastor of Our Lady of Mercy parish (and thus of the Sacred Heart mission); introduced to parishioners in early 2019 with first day March 11, 2019.
- Rev. Michael Richard, JCL
Current pastor; also serves as Judge on the Diocesan Tribunal.