About St. Anthony of Padua · Darrow, Louisiana
St. Anthony of Padua is a small Roman Catholic parish in Darrow, Louisiana, in Ascension Parish along the Mississippi River. It belongs to the Diocese of Baton Rouge and is currently clustered with St. Anne Parish in Sorrento, sharing clergy across the two communities. Tracing its origins to a chapel called St. Ann de la Crevasse that was lost to the river, the parish today serves roughly 145 families and is known for its warmth, steady growth tied to the Pelican Point Golf Community, and the steady rhythm of weekday and Sunday Mass celebrated from its church on Highway 22.
- Established
- 1937
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Matthew P. Lorrain
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua offers a close-knit Catholic community of about 145 families in the heart of Ascension Parish, with weekly Sunday Mass, weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday, and the fellowship that comes from being a small, family-oriented parish. Because it is clustered with St. Anne in Sorrento, parishioners benefit from shared pastoral care, while the growing Pelican Point neighborhood is bringing new families into the pews. Visitors will find a welcoming rural parish rooted in more than a century of Catholic presence on the Mississippi.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Anthony of Padua, Darrow
The parish's story begins with St. Ann de la Crevasse Chapel, a river-side mission whose original site has long since been carried away by the Mississippi. After Lazarist priests from Ascension of Our Lord in Donaldsonville ministered to the area before 1872, the chapel passed through the care of pastors at Ascension Church and then St. Francis of Assisi under Father Loots, who replaced the threatened chapel with an old cotton-gin store rolled onto land belonging to Mrs. L. Armitage and renamed it St. Anthony. On May 18, 1937, St. Anthony was re-established as a mission of Ascension Church, and the present property on what is now Highway 22 was purchased on May 7, 1948 — after World War II delayed the original plans. The parish became independent in 1962 and was clustered with St. Anne in Sorrento in July 1995.
- Original chapel: St. Ann de la Crevasse (site lost to the Mississippi River; construction date unknown)
- Pre-1872: Served by Lazarist priests from Ascension of Our Lord, Donaldsonville
- Re-established as a mission of Ascension Church on May 18, 1937
- Current property purchased May 7, 1948 on the Darrow–Sorrento Road (now LA Highway 22)
- Became an independent parish in 1962
- Clustered with St. Anne, Sorrento in July 1995
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. Anthony of Padua is served as part of a three-parish cluster with Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in St. Amant and St. Anne in Sorrento. The diocesan leadership appointed Rev. Matthew P. Lorrain as pastor effective July 1, 2025; he also serves as Diocesan Secretary for Clergy & Religious Life. Rev. Huy Duc Tran serves as Parochial Vicar and Diocesan Vocations Recruiter, and Deacon Robbie Templet assists at both St. Anne and St. Anthony. The previous pastor, Father Keun Soo Lee, Ph.D., retired from active parish administration in July 2025 after many years of service.
- Rev. Matthew P. Lorrain — Pastor (effective July 1, 2025); also Pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Amant; Diocesan Secretary for Clergy & Religious Life
- Rev. Huy Duc Tran — Parochial Vicar; Diocesan Vocations Recruiter
- Deacon Robbie Templet — Deacon Assistant at St. Anne, Sorrento and St. Anthony of Padua, Darrow
- Father Keun Soo Lee, Ph.D. — Retired July 2025 after pastoring the cluster
Parish Life & Community
St. Anthony of Padua is a small, family-oriented parish of approximately 145 families, with steady growth tied to the development of the Pelican Point Golf Community. Its 1995 clustering with St. Anne in Sorrento has strengthened ministry to both communities by sharing pastoral leadership. The diocesan profile notes that 'the future for the parish looks encouraging' and that 'the Holy Spirit is at work among the people of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.'
- Approximately 145 families
- Cluster partner: St. Anne, Sorrento (since July 1995)
- Growth tied to Pelican Point Golf Community
- Diocesan description: 'There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is at work among the people of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.'
Diocese of Baton Rouge
St. Anthony of Padua is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, which is led by Bishop Michael Duca. The diocese lists the parish under its Ascension-area deanery and provides the official parish page with contact details, clergy, and Mass information. Pastoral assignments are made annually by the bishop in consultation with the Clergy Personnel Board.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge
- Bishop: Most Rev. Michael G. Duca
- Affiliated parish: St. Anne, Sorrento
- Diocesan parish page: diobr.org/st-anthony-of-padua-darrow
Visit, Address & Contact
The parish is located on LA Highway 22 in Darrow, in Ascension Parish between Donaldsonville and Gonzales. Visitors seeking the parish can use the 'Directions' link on the diocesan parish page or call the parish office.
- Address: 37311 LA Highway 22, Darrow, LA 70725
- Phone: (225) 675-8126
- Diocesan parish page: diobr.org/st-anthony-of-padua-darrow
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Keun Soo Lee, Ph.D.through June 2025
Pastor of the St. Anne–St. Anthony cluster; retired from active parish administration in July 2025.
- Rev. Matthew P. Lorraineffective July 1, 2025
Appointed Pastor of St. Anne, Sorrento and St. Anthony of Padua, Darrow, in addition to his role as Pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, St. Amant, and Diocesan Secretary for Clergy & Religious Life.