About St. Frances Xavier Cabrini · Livonia, Louisiana
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is a small Catholic parish in Livonia, Louisiana, situated in the Pointe Coupée area of the Baton Rouge Diocese. The parish serves the town of Livonia along with its mission chapel of St. Catherine of Siena in nearby Fordoche, and since 2004 has been clustered with St. Joseph Parish in Grosse Tête and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Maringouin as 'The TriParishes.' The parish commemorates Mother Cabrini's missionary journeys to the Italian communities along Bayou Grosse Tete and Bayou Maringouin, and its worship space is distinguished by beautiful cypress paneling crafted from local trees.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini offers a faithful, close-knit Catholic community rooted in over a century of worship on the Grosse Tete Ridge. The parish provides a Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM in a distinctive cypress-paneled sanctuary, weekly confession times shared across the TriParishes, rotating Eucharistic Adoration on Thursday evenings, and a Parish School of Religion program for faith formation. As part of the clustered TriParishes with St. Joseph (Grosse Tête) and Immaculate Heart of Mary (Maringouin), parishioners share in a broader ministry that reaches out across Pointe Coupée—including the historic mission chapel of St. Catherine of Siena in Fordoche, with its pioneering 'Boxcar Chapel' heritage.
Mass times at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30–8:45 AM at St. Joseph (Grosse Tête)
- Tuesday 8:00–8:30 AM at Immaculate Heart of Mary (Maringouin)
- Friday 8:00–8:30 AM at Immaculate Heart of Mary (Maringouin)
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM at Immaculate Heart of Mary (Maringouin)
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:30–7:30 PM (the Thursday before the 1st Friday of the month; rotates among parishes—call the office or see the bulletin for the host parish)
History & Heritage
The Catholic roots along the Grosse Tete Ridge stretch back to the years before the Civil War, when missionary priests from Grosse Tete and Maringouin served scattered communities from Bayou Plaquemine to Fordoche. A chapel dedicated to St. Joan of Arc was built in Livonia in 1920; it was destroyed by fire in 1945, after which Mass was moved to the Livonia High School gymnasium. The present church, dedicated to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, was built and dedicated in 1954 to commemorate Mother Cabrini's missionary journeys to the Italian communities along Bayou Grosse Tete and Bayou Maringouin. Ten months later, in 1955, the mission was established as a parish, with Father Francis S. Lamendola—who had arrived in 1948—becoming the first pastor.
- St. Joan of Arc Chapel built in Livonia, 1920; burned 1945
- Present church dedicated to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, 1954
- Mission formally established as a parish, 1955
- First pastor: Father Francis S. Lamendola (arrived 1948)
The Church Building & Cypress Interior
The Livonia church is most notable for its distinctive cypress paneling, fashioned from several large cypress trees harvested locally and crafted by Max Henry of Frisco. Stained glass windows were added during a 1960s remodel that also produced the parish mausoleum and developed cemetery on the grounds.
- Cypress paneling from local cypress trees, by Max Henry of Frisco
- Stained glass windows installed in the 1960s
- Mausoleum built in the 1960s
- Parish cemetery developed in the 1960s
The Fordoche Mission & the 'Boxcar Chapel'
The first Mass in Fordoche was celebrated on John Marks' plantation around 1910. Regular services followed in the local public school and later in the Woodmen of the World Hall. A new chapel dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena was built and dedicated in 1953; it remains today a mission of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. The current Fordoche chapel stands directly in front of the old 'Boxcar Chapel' that pioneered some of the area's early missionary efforts—an evocative reminder of how Catholicism first came to the surrounding communities.
- First Fordoche Mass on John Marks' plantation, c. 1910
- Services held in local public school and Woodmen of the World Hall
- St. Catherine of Siena Chapel dedicated, 1953
- Historic 'Boxcar Chapel' still stands in front of current Fordoche chapel
The TriParishes Cluster
Since 2004, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini has been clustered with St. Joseph Parish in Grosse Tête and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Maringouin to form 'The TriParishes,' sharing pastoral and administrative leadership and many ministries across the three worship sites. The combined bulletin, website (triparishes.org), and parish office serve all three communities.
- Cluster formed in 2004
- St. Joseph Parish — Grosse Tête
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish — Maringouin
- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish — Livonia (with St. Catherine of Siena Mission, Fordoche)
- Shared office and website: triparishes.org
Faith Formation & Ministries
The TriParishes provide faith formation through a Parish School of Religion (PSR) program that supports catechesis for the children of the clustered communities. The parish has also issued a PSR survey to help shape and strengthen its religious education offerings.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — faith formation program for the TriParishes
- PSR survey to support religious education planning
- Clustered ministry outreach across Pointe Coupée area
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Since 2004 the three TriParishes have shared pastoral leadership. Father Francis S. Lamendola, who arrived at the Cabrini mission in 1948, was the parish's founding pastor when it was formally established in 1955. More recently, Father Christopher J. Decker served as pastor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (with St. Catherine of Siena, Fordoche) together with St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary from 2016 to 2021, before being assigned to St. Mary of False River in New Roads. The current pastor/administrator of the TriParishes is listed by the Diocese of Baton Rouge but could not be fully verified from the available sources.
- Father Francis S. Lamendola — first pastor (arrived 1948; served as first pastor from 1955)
- Father Christopher J. Decker — pastor of the TriParishes 2016–2021
- Diocese of Baton Rouge lists the parish's current administrator
Visit & Contact
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is located at 3523 LA Highway 78 in Livonia, Louisiana 70755, about half a mile off US Highway 190. The parish office can be reached by phone at (225) 637-2396 or by email at [email protected]. The shared TriParishes website at triparishes.org carries current bulletins, the Mass and confession schedule, and information on Adoration and other TriParishes-wide events.
- Address: 3523 LA Highway 78, Livonia, LA 70755
- Phone: (225) 637-2396
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: triparishes.org
- Located on LA Hwy 78, ½ mile off US Hwy 190
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Francis S. Lamendola1948–(after 1955)
Arrived in 1948 to serve the Cabrini mission; became the first pastor when the mission was formally established as a parish in 1955.