St. Anthony

About St. Anthony Catholic Church

St. Anthony is the Catholic parish at the center of Lafitte (Jean Lafitte), Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish. It is a Roman-Latin parish of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and works in tandem with its companion mission, St. Pius X in Crown Point. The parish offers Mass in English throughout the week, including a Saturday Vigil, a Sunday Mass at St. Anthony, and a Sunday Mass at the St. Pius X Mission. Confession is heard three times each weekend (half hour before each Mass and by appointment), Eucharistic Adoration is offered weekly in the parish chapel, and the Tuesday evening Mass is paired with the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena.

History and the Lafitte Community

Lafitte's Catholic community grew up around the shrimp boats, luggers, Lafitte skiffs and double riggers that have worked the bayou for generations. Many local families are descendants of 18th-century Acadian settlers of the Barataria region, and the town bears the name of the privateer Jean Lafitte. The parish church, simply known as St. Anthony, has been the spiritual and social focal point of the community — so much so that St. Anthony is described in local press as being 'at the center of town.' The Blessing of the Fleet tradition, which began in the 1940s, predates a permanent resident priest in Lafitte: in the earliest years the priest from Algiers would come down to bless the boats. The tradition has survived storms, the decline of the shrimping industry, and the COVID-19 pandemic (the 2020 blessing was canceled and returned in 2021).

• 1940s — Beginning of the Lafitte Boat Blessing, before there was a resident priest.
• 1962 — Rev. H.C. Paul Daigle blesses a multi-hued fleet of decorated shrimp boats, yachts and smaller craft.
• Pre-2017 — Rev. John Ryan blesses the fleet 27 times at Lafitte before being transferred to Des Allemands.
• January 2021 — Death of the late Rev. John Ryan, who had continued the boat-blessing tradition in Des Allemands.
• 2017 — Rev. Luke Nguyen arrives at St. Anthony Parish.
• April 24, 2021 — Archbishop Gregory Aymond blesses the fleet alongside Father Nguyen — the first time an archbishop of New Orleans has blessed the boats at Lafitte.

Pastor and Pastoral Staff

St. Anthony and St. Pius X are served by a single pastor, Rev. Luke Nguyen, who came to the parish in 2017. He leads both worship sites, hears confessions, coordinates the Blessing of the Fleet, and oversees parish ministries from the rectory at 2653 Jean Lafitte Boulevard. The parish communicates with parishioners through its Facebook page, where Daniel Melancon serves as Social Media Director.

• Rev. Luke Nguyen — Pastor (since 2017)
• Daniel Melancon — Parish Social Media Director (cell 504-881-3909)
• Jane Pitre — Prayer Line (504-689-2114)
• Gloria Adam — Mass Intentions (504-689-4101)
• Merlyn Olano — Ladies Altar Society President (504-689-3708)
• Theia Creppel — St. Pius Hall Rental (504-275-6055)

Devotions and Novenas

The centerpiece of devotional life at St. Anthony is the Tuesday evening Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena, which is paired with a 7:00 PM Mass and is one of the best-attended regular gatherings in the parish. St. Pius X in Crown Point complements this with a Tuesday evening Benediction at 5:30 PM. The parish also maintains a Prayer Line for parishioners who are homebound or in need of spiritual support, and an annual Fishermen's Mass precedes the Blessing of the Fleet each spring.

• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena — St. Anthony, Tuesday evening with 7:00 PM Mass
• Benediction — St. Pius X, Tuesday 5:30 PM; First Friday after Adoration at St. Pius X
• Prayer Line — Jane Pitre, 504-689-2114
• Fishermen's Mass — held annually before the Blessing of the Fleet

Faith Formation — C.C.D. and Youth

Children of the parish receive religious education through the C.C.D. (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program, which meets on Monday evenings during the CCD year, 6:00–7:30 PM. Older youth are served by the combined St. Anthony / St. Pius X CYO (Catholic Youth Organization), which ministers to teens and young adults ages 12½ to 21 — one of the few ministries that explicitly operates across both worship sites.

