About St. Alphonsus · Hessmer, Louisiana
St. Alphonsus Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the small town of Hessmer, Louisiana, established in 1898 and part of the Diocese of Alexandria's Avoyelles Deanery. The parish sits on Main Street in the heart of Hessmer (Avoyelles Parish) and serves a tight-knit central-Louisiana community along with the nearby Hessmer Nursing Home, where a weekly Mass is offered. Under the pastoral care of Fr. Kenneth Michiels, the parish combines a traditional liturgical schedule (weekday and Sunday Masses, daily confessions, First Friday adoration, First Saturday Mass, Stations of the Cross in Lent, and Divine Mercy devotions) with a family of lay-led ministries in religious education, youth ministry, RCIA, and music. The parish is staffed almost entirely by local lay faithful — multiple members of the Bordelon, Dauzat, and Laborde families — reflecting the multi-generational Catholic roots of the Hessmer area.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Alphonsus Liguori (Alfonso Maria de' Liguori, Doctor of the Church, founder of the Redemptorists)
- Rector
- Rev. Kenneth Michiels
- Diocese
- Diocese of Alexandria (in Louisiana)
Why belong here
St. Alphonsus is a small, family-oriented parish where the same families have staffed and attended Mass for generations — its Religious Education, Youth Ministry, RCIA team, and two Music Directors are all local lay faithful. It offers the full rhythm of Catholic devotional life: weekday Mass, daily-confession availability, First Friday adoration, First Saturday Mass, Lenten Stations of the Cross, a weekly Mass at the Hessmer Nursing Home, and Divine Mercy devotions on the Second Sunday of Easter. For Catholics in or passing through Avoyelles Parish looking for a welcoming, traditional, deeply rooted community church, St. Alphonsus is a faithful home.
Mass times at St. Alphonsus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before weekday Masses
- Saturday 3:45–4:25 pm
- Sunday 6:15–6:55 am
- Sunday 9:15–9:55 am
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration: 9:00 am (followed by First Friday Mass at 9:30 am)
History & Identity
St. Alphonsus Church was established in 1898 in the small town of Hessmer in Avoyelles Parish, central Louisiana. It is a parish of the Diocese of Alexandria, in the Avoyelles Deanery. The parish is named for St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1787), the Italian Doctor of the Church and founder of the Redemptorists, whose feast day is August 1.
- Year established: 1898
- Patron: St. Alphonsus Liguori
- Feast day: August 1
- Deanery: Avoyelles Deanery
- Diocese: Diocese of Alexandria
Pastor & Staff
The parish is led by its pastor and a lay staff whose family names — Bordelon, Dauzat, Laborde, Poche — reflect the multi-generational Catholic community of Hessmer.
- Rev. Kenneth Michiels — Pastor
- Susan Poche — Secretary
- Crystal Bordelon — Assistant Secretary
- Tina Laborde — Director of Religious Education / Youth Ministry
- Glenn & Mary Bordelon — RCIA team
- Sandra Bordelon — Music Director
- Michelle Dauzat — Music Director
Devotions
In addition to the Mass and confession schedule, the parish keeps a strong rhythm of Eucharistic and Marian devotions typical of central-Louisiana Catholic life.
- First Friday Adoration: 9:00 am (followed by First Friday Mass at 9:30 am)
- First Saturday Mass: 8:00 am
- Divine Mercy Sunday (Second Sunday of Easter): 3:00 pm
- Stations of the Cross (Lent): Fridays at 10:00 am and 5:30 pm
- Rosary: Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before Mass
Ministries
Lay-led ministries form the backbone of parish life at St. Alphonsus, with formation for adults and young people, liturgical music, and outreach to the elderly.
- Religious Education (CCD) — Tina Laborde, Director
- Youth Ministry — Tina Laborde, Director
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Glenn & Mary Bordelon
- Music Ministry — Sandra Bordelon and Michelle Dauzat, Music Directors
- Nursing Home Ministry — weekly Mass at Hessmer Nursing Home, Mondays at 9:30 am
Sacraments
Information on the sacraments is handled through the parish office during posted office hours. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation takes place through the Religious Education program, while adults seeking initiation enter through the parish RCIA team.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Communion & Confirmation — through Religious Education
- RCIA for adult initiation — Glenn & Mary Bordelon
- Matrimony — contact the parish office for preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- Confession — see regular confession schedule above
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The parish office is open four days a week and closed on Wednesdays. The best times to call or visit are mornings before noon or early afternoon, except on Tuesdays when the office is open until 6:30 pm.
- Address: 3645 Main St., Hessmer, LA 71341
- Mailing: P.O. Box 66, Hessmer, LA 71341
- Phone: (318) 563-4550
- Fax: (318) 563-8395
- Office Hours: Monday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 am–3:30 pm; Tuesday 7:00 am–6:30 pm
- Closed daily 12:00–1:00 pm for lunch
- Closed all day Wednesday