About St. Anthony of Padua · New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Anthony of Padua is a Catholic parish in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, served by the Dominican Friars (Order of Preachers) and belonging to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Located at 4640 Canal Street, the parish celebrates Mass in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, reflecting its multilingual immigrant heritage that dates back more than a century. The parish community embraces the four-fold mission of the Catholic Church — Worship, Word, Service, and Community — and continues to operate Catholic education on its Canal Street campus in partnership with the Christian Brothers (Lasallian tradition).
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Fr. Augustine "Auggie" DeArmond, OP, JCL
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
St. Anthony of Padua offers a rare combination in New Orleans: a historic Dominican-run parish on Canal Street, weekday daily Mass, confession before every Mass and on Saturdays, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and Mass celebrated in three languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese) for one of the city's most diverse faith communities. Parishioners can grow in faith through OCIA (becoming Catholic), serve the poor through the Social Apostolate, defend life through the Respect Life Ministry, join the Garden Ministry, or serve as ushers and greeters — all under the spiritual care of the Order of Preachers.
Mass times at St. Anthony of Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 11:15 AM to 11:45 AM
- Saturday: 3:15 PM to 3:45 PM
Adoration times
- Friday: 9:00 AM to 11:45 AM (begins immediately following the school Mass)
History of the Parish
The parish's roots go back to 1827, when a small church was dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua at N. Rampart and Conti — a site that had originally served as the city's Mortuary Chapel during Yellow Fever epidemics. The chapel later passed to the Italian immigrant community. In 1903 Fr. Thomas Lorente, OP, a Filipino Dominican, arrived in New Orleans and was commissioned to build a new parish church. He died only nine days after the new parish was founded, but the Dominican community carried his vision forward: St. Anthony of Padua was established and blessed on August 15, 1915, its present Canal Street building was dedicated by Archbishop John Shaw on November 8, 1923, and the first class of St. Anthony School graduated in 1920. The Filipino Dominican friars were recalled to the Philippines in 1938, and in 2008 St. Anthony and Sacred Heart of Jesus were united as one parish following the rebuilding years after Hurricane Katrina.
- 1827 — Small church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua at N. Rampart and Conti
- 1903 — Fr. Thomas Lorente, OP, arrives in New Orleans
- 1915 — Parish established and blessed on August 15
- 1920 — First class graduates from St. Anthony School
- 1923 — Present church building dedicated by Archbishop John Shaw on November 8
- 1938 — Filipino Dominican priests recalled to the Philippines
- 1962 — New convent blessed for the Dominican Sisters
- 1972 — Fr. Justin Kauchak first arrives at the parish
- 2008 — United with Sacred Heart of Jesus as one parish
Devotions to St. Anthony of Padua
As a parish named for one of the most beloved Franciscan saints, St. Anthony of Padua nurtures a special devotion to its patron. Every Tuesday after the 12:10 PM Mass, the community gathers to pray for the intercession of St. Anthony and to venerate a relic of the saint. The feast day is celebrated on June 13, with a nine-day novena leading up to it from June 5 through June 13, though the novena prayers may be offered at any time for special intentions.
- Tuesday — Prayer and relic veneration after the 12:10 PM Mass
- June 5–13 — Nine-day novena to St. Anthony of Padua
- June 13 — Feast of St. Anthony of Padua
Parish Ministries
The parish invites parishioners to live out the four-fold mission of the Catholic Church — Worship, Word, Service, and Community — through a range of lay ministries. These groups give parishioners concrete ways to serve inside the church and out in the neighborhood.
- Liturgical Ministry
- Respect Life Ministry
- Garden Ministry
- Social Apostolate
- Ushers and Greeters Ministry
Becoming Catholic (OCIA / RCIA)
The parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program, sometimes still called RCIA, welcomes those interested in joining the Catholic Church, Catholics who want to deepen their faith, and baptized Christians who wish to complete the sacraments of First Communion and/or Confirmation. Fr. Augustine J. DeArmond, OP serves as coordinator and can be reached at [email protected]; further formation is offered in partnership with the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Respect Life Ministry
Anchored in the teaching of Evangelium Vitae and the USCCB's Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, the parish's Respect Life Ministry works to foster a Culture of Life through prayer and worship, public information and education, public policy, and pastoral care — from conception until natural death. The parish joins the wider Church each January 22 in the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, marked by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
- Builds on Evangelium Vitae and USCCB Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
- Partners with the Archdiocese of New Orleans Respect Life Office
- Observes January 22 as a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
School and Education on the Canal Street Campus
Since 1915 the parish has operated Catholic schools on the Canal Street campus. Today that mission is continued by Christian Brothers School, formed in 2016 when St. Anthony of Padua School partnered with the Christian Brothers (De La Salle Brothers) and the Dominican Order of Preachers to bring together their two charisms — the Dominican pursuit of Truth through knowledge and the Lasallian accompaniment of the young. The result is a Pre-K through 7 Catholic school serving a diverse student body in Mid-City New Orleans.
- St. Anthony of Padua School founded in 1915 (first class graduated 1920)
- 2016 — Merged with Christian Brothers School to form Christian Brothers School on Canal Street campus
- Operates in the Dominican and Lasallian traditions
- Pre-K through Grade 7, coed with an all-girls middle-school program
Clergy and Parish Staff
Pastoral care at St. Anthony of Padua is provided by a team of Dominican friars and lay staff. The pastor also serves as Syndic of the Province and Subprior, reflecting the parish's role as a priory of the Dominican Order in New Orleans.
- Fr. Augustine "Auggie" DeArmond, OP, JCL — Pastor / Syndic of the Province / Subprior
- Br. Juan Gabriel Seiglie, OP — Student Brother, Pastoral Intern
- Rev. Mr. Joseph M. Dardis — Deacon
- Mrs. Melissa R. Helmers — Parish Secretary (English Contact)
- Miss Brenda Figueroa — Receptionist (Spanish Contact)
- Mrs. Christi Huff — Bookkeeper
- Ms. Doris Bahr — Records Keeper
- Mr. Todd Simmons — Music Director
- Cheryln Castenado — Wedding Director
- Mr. Thien Tran — Head of Maintenance
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and on Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The office closes daily from 12:00 to 12:45 PM so that staff may attend the noon Mass. After-hours sacramental emergencies are handled through the emergency line at (504) 264-2799; that line does not provide parish information and is not connected to the office. The church is open for personal prayer from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Saturday.
- Address: 4640 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
- Office Phone: (504) 488-2651
- Fax: (504) 488-1842
- After-hours emergencies: (504) 264-2799
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- OCIA email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 8:00 AM–12:00 PM