About St. Francis of Assisi · Waterproof, Louisiana
St. Francis of Assisi is a small Catholic mission church located at 142 Main Street in Waterproof, Louisiana, in the rural northeastern part of the state within Tensas Parish — the least populated parish in Louisiana. It is officially a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church in neighboring St. Joseph, Louisiana, and falls under the Diocese of Alexandria. The mission serves the Catholic faithful of Waterproof and the surrounding Mississippi Delta farmland with a regular weekly Mass. In 2026 it gained wider attention within the diocese after receiving a second-class relic of St. Francis of Assisi (a piece of his hairshirt), making it a designated pilgrimage site during Pope Leo XIV's Jubilee Year of St. Francis (January 10, 2026 – January 10, 2027).
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Kenneth Obiekwe, STD
- Diocese
- Diocese of Alexandria
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi Mission offers Catholics in and around Waterproof a quiet, intimate place to worship close to home — a single weekly Mass celebrated in the heart of a small Mississippi River town. The mission is part of the larger St. Joseph parish family of Tensas Parish, whose shared motto is "Taking Christ in our Arms with Servant Hands," and it is currently a designated pilgrimage site during the worldwide Jubilee Year of St. Francis (2026). For anyone drawn to Franciscan spirituality, the rare second-class relic of St. Francis' hairshirt housed here makes this humble Louisiana mission a remarkable stop on a once-in-800-years spiritual journey.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before Mass (Saturday, ~7:30 am)
St. Francis of Assisi Mission at a Glance
St. Francis of Assisi Mission is a small Catholic mission church serving the town of Waterproof in Tensas Parish, Louisiana. It is one of two missions attached to St. Joseph Catholic Church in nearby St. Joseph, the mother parish of Tensas Parish, and falls under the pastoral care of the Diocese of Alexandria. The mission celebrates one Mass per week in English and is supported by the parish office in St. Joseph.
- Type: Mission church
- Parent parish: St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph, LA
- Diocese: Alexandria
- Address: 142 Main Street (Hwy 568), Waterproof, LA 71375
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 198, St. Joseph, LA 71366
- Phone: (318) 766-3565
Clergy & Staff
The mission is staffed through St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joseph. Rev. Kenneth Obiekwe, STD, is listed as the current pastor in the Diocese of Alexandria's 2026 directory. The mission and its parent parish were previously served by Rev. Taylor Reynolds, JCL, who also served as Ecclesiastical Judge for the Diocese of Alexandria and authored the diocesan newsletter article announcing the Jubilee Year relic.
- Rev. Kenneth Obiekwe, STD — Pastor (current, per 2026 diocesan directory)
- Rev. Taylor Reynolds, JCL — former Pastor and diocesan Ecclesiastical Judge
Parish Family & Motto
St. Francis of Assisi Mission belongs to the St. Joseph Catholic Church family, which was established in 1940 and has served rural Tensas Parish for more than 80 years. The parish family lives by the motto "Taking Christ in our Arms with Servant Hands" — a phrase that captures the community's identity as a small, service-oriented flock rooted in the Mississippi Delta.
- Parent parish established: 1940
- Parish motto: "Taking Christ in our Arms with Servant Hands"
- Deanery: Eastern Deanery, Diocese of Alexandria
Jubilee Year of St. Francis & the Relic
In 2026, St. Francis of Assisi Mission became a designated pilgrimage site after the church received a second-class relic of St. Francis of Assisi — a piece of the hairshirt the saint wore from the moment he surrendered his garments to his father and took on the Franciscan habit, until his death. Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed 2026 as the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, running from January 10, 2026 to January 10, 2027, to mark the 800th anniversary of the saint's death (he died in 1226 at age 44 and was canonized only two years later). The Diocese of Alexandria published a special invitation in its "Church Today" newsletter encouraging all the faithful of the diocese to make a pilgrimage to the Waterproof mission.
- Second-class relic: fragment of St. Francis of Assisi's hairshirt
- Pilgrims may sign the parish's pilgrim book
- Pilgrims may receive a blessed Holy Card of St. Francis (which becomes a third-class relic upon veneration)
- Plenary indulgences available under the usual conditions (confession, communion, prayer for the Pope's intentions)
- Visits can be arranged by emailing [email protected] or calling (318) 766-3565
About the Patron: St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, c. 1181–1226) was an Italian mystic, poet, and Catholic friar who founded the Franciscan Order. He is remembered for his unique relationship with creation — preaching to birds, taming the Wolf of Gubbio, and saving lambs from slaughter — because he saw all creatures as his brothers and sisters in the one Creator. He died on October 3, 1226, near blind and in poor health, and was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1228. His feast day is celebrated on October 4.
- Born: c. 1181 in Assisi, Italy
- Died: 1226 at age 44
- Canonized: 1228 (two years after his death)
- Founded the Franciscan Order
- Patron of animals, ecology, the environment, and peace
- Feast day: October 4
Visiting & Contact Information
Pilgrims and visitors are warmly welcomed, especially during the 2026 Jubilee Year. Because the mission does not have regular daily office hours on site, the parish asks that visitors arrange a pilgrimage visit by contacting the parent parish office at St. Joseph. The mission shares its phone and email with St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joseph.
- Address: 142 Main Street (Hwy 568), Waterproof, LA 71375
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 198, St. Joseph, LA 71366
- Phone: (318) 766-3565
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan listing: diocesealex.org/church/st-francis-of-assisi-mission-waterproof/
About Tensas Parish & Waterproof
St. Francis of Assisi Mission sits in Waterproof, the southernmost of the three towns of Tensas Parish, Louisiana — the least populated parish in the state (population 4,147 in the 2020 census). The town was first settled around 1830, incorporated in 1872, and was physically relocated twice (in 1876 and 1880) as the Mississippi River caved its banks. Tensas Parish itself was established March 17, 1843, carved from the northern portion of Concordia Parish, and takes its name from the historic Taensa (Tensas) Native American people.
- Tensas Parish: least populated parish in Louisiana (2020 pop. 4,147)
- Three towns: Waterproof, St. Joseph (parish seat), and Newellton
- Waterproof incorporated: 1872
- Parish established: March 17, 1843
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Taylor Reynolds, JCL
Served as pastor of St. Joseph / St. Francis of Assisi Mission; also served as Ecclesiastical Judge for the Diocese of Alexandria; authored the article on St. Francis and the Jubilee Year published in the diocesan 'Church Today' newsletter.
- Rev. Kenneth Obiekwe, STD
Listed as current Pastor of St. Joseph Church and its missions (including St. Francis of Assisi, Waterproof) in the Diocese of Alexandria's 2026 Directory.