About Sacred Heart of Jesus · New Iberia, Louisiana
Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic parish in New Iberia, Louisiana, located on Old Jeanerette Road along Bayou Teche in the Diocese of Lafayette. Established in 1960, the parish grew from a tract of land donated by the Bernard and LeBlanc families and was carved out of St. Peter's, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and St. John's parishes to serve the Catholic community on the outskirts of New Iberia. The parish offers a full weekly Mass schedule (including Saturday Vigil and three Sunday Masses), daily weekday Masses, First Friday Adoration, Reconciliation before every Mass, and a range of ministries for youth, adults, music, hospitality, and faith formation under the leadership of Fr. Michael Keith Landry.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Michael Keith Landry
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
Sacred Heart of Jesus offers daily and weekend Masses in English, First Friday Adoration, and Reconciliation before every Mass, giving parishioners regular access to the sacraments. The parish supports an active music ministry (with organ, adult contemporary ensemble, and a LifeTeen band), a Sunday Morning Hospitality/Coffee and Donuts ministry, RCIA, First Communion, Confirmation preparation for juniors in high school, altar servers, and a Confirmation/Life Teen program coordinated by Jeanne Stiles and Robin Landry. With a dedicated Director of Religious Education and a Pastoral Council, plus opportunities for stewardship of time, talent, and treasure, Sacred Heart welcomes families, youth, and returning Catholics into a tightly-knit Catholic community on the bayou.
Mass times at Sacred Heart of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 45 minutes before each Mass time (Father Keith hears Confessions 45 mins before each Mass Time)
- Saturday: 3:30 PM–3:55 PM (before 4:00 PM Vigil Mass)
- Sunday: 8:00–8:25 AM (before 8:30 AM Mass); 10:00–10:25 AM (before 10:30 AM Mass); 4:30–4:55 PM (before 5:00 PM Mass)
- Monday: 6:30–6:55 AM (before 7:00 AM Mass)
- Tuesday: 5:00–5:25 PM (before 5:30 PM Mass)
- Wednesday: 11:30–11:55 AM (before 12:00 PM Mass)
- Thursday: 11:30–11:55 AM (before 12:00 PM Mass)
- Friday: 6:30–6:55 AM (before 7:00 AM Mass)
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration in Church: 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM (held in Church following the 7:00 AM Friday morning Mass)
About Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic parish in New Iberia, Louisiana, part of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. The parish was created in 1960 and today serves the Catholic community on Old Jeanerette Road along Bayou Teche with daily and weekend Masses, Reconciliation before every Mass, First Friday Adoration, and a range of ministries for youth, adults, music, and faith formation. The current pastor is Fr. Michael Keith Landry, who became the seventh pastor in June 2016.
Parish History
The parish's story begins in July 1957, when Miss Alice Bernard and her LeBlanc nieces donated ten acres on the Old Jeanerette Road to St. Peter's Parish in hope of a future canonical parish. On June 25, 1960 — the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — Bishop Maurice Schexnayder announced the creation of Sacred Heart of Jesus, carved from St. Peter's, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and St. John's. The community grew quickly, and by the late 1990s the original facilities were inadequate. Fr. Steve LeBlanc convened a building committee in December 1996; the new worship, gathering, and education complex was dedicated by Bishop Edward O'Donnell on June 20, 2001. A second renovation turned the 55-year-old original church into a beautiful parish hall, completed in 2016. The parish celebrated its 60th anniversary on June 25, 2020.
- Land donated July 1957 by Miss Alice Bernard and nieces Bertha, Georgette, Blanche, and Heloise LeBlanc
- Parish established June 25, 1960 by Bishop Maurice Schexnayder
- New worship/gathering/education complex dedicated June 20, 2001 by Bishop Edward O'Donnell
- Original church renovated into a parish hall, keys presented March 1, 2016
- 60th anniversary celebrated June 25, 2020
Parish Pastoral Team & Staff
The parish is staffed by a small pastoral team supported by parish council leaders and trustees. Fr. Michael Keith Landry serves as pastor. Robin Landry is Director of Religious Education and Formation and also coordinates Confirmation. Jeanne Stiles directs music for the Saturday 4 PM and Sunday 5 PM Masses, including Life Teen.
- Pastor: Fr. Michael Keith Landry
- Director of Religious Education and Formation: Robin Landry
- Bookkeeper: Darrell Francois
- Secretary/Receptionist: Mindy Domingue
- Custodian: Tracey Polk
- Music (Saturday 4 PM & Sunday 5 PM, Life Teen): Jeanne Stiles
- Sunday 10:30 AM Mass Choir (support volunteers)
- Trustees: Charlyn Bouton, Kevin Derise
- Pastoral Council Chairperson: Lisa Boudoin
- Pastoral Council Co-Chairperson: Art Suberbielle
- Pastoral Council Secretary: Emily Breaux
- Life Teen Coordinator: Jeanne Stiles
- Confirmation Coordinator: Robin Landry
Faith Formation & Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for every stage of sacramental life. Parents contact the parish office to begin Baptism preparation (a Baptism class is required). First Reconciliation and First Communion are coordinated through the office. Confirmation is offered to juniors in high school who have attended high-school religion either through the Parish School of Religion or a Catholic school. Adults seeking full initiation or completing their sacraments are invited through the RCIA process. Weddings follow the parish Wedding Policy; the Sacrament of the Sick can be requested by calling the office anytime.
- Baptism — contact parish office; class required
- First Reconciliation / First Communion — registration through parish office
- Confirmation — for 11th-grade candidates; contact Robin Landry
- RCIA — contact Robin Landry; weekly meetings beginning in September
- Marriage — see Wedding Policy or call the office
- Sacrament of the Sick — call parish office anytime
- Funerals — arranged via Funeral Home, which contacts parish
RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
RCIA is a process inviting anyone interested in learning about the Catholic Church and becoming an initiated member. The invitation is open to the unbaptized, baptized Christians exploring Catholicism, and Catholics who have not yet completed their initiation. Weekly meetings beginning in September combine small and large group activities that introduce Catholic teachings and beliefs and help candidates discern their call. Contact the parish office at 337-364-4439 for more information.
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry's goal is to lead the full, active, and conscious participation of the congregation in the sung prayer of the liturgy. Sacred Heart supports three ensembles serving different weekend Masses: an organist for the earlier Mass, an adult contemporary ensemble for the late-morning Mass, and the LifeTeen band for the Sunday evening youth Mass.
- Earlier Mass — organist
- Late-morning Mass — adult ensemble with keyboard, guitar, bass, drums/percussion, and synthesizer (4 men, 6 women); rehearses Thursdays 6:30–8:30 PM
- Sunday 5 PM Mass — LifeTeen band (keyboard, guitar, drums) with 4 men and 4 teens; contemporary repertoire oriented to teens
- Music prep with assembly 10 minutes before each Mass
Altar Servers
Altar Servers assist the priest at Mass — helping with the book, the wine and water, the thurible, processions, the washing of the priest's hands, and other liturgical tasks. At Sacred Heart, altar servers have traditionally served the Saturday 4:00 PM, Sunday 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM, and Sunday 5:00 PM Masses. To become an Altar Server, contact the parish office at 337-364-4439.
Sunday Morning Hospitality
The Sunday Morning Hospitality ministry (Coffee and Donuts) provides coffee, juice, and donuts following the Sunday 8:30 AM Mass. Several faithful parishioner teams rotate responsibility for purchasing supplies, setting up, and cleaning up each week. The purpose is social — to build fellowship and community among parishioners. Anyone interested in joining may call the parish office.
Stewardship & Communication
Sacred Heart's Stewardship and Communication ministry works with the pastor and parish leaders to draw parishioners into parish life and to encourage generous financial giving. The parish emphasizes the virtue of hospitality — becoming a welcoming community that invites longtime members, new families, youth, and returning Catholics to take part. Each year parishioners are invited to make commitments of time, talent, and treasure, recognizing that 'Where your treasure is, there also lies your heart.'
- Stewardship of Time — making time for prayer, community, and parish involvement
- Stewardship of Talent — sharing gifts through one of dozens of ministries
- Stewardship of Treasure — generous weekly financial offerings as part of the Stewardship Renewal Appeal
Parish Life & Offices
Office hours are Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The parish email is [email protected]; the Religious Education email is [email protected]. After hours and on weekends, an answering service routes emergency calls to Fr. Keith Landry or Robin Landry.
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Parish phone: 337-364-4439
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Religious Education email: [email protected]
Contact & Location
Sacred Heart of Jesus is located at 2514 Old Jeanerette Road, New Iberia, Louisiana 70563. Visitors coming from Lafayette via Hwy. 90/I-49 should exit at Lewis Street, turn left, cross the railroad track and the Bayou Teche bridge, then turn right at the red light and continue until the church appears on the right. The parish sits among the cane fields along Bayou Teche on the outskirts of New Iberia.
- Address: 2514 Old Jeanerette Road, New Iberia, LA 70563
- Phone: (337) 364-4439
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sacredheartofjesusnewiberia.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Curtis Vidrine1960–1970
Founding pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.
- Fr. T.J. Hebert1970–1973
- Msgr. Emery Labbe1973–1974
- Fr. J. Wilson Matt1974–1996
- Fr. Steve LeBlanc1996–2007
Convened a building committee in December 1996 that led to the new worship/gathering/education complex dedicated in 2001.
- Msgr. Richard Greene2007–2016
- Fr. Michael Keith Landry2016–present
Became pastor in June 2016.