About St. Augustine · Basile, Louisiana
St. Augustine Catholic Church is a Cajun-country Catholic parish serving the small village of Basile in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Lafayette. Established in 1921, the parish is the spiritual home of roughly 1,500 Catholics and is currently led by Fr. Keenan Brown. The church offers four weekend Masses (including a Saturday Vigil), daily weekday Masses, perpetual Eucharistic adoration in its Assumption Chapel, a parish school of religion (CCD), a Knights of Columbus council, Catholic Daughters and Junior Catholic Daughters courts, and outreach through a food bank, homebound ministry, nursing-home Mass, and a pro-life apostolate.
- Established
- 1921
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Fr. Keenan Brown
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
St. Augustine offers the rare combination of a small-town Cajun Catholic community and an unusually full schedule of worship and formation: four Sunday Masses, a daily Mass (including a special 'Bearcat Mass' for Basile High on Fridays), and a perpetual adoration chapel open 24 hours a day inside Assumption Hall. Families are supported by a parish-school CCD program with First Communion and Confirmation preparation, an RCIA process for adults, a Knights of Columbus council and Catholic Daughters and Junior Catholic Daughters courts, plus a Come, Lord Jesus Scripture reflection group that meets at the Basile Library each Tuesday.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 9:15 AM – 9:45 AM
- Friday: 6:00 AM – 6:20 AM
- Saturday: 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM (before Vigil Mass)
- First Saturday: 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the Assumption Chapel (inside Assumption Hall, the brick building to the left of the church) — open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Parishioners commit to one hour per week; substitute adorers are also needed.
Parish History
St. Augustine's roots run deeper than its 1921 founding. Catholic worship in Basile began in private homes, moved to a one-room schoolhouse on Second Street and Ryan Avenue in 1909, and gained a permanent home in 1913 when Fr. Chambon celebrated Mass in the village's first Catholic church — a mission of St. Anthony of Padua in Eunice. On December 21, 1921, Bishop Jules Jeanmard formally established St. Augustine as a parish and appointed Fr. Eugene Derivas as its first pastor. Through fire (1937), rebuilding (1938), a long-running Assumption mission for Black Catholics (1952–1975), a 38½-year pastorate under Fr. J.C. Speyrer (1956–c. 1994), and the construction of the present church in 2005, the parish has grown into the spiritual home of roughly 1,500 Catholics in Evangeline Parish.
- 1907 — Fr. Louis LaRoche of St. Anthony's Eunice requests permission from Archbishop Blenk to build a church in Basile
- 1909 — Mass is celebrated a few times a month in the village schoolhouse at Second St. and Ryan Ave.
- 1911 — Basile founders Gus Fuselier, James J. Lewis, and Louis S. Burg donate Block 5; Basile is incorporated as a village
- 1913 — First Catholic church built in Basile as a mission of St. Anthony's; Fr. Chambon celebrates the first Mass
- 1921 (Dec 21) — St. Augustine declared a parish by Bishop Jeanmard; Fr. Eugene Derivas named first pastor
- 1935 — First Eucharistic Missionary Sisters arrive; Fr. Armand Cyr becomes first resident priest
- 1937 — Original church destroyed by fire; Mass held in an abandoned saloon on Main Street
- 1938 — Bishop Jeanmard dedicates the new church, rectory, and convent
- 1952 — Assumption Church established in Basile
- 1956 — Fr. J.C. Speyrer begins his 38½-year pastorate
- 1966 — Fr. Gus Johnson becomes the first priest from Basile
- 1975 — Assumption Church is incorporated back into St. Augustine
- 1978 — Basile native Douglas Deshotel is ordained a priest
- 1994 — Fr. Ken Domingue named parish administrator (installed pastor 1995)
- 2003 — Second St. Augustine church closes for major construction
- 2005 — Third (current) St. Augustine Church is dedicated
- 2016 — Basile native Douglas Deshotel named Bishop of Lafayette
- 2017 — Fr. Keenan Brown becomes pastor
- 2021 — Parish celebrates 100 years
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptism prep classes are held throughout the year at Assumption Hall at no cost. First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation are coordinated through the parish CCD program (or the Church Office for teens/adults needing Confirmation). Anointing of the Sick is offered not only at the end of life but also before high-risk surgery or upon the onset of serious illness. Couples should contact the Church Office for marriage preparation, the annulment process, or convalidation (a marriage blessing).
