About St. Anthony Mission Chapel · Cade, Louisiana
St. Anthony Mission Chapel is a small Roman Catholic mission chapel located in Cade, Louisiana, in St. Martin Parish. It is a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Broussard and is served by the same pastor — currently Fr. Ryszard Zawadzki, SVD — through the shared St. Joseph/St. Anthony Catholic Churches parish. The mission sits at 1639 Old Spanish Highway and offers one weekly Sunday Mass in a simple, faithful setting, reaching the Cade community along the historic Old Spanish Trail corridor southeast of Lafayette.
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Fr. Ryszard Zawadzki, SVD
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
St. Anthony Mission Chapel offers a peaceful Sunday Mass in a small mission setting along Old Spanish Highway, ideal for Catholics in Cade and eastern St. Martin Parish who want a close-knit community of faith. It is served by the same Divine Word pastor and parish team that staff St. Joseph Church in Broussard, so parishioners can draw on a fuller set of ministries (youth ministry, religious education, Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver, choirs, and outreach) while worshiping at a chapel close to home.
Mass times at St. Anthony Mission Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–5:00 PM (at St. Joseph, Broussard)
- Weekdays following weekday Masses at St. Joseph, or by appointment (call 337-837-6218)
Identity and Mission
St. Anthony Mission Chapel in Cade, Louisiana, is a mission chapel of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Broussard. Both communities — Broussard and Cade — share one pastor and one parish staff under the name 'St. Joseph/St. Anthony Catholic Churches.' The combined parish's stated mission is to be a community inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and by its ancestral heritage, proclaiming God's goodness in spirit, truth, love, and service.
History of the Parish
The parish traces its roots to 1952, when Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard appointed Father Harold R. Perry, SVD as the first pastor of what was then St. Joseph Mission of Sacred Heart Church. The following years saw an extraordinary community-building effort, with hundreds of volunteer workers — including bricklayers from Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette — laying foundations, raising arches, and completing the church and rectory in a matter of days. The congregation moved into the new St. Joseph Church on May 19, 1958. That mission story extends down Old Spanish Highway into Cade, where the mission chapel bears the name of St. Anthony of Padua.
- September 6, 1952: Fr. Harold R. Perry, SVD named first pastor
- January 1953: Mrs. Lule Billeaud conveys an acre of land bequeathed by her late husband
- April 18, 1954: Groundbreaking ceremonies
- May 3, 1954: Concrete foundation poured in one day by volunteer crew
- 1954: Volunteer bricklayers complete the rectory in one day and the church brickwork over the year
- May 19, 1958: Parishioners from Broussard to Cade move into the new church
Sacraments
Because St. Anthony Mission Chapel shares its clergy with St. Joseph Church in Broussard, almost all sacramental preparation is coordinated through the parish office and its Directors of Religious Education. The combined parish prepares children and youth for Baptism, First Penance, First Communion, and Confirmation, and prepares engaged couples for Marriage at least six months in advance.
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 4:00–5:00 PM at St. Joseph (or by appointment)
- Baptism: per bulletin schedule
- First Penance / First Communion: multi-year catechetical program (contact Ms. Cynthia Jaquet, 337-254-9502)
- Confirmation: three-year program beginning freshman year (contact Mrs. Charlotte Milson, 337-837-3101)
- Marriage: contact priest six months before wedding date
- Anointing of the Sick: contact the parish office at 337-837-6218
Parish Staff and Leadership
The mission is pastored by Fr. Ryszard Zawadzki, SVD of the Society of the Divine Word — continuing the SVD heritage of the parish stretching back to its founder. The combined St. Joseph/St. Anthony parish team includes a secretary and bookkeeper, sacristans, a housekeeper, trustees, musicians, a parish council, and a Victims Assistance Coordinator.
- Pastor: Fr. Ryszard Zawadzki, SVD
- Secretary & Bookkeeper: Ms. Peggy Bellow (962-1734)
- Sacristans: Mr. & Mrs. Dan Foster (837-1638)
- Housekeeper: Ms. Barbara Thomas (247-0797)
- Victims Assistance Coordinator: Sr. Kathleen Farrelly, O.Carm., LCSW, SSWS (298-2987)
- Trustees: Mrs. Lorita Jean Batiste; Mr. Harold Anderson
- Musicians: Mr. Harris Flugence; Ms. Carla Bernard
- Parish Council: Brenda Washington, Barbara Thomas, Ervin Flugence, Paul Kimble, Theresa Cormier, Rita Lewis, Donald Mitchell
- Parish Council Commissioners: Edward Decuir (Youth Ministry), Tim Sharlow (Finance Chair), Charlotte Milson (DRE)
Ministries and Groups
The parish carries on a long tradition of lay leadership. The Knights of Peter Claver Council #115 (organized December 11, 1949) and Our Lady of the Rosary Court #115 (May 13, 1951) remain central to parish life, alongside an active Usher's Association, an Adult Choir, and the Come Lord Jesus prayer group. Faith formation for youth is a named focus of the Parish Council, and Charlotte Milson serves as a Director of Religious Education.
- Knights of Peter Claver Council #115
- Our Lady of the Rosary Court #115
- Usher's Association — 3rd Sunday of every other month at 11:30 AM
- Adult Choir — Thursdays at 6:00 PM
- Come Lord Jesus prayer group — Wednesdays 6:00 PM and Thursdays 6:30 PM
- Youth Ministry
- Faith Formation (First Communion and Confirmation tracks)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Harold R. Perry, SVD1952–
Founding pastor appointed by Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard on September 6, 1952; led the people of Broussard and Cade into the new St. Joseph Church on May 19, 1958.
- Fr. Ryszard Zawadzki, SVD
Current pastor of the combined St. Joseph/St. Anthony Catholic Churches (Society of the Divine Word).