About Sacred Heart Chapel · Carville, Louisiana
Sacred Heart Chapel is a historic Roman Catholic chapel located at 5445 Point Clair Road in Carville, Louisiana, on the grounds of the Gillis W. Long Center (formerly the U.S. Public Health Service leprosarium). It is a mission chapel of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, a faith community with more than 250 years of Catholic roots in the greater Baton Rouge area, within the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Completed in 1933 in Mission Revival style with Romanesque details, it was built for the patients and the Daughters of Charity who staffed the famous 'Carville' hospital — the site of the breakthrough sulfone-drug cure for Hansen's disease (leprosy) known as the 'Miracle of Carville.' Masses are still celebrated there for the surrounding community nearly a century later.
- Established
- 1933
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Albert L. Blount (Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, of which Sacred Heart Chapel is a mission chapel; appointed July 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Chapel welcomes visitors and parishioners to share in the Eucharist at one of the most historic Catholic sites in Louisiana — a 1933 Mission Revival chapel that has served the faithful on the grounds of the famous Carville leprosarium for nearly a century. As part of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, the chapel is supported by a broad family of ministries including religious education (Preschool through Grade 12), RCIA/RCIC, Vacation Bible School, the Knights of Columbus Council #3796, the Ladies' Altar Society, choir, altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers, hospital and prison visitation, and a Prayer Line. The parish invites newcomers and returning Catholics alike to encounter more than 250 years of Catholic life and tradition along the Mississippi between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM (at St. Gabriel Church)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (at St. Gabriel Church)
Sacred Heart Chapel — A Mission of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish
Sacred Heart Chapel is one of two worship sites of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. The parish's main church, St. Gabriel Church, stands at 3625 Highway 75 in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, while Sacred Heart Chapel sits at 5445 Point Clair Road in Carville on the grounds of the Gillis W. Long Center. Together the parish family serves the St. Gabriel, Carville and greater Baton Rouge areas from a faith community with more than 250 years of Catholic roots in Louisiana. All parish offices, confessions, registrations, and most scheduled Masses are coordinated through the parish office at the St. Gabriel church site; phone (225) 642-8441.
- Main church: St. Gabriel the Archangel, 3625 Highway 75, St. Gabriel, LA 70776
- Chapel: Sacred Heart Chapel, 5445 Point Clair Rd, Carville, LA 70721
- Parish office phone: (225) 642-8441
- Diocese: Baton Rouge
A Brief History of Sacred Heart Chapel
Sacred Heart Chapel was built in 1933, the second Catholic chapel constructed on the grounds of the Louisiana Leper Home — the famous 'Carville' leprosarium founded by the State of Louisiana in 1894 on the site of the old Indian Camp sugar plantation, in an isolated bend of the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Funding came from the Catholic Church Extension Society of America, and the chapel was designed in Mission Revival style with Romanesque details by the New Orleans architectural firm Bernard & Wogan. The chapel belonged to a remarkable Catholic story. From 1896, the hospital was staffed by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, recruited from their motherhouse in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The sisters were doctors, nurses, administrators, pharmacists, dieticians — and chaplains — and they insisted on Christian burial for every patient. In 1921 the institution was redesignated U.S. Marine Hospital No. 66, the National Leprosarium of the United States. The 1940s brought worldwide fame to Carville when staff doctor Guy Henry Faget discovered that sulfone drugs could control Hansen's disease — the 'Miracle of Carville' — and the Daughters contributed directly to both the research and the public-education campaigns that fought the social stigma of the disease. Sacred Heart Chapel was the spiritual heart of this work for decades.
- 1894 — Louisiana Leper Home founded on Indian Camp Plantation site
- 1896 — Daughters of Charity arrive from Emmitsburg, Maryland to staff the hospital
- 1921 — facility redesignated U.S. Marine Hospital No. 66 (the National Leprosarium)
- 1933 — Sacred Heart Chapel completed; designed by Bernard & Wogan, funded by the Catholic Church Extension Society of America
- 1940s — Dr. Guy Henry Faget's sulfone-drug discovery; 'Miracle of Carville'
- 1986 — center renamed the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center
- 1996 — National Hansen's Disease Museum opens on site
- 1998 — Hansen's disease center relocated to Baton Rouge
- 1999 — U.S. government returns Carville lands to the State of Louisiana
- 2005 — last two Daughters of Charity depart Carville
The Daughters of Charity at Carville
The Daughters of Charity — a religious congregation founded in 17th-century France by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac — staffed the leprosarium for over one hundred years. Their first contract with the State of Louisiana was signed in 1896, providing no salary for the sisters but covering some expenses. Upon arrival, four sisters faced the dilapidated, vermin-infested Indian Camp Plantation, and they proceeded to build a farm, a cold storage plant, an electrical generator, and separate clinics for men and women, along with covered walkways linking the swampy site's buildings. They insisted on Christian burial for every patient in the Carville cemetery, and some sisters were eventually buried alongside those they served.
