About St. Elizabeth · Saint Martinville, Louisiana
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church is a small rural Roman Catholic parish in the community of Coteau Holmes, just outside Saint Martinville, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana. It belongs to the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana and is currently pastored by Father Bill Melancon, who simultaneously serves as pastor of St. Rita Parish in Catahoula. The parish holds Mass on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturday evenings, and offers confession and weekly Eucharistic Adoration, sustaining sacramental life for roughly 290 Catholic families in this historically Cajun part of St. Martin Parish.
- Established
- 1992
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth (of Hungary)
- Rector
- Rev. Bill Melancon (also Pastor of St. Rita Parish, Catahoula)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth is a tight-knit, rural Cajun Catholic community in historic St. Martin Parish where Mass is offered three times a week — Saturday vigil, Sunday morning, and Wednesday morning — with regular opportunities for Confession and Eucharistic Adoration. Worshippers are drawn by the parish's small-church warmth, its Acadian Catholic heritage alongside the famous St. Martin de Tours pilgrimage tradition, and the simple, steady rhythm of weekly sacramental life close to home.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 7:55 AM
- Wednesday 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 4:55 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
About St. Elizabeth Parish
St. Elizabeth is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural community of Coteau Holmes in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. Its mailing address is Saint Martinville, LA 70582. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana and is in pastoral union with St. Rita Catholic Church in Catahoula, sharing one pastor — Father Bill Melancon — between the two communities.
- Type: Roman Catholic (Latin Rite) parish
- Diocese: Lafayette in Louisiana
- Rite: Latin (Roman)
- Language: English
History
According to GCatholic, St. Elizabeth was established in 1992, although the Catholic worshipping community at Coteau Holmes clearly existed well before that date. An obituary for Sister Ameline Theriot, SFCC, records that she served as Pastoral Administrator of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Coteau Holmes from 1979 to 1986, indicating women religious of the Sisters for Christian Community (formerly Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament) helped shape the parish in its early decades. A later diocesan-style parish directory lists Rev. Joseph Padinjarepeedika, C.M.I., as pastor of the parish's 290 Catholic families. Today the parish is united in pastoral care with St. Rita of Catahoula under Father Bill Melancon.
- 1992 — Parish listed as established (GCatholic)
- 1979–1986 — Sister Ameline Theriot, SFCC, served as Pastoral Administrator
- Later directory period — Rev. Joseph Padinjarepeedika, C.M.I., listed as Pastor
- Current — Rev. Bill Melancon, also Pastor of St. Rita, Catahoula
Pastoral Leadership
St. Elizabeth and St. Rita of Catahoula currently share a single pastor in a cooperative arrangement typical of neighboring rural parishes in the Diocese of Lafayette. The pastor is Father Bill Melancon.
- Rev. Bill Melancon — Pastor (also Pastor of St. Rita, Catahoula)
Coteau Holmes and the Wider Catholic Landscape
Coteau Holmes is a small rural community south of downtown Saint Martinville in St. Martin Parish — the heart of historic Acadiana. Saint Martinville itself is one of the oldest Catholic settlements in Louisiana, home to the Basilica of St. Martin of Tours and the Evangeline Oak, the legendary symbol of the Acadian expulsion. St. Elizabeth belongs to this same deep Cajun Catholic tradition.
- Located in St. Martin Parish, Acadiana
- Near the Basilica of St. Martin de Tours, Saint Martinville
- Near the Evangeline Oak
Visiting and Contact
The parish shares its public web presence with St. Rita of Catahoula. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone at the number below; the church is at 1006 St. Elizabeth Street in Coteau Holmes (Saint Martinville mailing address).
- Address: 1006 St. Elizabeth Street, Coteau Holmes, Saint Martinville, LA 70582
- Phone: (337) 394-6684
- Website: stritacatahoula.com/st-elizabeth-coteau-holmes
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Sister Ameline Theriot, SFCC1979–1986
Pastoral Administrator during the parish's earlier period (per her obituary).
- Rev. Joseph Padinjarepeedika, C.M.I.
Listed as Pastor in an older diocesan-style parish directory.
- Rev. Bill Melancon
Current pastor, sharing pastoral care of St. Rita, Catahoula.