• C.C.D. (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) — Mondays 6:00–7:30 PM during the CCD year
• CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) — youth ages 12½–21, combined St. Anthony / St. Pius X

Sacraments at St. Anthony

The parish prepares parishioners for each of the seven sacraments through a rhythm of classes, seminars and scheduled celebrations. Baptisms are preceded by a monthly seminar (first Wednesday at 7:30 PM in the rectory) and celebrated on the third Sunday of each month at noon. Couples are asked to contact the rectory at least six months before a wedding. Funerals and Anointing of the Sick are coordinated by calling the parish office.

• Baptism Seminar — 1st Wednesday of each month, 7:30 PM, Rectory
• Baptisms — 3rd Sunday of each month at 12:00 PM (noon)
• Weddings — contact the rectory at least 6 months in advance
• Funerals — contact the rectory
• First Communion & Confirmation — preparation through C.C.D.
• Anointing of the Sick — by appointment

Parish Ministries and Service

Lay involvement runs deep at St. Anthony. The Ladies Altar Society, which meets on the second Wednesday of each month (September through May), cares for the sanctuary and supports the liturgical life of the parish. A standing team of volunteers keeps the church building clean on Thursday mornings. The Prayer Line connects parishioners in need with a network of praying volunteers, while Mass Intentions can be scheduled through the parish office.

• Ladies Altar Society — 7:30 PM, 2nd Wednesday of each month (Sep–May); President: Merlyn Olano, 504-689-3708
• St. Anthony Church Cleaning — Thursdays, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Prayer Line — Jane Pitre, 504-689-2114
• Mass Intentions — Gloria Adam, 504-689-4101
• St. Pius Hall Rental (Crown Point) — Theia Creppel, 504-275-6055

St. Pius X Mission — Crown Point

St. Pius X is the companion mission church of St. Anthony, located across the LA 3134 high-rise bridge in Crown Point, Louisiana. While it has its own Mass schedule and adoration offerings, it shares pastoral leadership and ministries with St. Anthony under Father Luke Nguyen — together forming one parish community across two worship sites.

• St. Pius X Catholic Church — 8151 Barataria Blvd., Crown Point, LA 70072
• Phone: (504) 689-2381
• Mass: Tue–Fri 8:30 AM; Saturday Vigil 5:30 PM; Sunday 9:30 AM
• Confession: Saturday 9:00–10:00 AM
• Adoration: First Friday, 8:30 AM Mass followed by Adoration until 5:00 PM with Benediction
• Tuesday evening Benediction at 5:30 PM

Blessing of the Fleet — Annual Tradition

The Lafitte Blessing of the Fleet is the single best-known tradition of St. Anthony Parish. Held each spring when the inshore brown-shrimp season opens, it begins with a Fishermen's Mass at St. Anthony and culminates with the priest — and in recent years the Archbishop of New Orleans — blessing a procession of decorated shrimp boats, pleasure craft, and other vessels along the bayou. Originally the parish priest of Algiers would come down to Lafitte to bless the boats, and the celebration has grown into a multi-day festival with food, live music, a flea market and a family street party. In 2021 the blessing featured two barge-side stations (at Rosethorn Park and near the Kerner Bridge) after the bridge was damaged and could no longer be raised for boat traffic.

• Tradition since the 1940s; pre-dates the resident priest at Lafitte
• Originally luggers, then Lafitte skiffs, then double-rigger 'big boats'
• Anchored at the Kerner Bridge; in 2021 moved to two barge locations after bridge damage
• Includes a Fishermen's Mass, a decorated boat parade, and an on-the-water party
• Expanded into a multi-day community festival with food, live music and a flea market
• Sponsors 33+ gallons of holy water annually to bless all who request it
• Represents one of the major Blessings of the Fleet communities along the Louisiana coast

Visit, Contact and Office Information

Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Anthony Catholic Church by phone at (504) 689-4101, by email at [email protected], or through the parish website at https://stanthonylafitte.org. The rectory mailing address is 2653 Jean Lafitte Boulevard, Lafitte, LA 70067. The official Facebook page (St. Anthony / St. Pius X Catholic Church) carries the most up-to-date announcements and is maintained by parish Social Media Director Daniel Melancon.

• Address: 2653 Jean Lafitte Blvd, Lafitte, LA 70067
• Phone: (504) 689-4101
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://stanthonylafitte.org/
• Diocese: Archdiocese of New Orleans
• Official Facebook: St. Anthony / St. Pius X Catholic Church (Social Media Director: Daniel Melancon, 504-881-3909)