About St. Charles Borromeo · Grand Coteau, Louisiana
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church is a historic Jesuit parish in the tiny village of Grand Coteau, Louisiana, established in 1819 as the third-oldest parish in what is now the Diocese of Lafayette. The Jesuits have served the parish continuously since 1837, running the local college, the parish school, and the present-day Jesuit novitiate, all on and around the same Church Street hilltop. Today the parish worships at its 1879 church with its distinctive rear bell tower, operates the Christ the King Mission in nearby Bellevue, and offers daily Mass, a strong confession schedule, perpetual-adoration referral, faith formation for children and adults, and an active network of lay ministries and commissions. The parish marked its 200th anniversary in 2019 and remains a living center of Catholic and Jesuit life in the heart of St. Landry Parish.
- Established
- 1819
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo (Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal, 1538–1584)
- Rector
- Rev. Mark Kramer, SJ (Diocese of Lafayette directory listing; Fr. Derrick Weingartner, SJ was pastor at the 2019 bicentennial)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana (parish is in the North Deanery, St. Landry Civil Parish)
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo is one of the oldest continuously operating Catholic communities in Louisiana, served by Jesuits since 1837 — meaning daily Mass, strong preaching, an Ignatian spirit, and a 200-year-old Catholic cemetery on site are all part of parish life. Worshippers can attend a 7:30 a.m. Liturgy of the Hours every weekday morning before 8:00 a.m. Mass, receive the Eucharist in a true Perpetual Adoration chapel (via referral to St. Peter's in Carencro for committed hours), bring children to CCD, join the Rosary group after Wednesday Mass, serve the homebound, or sew Prayer Blankets on the second Saturday of each month — all within a small, walkable village parish that has its own mission (Christ the King, Bellevue) and a long tradition of Catholic education.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM (St. Charles church)
- Monday–Friday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM (St. Charles Church)
- By appointment (call 337-662-5279)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration: available at St. Peter's in Carencro for those with a committed hour
- Thursday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Holy Hour of Reparation
- Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM: In Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (South Transept / cry room)
Parish Identity and Mission
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church describes itself on its website as 'One family of faith — In service to God and to each other.' The parish's stated mission, taken from the apostolates page, is to be a people of God empowered by the Spirit who desire to be a family in service to God and to each other, to be one people through worship, reconciliation and renewal, to welcome all into the love of God, to proclaim the word of God, to hold sacred the celebration of the sacraments, and to be the body of Christ carrying forward the work of Christ on earth.
- Tagline: 'One family of faith — In service to God and to each other'
- Parish motto drawn from St. Charles Borromeo himself: 'If we wish to make any progress in the service of God, we must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine glory.'
- Works cooperatively with the Diocese of Lafayette and the Society of Jesus (USA Central and Southern Province)
History
Founded in 1819, St. Charles Borromeo is the third-oldest parish in the Diocese of Lafayette and the 17th-oldest Catholic church in Louisiana. The Jesuits arrived in 1837, invited by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, and have staffed the parish continuously ever since. The current church was begun in 1879 by Jesuit Brothers Cornelius Otten and Joseph Armand Brinkhaus; its unique rear bell tower was added about six years later. The parish was renamed Sacred Heart in 1880 in gratitude for the Sacred Heart sisters' work during the 1870s yellow-fever epidemic, then returned to the name St. Charles Borromeo in 1971 when it merged with Christ the King, a local African-American Catholic parish originally founded as St. Peter Claver in 1931. The parish celebrated its bicentennial in 2019.
- 1819: Parish established (99 years before the Diocese of Lafayette was created)
- 1837: Jesuits arrive in Grand Coteau; begin serving St. Charles
- 1879 (March 19): Cornerstone of present church blessed; built by Jesuit Brothers Cornelius Otten and Joseph Armand Brinkhaus
- c. 1885: Distinctive rear bell tower completed
- 1880: Renamed 'Sacred Heart'; consecrated by Bishop John Quinlan of Mobile
- 1907: Fire destroys adjacent St. Charles College; church is spared
- 1931: African-American parishioners found St. Peter Claver parish (later Christ the King)
- 1937: Original Christ the King mission church built under Fr. Godfrey Cook, SJ
- 1950: Lightning damages original wooden steeple and organ
- 1971: Integration/merger with Christ the King; restored to name St. Charles Borromeo
- 2019: Bicentennial Mass and cemetery tour
Other Devotions and Services
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the parish maintains several longstanding devotional practices, including a weekly Rosary after Wednesday Mass, a prayer-blanket ministry that meets the second Saturday of each month, and printed novenas to St. Joseph and the Sacred Heart available on the parish website.
- Rosary Group: after the Wednesday 8:00 a.m. Mass, in church
- Novena to St. Joseph (PDF on parish site)
- Novena to the Sacred Heart (PDF on parish site)
- Baptisms: First Sunday of the month at 12:00 Noon (guidelines/forms under Sacraments and Liturgy)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish's Religious Education and Faith Formation program partners with the Diocese of Lafayette's catechetical office and Franciscan University in Steubenville (via franciscanathome.com/diolaf) to give parishioners access to online workshops on the Eucharist, Mary, the New and Old Testaments, and other topics. The Director of Religious Education is Becky Smith; a separate Children's Ministry supplements CCD for grades K–2.