- Baptism — Julia Common, 337-580-4309
- First Reconciliation / First Communion — Church Office or CCD registration
- Confirmation — Church Office (teens and adults)
- Anointing of the Sick — 337-432-6817 (encouraged early, not only at end of life)
- Marriage / Annulment / Convalidation — Church Office
- Funerals — Church Office
- Vocations — Church Office
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children's faith formation at St. Augustine is run through the parish CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program, with Deneen Ortego serving as Parish Administrative Assistant & CCD Principal. CCD handles First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation. Adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church or complete their sacraments participate in the parish R.C.I.A. process, which begins each September with weekly meetings led by parishioners and clergy (contact Steve Thompson at 337-305-1232). The parish also runs the Come, Lord Jesus Scripture reflection group, which meets every Tuesday at 4:00 PM at the Basile Library (3036 E Stagg Ave) to study the upcoming Sunday's readings.
- Faith Formation (CCD) & Confirmation Classes
- R.C.I.A. — contact Steve Thompson, 337-305-1232
- Come, Lord Jesus — Tuesdays 4:00 PM at the Basile Library; contact Becky Leger, 337-580-4012
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish supports a wide range of lay ministries and Catholic fraternal organizations. Liturgical roles include altar servers (open to boys who have made First Communion), assistant sacristans, lectors, and the parish choir (open to parishioners 1st grade and older). Charitable works include a parish food bank (DeEtte Denette, 337-789-6274), a homebound Communion ministry, a pro-life apostolate (Candace Klumpp, 337-789-5848), and a nursing home ministry that brings Mass to a local facility every Tuesday at 9:15 AM. Catholic fraternal life is anchored by Council-level Knights of Columbus (Grand Knight Leslie Martin) and a Catholic Daughters of the Americas court, with a Junior Catholic Daughters (JCDA) court for younger girls.
- Altar Servers — boys who have received First Communion
- Assistant Sacristans — contact the pastor
- Lectors
- Parish Choir — 1st grade and older
- Knights of Columbus — Grand Knight Leslie Martin (225-413-7315); Chaplain Fr. Keenan Brown; Deputy Grand Knight Tony Bertrand; Financial Secretary Jon Brinkman; Treasurer Eddie Ortego; Recorder Nick Labauve
- Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA)
- Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas (JCDA)
- Pro-Life Ministry — Candace Klumpp, 337-789-5848
- Food Bank — DeEtte Denette, 337-789-6274
- Homebound Ministry
- Nursing Home Ministry — Tuesday 9:15 AM Mass
- Church Decor
Our Team (Parish Staff)
The small parish staff combines a pastor, an administrative secretary, and an administrative assistant who also serves as CCD principal. Fr. Keenan Brown was ordained on June 8, 2002, was born and raised in Morgan City, Louisiana, graduated from Morgan City High School, and is the 11th of 14 siblings. He has served as pastor of St. Augustine since 2017 and also serves as Chaplain of the parish's Knights of Columbus council.
- Fr. Keenan Brown — Pastor; ordained June 8, 2002; native of Morgan City, LA; pastor since 2017
- Deneen Ortego — Parish Administrative Secretary
- Georgie Courville — Parish Administrative Assistant & CCD Principal
Visit Us & Contact
The parish offices can be reached by phone at 337-432-6817 or by email through Fr. Keenan Brown at [email protected]. The church sits at 2717 Dr. Bobby Deshotel Avenue, Basile, LA 70515. The Assumption Hall & Chapel — home of the perpetual adoration chapel — is the brick building to the left of the church. Annual parish highlights include Summer Joy Days (June 22–26) and a trip to the Steubenville Youth Conference (June 26–28).
- Address: 2717 Dr. Bobby Deshotel Ave., Basile, LA 70515
- Phone: (337) 432-6817
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.staugustinebasile.com/
- Summer Joy Days — Playing on God's Team, June 22–26
- Steubenville Youth Conference — June 26–28
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Eugene Derivas1921–
First pastor; simultaneously served St. Paul's in Elton; resided at the Elton rectory.
- Fr. Frantzen
Second pastor; also resided at the Elton rectory.
- Fr. Armand Cyrfrom 1935
Third pastor and the first resident priest of Basile. Coincided with the arrival of the first Eucharistic Missionary Sisters and the formal incorporation of the parish.
- Fr. J.C. Speyrer1956–c. 1994
Longest-tenured pastor in parish history at 38½ years. Fr. Douglas Deshotel served as his altar boy.
- Fr. Ken Domingue1994–
Appointed parish administrator in 1994, installed as pastor in 1995.
- Fr. Bryan Taylor
Succeeded Fr. Domingue; served during the 2003 closure of the second church and 2005 dedication of the present church.
- Fr. David Hebert2012–2017
Transferred in 2017.
- Fr. Keenan Brown2017–present
Ordained June 8, 2002; native of Morgan City, LA; one of 14 children. Also serves as Chaplain of the parish Knights of Columbus council.