- Founded by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac
- Motherhouse: Paris, France (U.S. province rooted in Emmitsburg, MD)
- Sisters served as doctors, nurses, administrators, technicians, pharmacists, dieticians, maintenance workers, and chaplains
- Annual renewal of vows of charity, poverty, obedience and service to the poor
Architecture of the Chapel
Sacred Heart Chapel is one of the most architecturally distinctive small churches in south Louisiana. Designed by the New Orleans firm Bernard & Wogan and completed in 1933, it combines a Mission Revival exterior with Romanesque interior details — a style well suited to the warm Louisiana climate and to the contemplative atmosphere of the hospital community it was built to serve. Its construction was funded by the Catholic Church Extension Society of America, which historically supported mission churches in underserved parts of the United States.
- Style: Mission Revival with Romanesque details
- Architects: Bernard & Wogan, New Orleans
- Completed: 1933
- Funder: Catholic Church Extension Society of America
Parish Staff and Leadership
St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish — the parish that serves Sacred Heart Chapel — is led by Pastor Fr. Albert L. Blount, appointed by Bishop Michael Duca effective July 1, 2025. Fr. Blount also serves as Diocesan Director of Vocations and as Co-Chaplain of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. He succeeded Fr. Charles R. 'Charlie' Landry, who retired from active parish administration on the same date. Deacon John Veron assists at the parish, and the staff includes Myra Tircuit (Director of Religious Education & Bookkeeper), Janene Hebert (Director of Administration and Operations), Emma Pourciau (Secretary), Julia LaPlace (Communications), and Guy Chauvin (Maintenance). The Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council — which include parishioner representatives — guide the life of both St. Gabriel Church and Sacred Heart Chapel.
- Pastor: Rev. Albert L. Blount ([email protected])
- Deacon: Rev. John Veron
- Director of Religious Education & Bookkeeper: Myra Tircuit
- Director of Administration and Operations: Janene Hebert
- Secretary: Emma Pourciau
- Communications: Julia LaPlace
- Maintenance: Guy Chauvin
- Support staff: Yanira Morales
- Parish Council members include Bobby Acaldo, Mary Coco, Steve LaPlace, Deacon John Veron, Candace Oby, Michael Tubre, and Fr. Albert Blount
- Finance Committee members include Catherine Williams, Melissa Laurent, Sandra Alfred, Fr. Albert Blount, Myra Tircuit, Michelle Tubre, and Robert Causey
Parish Office and Contact
All parish business — including registrations, sacramental scheduling, and offerings — is handled through the parish office at St. Gabriel Church. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM); the office is closed on Fridays. The Parish Activity Center can be reached at (225) 642-8410.
- Parish office: 3625 Highway 75, St. Gabriel, LA 70776
- Phone: (225) 642-8441
- Parish Activity Center: (225) 642-8410
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–3:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM); closed Friday
- General email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stgabrielcatholic.org/
Ministries and Faith Formation
The parish operates more than three dozen lay ministries spanning Administration, Liturgy & Spiritual Life, Education, and Outreach/Community Life. Worship is supported by altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, sacristans, ushers, the choir (which sings at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass and special services), and a Liturgy Planning Committee. Faith formation runs from preschool through grade 12 with catechists, substitutes, aides, and a classroom music team; sacramental preparation is offered for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. The parish also runs Vacation Bible School, a Baptismal Team, and RCIA/RCIC teams for adults and children.
- Worship: Altar Servers, Choir, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers, Sacristans, Ushers, Vestment & Linen Care
- Faith formation: Religious Education (PreK–12), Sacramental Preparation, RCIA/RCIC, Confirmation Team, Vacation Bible School
- Pastoral care: Hospital Visitation, Prayer Line, Rosary Prayer, Small Christian Communities
- Community life: Ladies' Altar Society, Knights of Columbus Council #3796, Hospitality Team, New Parishioner Welcoming, Special Events Committee
- Outreach: Prison Ministry (visits and prayer with inmates at Hunt Correctional Institute), Mission Team
- Stewardship: Money Counters, Environment Committee, Media, Office Mailings & Bulletin Folding, Construction Committee, Pastoral Council, Finance Committee
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the full sacramental life of the Church. Catechists walk children and their parents through First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, typically in second grade, and prepare confirmation candidates (juniors and seniors) with their parents throughout the year. The RCIA/RCIC process welcomes adults and children into full reception into the Catholic community, supported by catechists, support catechists, and peer companions. A dedicated Baptismal Team supports families presenting infants and young children for baptism, and a team of extraordinary ministers and the parish's Hospital Visitation ministry bring Holy Communion and the Anointing of the Sick to the sick and homebound.
- Baptism — Baptismal Team
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist — Sacramental Preparation
- Confirmation — Confirmation Team
- RCIA / RCIC (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults/Children)
- Matrimony — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick and pastoral care of the sick — Hospital Visitation ministry
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles R. 'Charlie' Landrythrough June 30, 2025
Listed as Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel on the 2024–2025 Parish Handbook and on LinkedIn; retired from active parish administration effective July 1, 2025 per the Diocese of Baton Rouge 2025 pastoral assignments.
- Rev. Albert L. BlountJuly 1, 2025 – present
Appointed Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel and Sacred Heart Chapel effective July 1, 2025, while also serving as Diocesan Director of Vocations and Co-Chaplain of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge.