About Sacred Heart of Jesus · Norco, Louisiana
Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic parish in Norco, Louisiana, part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Canonically erected in June 1959, the parish serves the Catholic community of Norco and surrounding St. Charles Parish from its current church on Spruce Street, built in 1978-1979. It offers daily and weekend Masses in English, Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration, a weekly Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a food pantry, CCD/Religious Education and Confirmation programs, CYO youth ministry, a Children's Choir, and a grief support group, sustaining a small but active Catholic life along the River Road.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Edmund Akordor (commonly referred to as Fr. Ed)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
Sacred Heart of Jesus offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a small, neighborly setting: weekday and Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, the Tuesday Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a food pantry that serves the local community, a CCD/Confirmation program and active CYO youth ministry, a Children's Choir, and a grief support group. The parish is run by a pastor parishioners simply call 'Fr. Ed,' making it a place where families, the homebound, the young, and the grieving can all find a familiar welcome.
Mass times at Sacred Heart of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:15 PM
- Monday–Thursday by appointment
- Wednesday confessions with Fr. Ed beginning at 5:00 PM (announced occasional schedule, e.g. September 13, 2023)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Exposition & Adoration in the church, with Benediction)
- Monday mornings — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Parish History
Tracing Sacred Heart from chapel to parish: the 1942 chapel reassembled from old St. Matthias of New Orleans, the 1956 land purchase on Spruce Street, the canonical erection of the parish in June 1959, the building of school, convent and rectory through the early 1960s, and the construction of the current church completed May 4, 1979.
- 1942: Sacred Heart Chapel opens after old St. Matthias Church (New Orleans) is moved to Norco for $1,000 plus $1,463 in moving costs.
- 1951: Chapel renovated in preparation for ordination of Fr. Ray Hebert, first priest from the area.
- March 22, 1956: Fr. Malcolm Strassel buys 9.13 acres on Spruce Street for $30,366.01.
- 1957: Two four-classroom school units built on Spruce Street.
- June 1959: Parish canonically erected; Fr. Marcel Fourcade named pastor (arrives June 26, 1959).
- Sept. 1962: Sisters of St. Joseph arrive; teach at the school until 1974.
- May 3–4, 1979: Last Mass in old chapel on 4th Street; first Mass in new Spruce Street church on May 4, 1979.
- End of 2018–19 school year: Sacred Heart of Jesus School closes after 60 years.
Building the New Church
After decades of saving, plans for the present church moved forward in the late 1970s under building chairman Ronald St. Pierre, architects Harold Pique and Associates, and interior designer Milton Pounds. Construction ran from January 1978 to April 1979 at a cost of about $600,000.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Edmund Akordor ('Fr. Ed'), with Sean Moore serving as Confirmation Class Instructor. The founding pastor was Fr. Marcel Fourcade, joined in 1959 by the former Dachau prisoner Fr. Stanislaus Manikowski.
- Rev. Edmund Akordor — Pastor
- Sean Moore — Confirmation Class Instructor (504-723-4948, email on parish site)
- Office contact: 401 Spruce St., Norco, LA 70079 · (985) 764-6503 · [email protected]
Devotions and Other Services
Beyond Mass and Adoration, the parish keeps a weekly rhythm of traditional Catholic devotions.
- Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help — Tuesdays after 8:00 AM Mass
- Solemnity of the Sacred Heart — June 8 (parish feast day; celebrated with Mass and refreshments at 8:00 AM and 6:30 PM)
- Visits and Communion to the homebound — by request through Fr. Ed (985-764-6503)
- Grief support group 'The Journey Goes On' — Wednesdays 6:00–7:00 PM in the Youth Center
Religious Education and Youth
Faith formation continues through CCD classes and a multi-year Confirmation program, supported by CYO youth ministry and a Children's Choir that sings on the second Sunday of each month at the 10:00 AM Mass.
- Confirmation classes for 9th, 10th, and 11th grades
- Service-hour requirements (5–15 hours depending on grade)
- Active parish CYO participation required of Confirmation candidates
- Children's Choir — practice 9:15 AM, sings at 10:00 Mass on the 2nd Sunday
Outreach: Food Pantry and Community
The parish operates a food pantry serving local families in need. The Altar Society hosts parish social events such as the 60th anniversary potluck, and area Knights of Columbus councils join in major parish celebrations.
- Food Pantry — especially in need of breakfast items, red beans & rice, peanut butter & jelly, spaghetti and noodles, canned tuna, potted meats and chicken
- Altar Society
- Knights of Columbus (visiting councils at major celebrations)
Sacred Heart of Jesus School (closed 2019)
Sacred Heart of Jesus School traced its roots to the four classrooms built on Spruce Street in 1957. Sisters of St. Joseph staffed it from 1962 until 1974. A pre-kindergarten was added in 1988 and a two-year-old program in 2011. After operating for 60 years, the school closed at the end of the 2018–19 school year amid declining enrollment, becoming the fourth Catholic school closure in the Archdiocese of New Orleans that year.
- 1957: Two four-classroom school units built on Spruce Street
- 1960: Cafeteria, auditorium, and four additional classrooms completed for $143,000.60
- 1962: Sisters of St. Joseph arrive; teach at the school until 1974
- 1988: Pre-kindergarten added
- 2011: Two-year-old program added
- 2019: School closes after 60 years
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone during business hours and by email for general inquiries. The official website posts the Mass schedule, Adoration times, news, and online giving links to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
- Address: 401 Spruce Street, Norco, LA 70079
- Phone: (985) 764-6503
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sacredheartchurchnorco.org/
- Quick links: Archdiocese of New Orleans, USCCB Daily Readings, Online Giving
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Marcel Fourcade1959–
Founding pastor; arrived June 26, 1959. Built and expanded the school, recruited the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1962, completed the new convent and rectory, oversaw construction of the current Spruce Street church completed in 1979.
- Rev. Edmund Akordorat least through 2019
Current pastor; celebrated 39 years as a priest in July 2019, was celebrant of the parish's 60th anniversary Mass with Archbishop Gregory Aymond.