About St. Ann · Mallet, Louisiana
St. Ann Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the unincorporated community of Mallet in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, on Highway 190 between Opelousas and Eunice. It is paired with Holy Family Catholic Church in neighboring Lawtell, the two parishes sharing clergy and resources as one Catholic community under the Diocese of Lafayette. Worship is celebrated in English in a modest rural church fronted by a statue of its patroness, St. Ann, and the parish is also notable for its large on-site cemetery and active lay leadership staffed by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
- Established
- 1864 (community origins celebrated as 160 years); canonically organized 1951
- Patron
- St. Ann (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Stanley Jawa, SVD (also pastor of Holy Family Church, Lawtell)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana (North Deanery, St. Landry Civil Parish)
Why belong here
St. Ann is a welcoming rural Catholic community in the heart of Acadiana, where the Mass is celebrated in English in the traditional French-Catholic prairie style that has shaped St. Landry Parish for over 160 years. Parishioners of St. Ann and Holy Family in Lawtell share clergy, faith formation, and ministries across both worship sites, giving newcomers a real sense of two connected families of faith. The parish also offers weekly confession before Saturday Mass, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and a large parish cemetery that continues to serve local Catholic families.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:30 PM to 5:45 PM (15 minutes before the 6:00 PM Vigil Mass), or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM — First Fridays only
About St. Ann Catholic Parish
St. Ann Catholic Church is a small rural parish in the unincorporated community of Mallet, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, situated along Highway 190 between Opelousas and Eunice. It is one of 34 parishes in the North Deanery of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. Worship is celebrated in English in a traditional prairie-country church, and the parish is fronted by a statue of its patroness, St. Ann. The parish serves approximately 280 families and roughly 1,025 Catholic souls, with a large cemetery on the grounds.
- Patroness: St. Ann
- Diocese: Lafayette, Louisiana (North Deanery)
- Approximate membership: 280 families / ~1,025 Catholics
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Language: English
History
Catholic worship in the Mallet prairie area dates back to the early 1860s, when French-speaking settlers of St. Landry Parish began gathering around the faith of their forebears. The community celebrated its 160th anniversary in recent years, marking more than a century and a half of continuous Catholic presence on the Mallet prairie. The parish was formally canonically established as St. Ann in 1951 within what is now the Diocese of Lafayette.
- Community origins: 1860s (~160 years of Catholic worship)
- Canonical parish establishment: 1951
- Region: St. Landry Civil Parish, North Deanery, Diocese of Lafayette
St. Ann and Holy Family: A Shared Catholic Community
St. Ann in Mallet is twinned with Holy Family Catholic Church in Lawtell, just down the road. The two parishes share pastors, staff, and resources as one Catholic community under the joint website holyfamilysaintann.org. Masses and confessions are scheduled so that the faithful of both parishes can worship at either site.
- Shared website: http://www.holyfamilysaintann.org/
- Shared mailing address: PO Box 310, Lawtell, LA 70550
- Shared phone line: 337-543-2366
Clergy and Staff
St. Ann is served by priests of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), a Catholic missionary congregation. The pastor of St. Ann also serves as pastor of Holy Family in Lawtell. Lay staff support the parish office and liturgical life.
- Rev. Stanley Jawa, SVD — Pastor (St. Ann, Mallet and Holy Family, Lawtell)
- Fr. Borgia Aubespin, SVD
- Antoinette Rene — parish staff
- Earline Guilbeau — parish staff
Parish Cemetery and Grounds
The St. Ann property includes a very large parish cemetery that has served local Catholic families across multiple generations. A statue of St. Ann stands in front of the church and welcomes visitors as they approach the worship site.
- Large on-site parish cemetery
- Statue of St. Ann at the front of the church
- Parish grounds used for community and cultural gatherings
Contact and Location
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office through the shared St. Ann / Holy Family phone line and email. The mailing address uses Lawtell, while the physical church is in Mallet along Highway 190.
- Address: 8348 Highway 190, Mallet, LA 70550
- Mailing: PO Box 310, Lawtell, LA 70550
- Phone: 337-543-2366
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.holyfamilysaintann.org/
Community and Cultural Life
Beyond its liturgical life, St. Ann is a center of community and cultural activity in the Mallet prairie. The grounds have hosted cook-offs, boucheries, and live music, and the church is a well-known gathering point for local French-language events — including the monthly Mallet French Table — where speakers of Cajun French, Louisiana Creole, and Cajun English come together to practice the area's traditional French heritage.
- Mallet French Table (monthly Cajun, Creole, and Louisiana French gathering)
- Cook-offs, boucheries, and live music hosted on the church grounds