- Director of Religious Education: Becky Smith ([email protected]; 337-662-5279)
- Children's Ministry (grades K–2; includes prayer, Bible, craft, music, snack)
- Children's Ministry contact: Amy Lowery (337-948-3922)
- Diocesan partnership: Franciscan University at Home (franciscanathome.com/diolaf)
- Religious Education Commission of the Parish Pastoral Council
Pastoral Council and Commissions
Under the presidency of the pastor, the Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body (per Canon 536 & 537) that promotes and organizes parochial activities. It works through five standing Commissions.
- Evangelization Commission
- (Facilities) Management and Finance Commission
- Religious Education Commission
- Social Justice Commission
- Parish Worship Commission
Parish Ministries and Lay Groups
The parish offers a wide range of lay-led ministries serving the altar, the homebound, the church's physical upkeep, and the wider community, including the long-running Prayer Blanket Ministry, the Altar Society, God's Housekeepers, the Homebound Ministry, the Children's Ministry, the Rosary Group, and the Knights of Peter Claver.
- Altar Society: care of altar, sacristy, sanctuary, vestments, linens, hosts, wine, candles
- God's Housekeepers (Cleaning Ministry): church cleaning, especially before Christmas and Easter
- Homebound Ministry: visits, phone calls, cards; trains Eucharistic Ministers to bring Communion
- Prayer Blanket Ministry: meets second Saturday of each month, 9:30 AM
- Children's Ministry: grades K–2
- Rosary Group: after Wednesday 8:00 a.m. Mass
- Knights of Peter Claver
Christ the King Mission (Bellevue, LA)
The parish's sole remaining mission church, Christ the King, is located in nearby Bellevue, Louisiana. Originally founded as St. Peter Claver in 1931 by African-American parishioners, the mission church building was erected in 1937 under Fr. Godfrey Cook, SJ. The Jesuits and parish staff of St. Charles Borromeo continue to provide sacramental ministry there, and a 9:15 AM Sunday Mass is celebrated at the mission.
- Original name: St. Peter Claver
- Founded: 1931 by African-American parishioners
- Mission church built: 1937, under Fr. Godfrey Cook, SJ
- Sunday Mass at the mission: 9:15 AM
- Integrated with St. Charles Borromeo parish in 1971
Staff and Clergy
The parish is currently served by Jesuit priests of the USA Central and Southern Province. The Diocese of Lafayette directory lists Rev. Mark Kramer, SJ as pastor; the 2019 bicentennial was led by then-pastor Rev. Derrick Weingartner, SJ, assisted by associates Frs. Mark Kramer, SJ, Clyde LeBlanc, SJ, Michael Wegenka, SJ, and Andrew Kirschman, SJ. The parish also has a permanent deacon (Deacon David Menard, contact for the Homebound Ministry) and a Director of Religious Education (Becky Smith). Earlier directories list Fr. James L. Lambert, SJ as pastor with Fr. Steven Kimmons, SJ as associate, and an office manager (Mr. Darrell Burleigh) and secretary (Mrs. Mary Ann Matte) who have been involved in parish life for decades.
- Pastor: Rev. Mark Kramer, SJ ([email protected])
- Pastor (2019): Rev. Derrick Weingartner, SJ
- Associate Pastors (2019): Frs. Clyde LeBlanc SJ, Mark Kramer SJ, Michael Wegenka SJ, Andrew Kirschman SJ
- Deacon: David Menard (Homebound Ministry contact)
- Director of Religious Education: Becky Smith
- Children's Ministry contact: Amy Lowery
- Earlier pastor: Fr. James L. Lambert, SJ; associate Fr. Steven Kimmons, SJ
- Longtime staff: Mr. Darrell Burleigh (Office Manager), Mrs. Mary Ann Matte (Secretary)
Capital Campaign and Stewardship
The parish's homepage features a Capital Campaign brochure, signaling an active fundraising effort for the upkeep and improvement of the historic church, its grounds, and its ministries. A 'Click to Pledge' button links directly to giving.
- Capital Campaign brochure available on the parish website
- Online pledge option linked from the homepage
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Godfrey Cook, SJ1930s
Built the original Christ the King (then St. Peter Claver) Mission church in 1937 under Jesuit administration of the parish.
- Fr. James L. Lambert, SJ
Listed as pastor in older Catholic church directory.
- Rev. Derrick Weingartner, SJthrough 2019 bicentennial
Celebrant of the 2019 Bicentennial Mass; described the parish as 'holy ground.'
- Rev. Mark Kramer, SJcurrent per Diocese of Lafayette directory
Currently listed as Pastor, St. Charles Borromeo Church, Grand Coteau, on the diocesan priests directory.