About St. Gerard · Jonesville, Louisiana
St. Gerard Church is a Catholic mission in Jonesville, Louisiana, sitting in the small Catahoula Parish community best known for the ancient Troyville Earthworks. Originally established in 1948 as a mission dependent on St. Mary Church in Jena, today it is served as a mission of St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, and shares its pastor, Very Rev. John Pardue, V.F., with that parish. The church sits at the corner of Willow and Second Streets and offers Sunday and weekday Mass, Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and regular Confession. Despite its size, it remains a faithful presence in the Eastern Deanery of the Diocese of Alexandria, where local Catholics gather for the Eucharist in the heart of rural Louisiana.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Gerard (Gerard Majella, Redemptorist lay brother; patron of expectant mothers and childbirth)
- Rector
- Very Rev. John Pardue, V.F. (Pastor of St. Patrick Church, Ferriday; also serves St. Gerard Mission as Vicar Forane of the Eastern Deanery)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Alexandria (Eastern Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Gerard is the Catholic home for Jonesville and the surrounding Catahoula Parish community, offering the core rhythms of Catholic life on a personal scale: a Sunday morning Mass, a midday Friday Mass with Eucharistic Adoration preceding it, and Confession before Sunday Mass or by appointment. Because it operates as a mission in close partnership with St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, parishioners have access to that parish's full sacramental and pastoral life — including deacon ministry, faith formation, and ongoing clergy support — while gathering in a small, walkable local church right on Willow Street.
Mass times at St. Gerard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays 7:15–7:45 a.m.
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- Fridays 11:45 a.m. (immediately preceding the 12:15 p.m. Mass)
Overview & Identity
St. Gerard Church is a Catholic mission in the small town of Jonesville, Louisiana, in Catahoula Parish. Established in 1948 as a mission of St. Mary Church in Jena, it is today a mission of St. Patrick Church in Ferriday and is part of the Eastern Deanery of the Diocese of Alexandria. The church shares its pastor, Very Rev. John Pardue, V.F., and parish staff with St. Patrick in Ferriday, while maintaining its own Sunday and weekday schedule in Jonesville.
- Established: 1948
- Type: Catholic Mission (not an independent parish)
- Parent parish: St. Patrick Church, 601 Florida Ave., Ferriday
- Diocese: Alexandria (Eastern Deanery)
History
St. Gerard was established in 1948 and, in its earliest days, was a mission of St. Mary Church in Jena. Its first church was an old Army building secured by Bishop Charles P. Greco. As the community grew, a new purpose-built church was needed; ground was broken on November 1, 1964, the structure was built by James Al Eiland of Bunkie for less than $20,000, and it was blessed by Bishop Greco on May 31, 1965. The mission later became attached to St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, with which it now shares pastoral and administrative staff.
- 1948: Mission established (under St. Mary, Jena)
- First church: an old Army building secured by Bishop Greco
- November 1, 1964: Ground broken for new church
- May 31, 1965: New church blessed by Bishop Greco
- Built by James Al Eiland of Bunkie for under $20,000
- Building size: 60 × 30 ft, seating ~100
Staff & Clergy
Because St. Gerard is a mission of St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, its priestly and office staff are shared with that parish. Fr. John Pardue, V.F., serves as pastor of both communities and is also the Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Eastern Deanery; Deacon Sam Jones assists at St. Patrick and supports the mission as well.
- Pastor: Very Rev. John Pardue, V.F.
- Deacon: Sam Jones (St. Patrick, Ferriday)
- Secretary: Cindy Galloway (St. Patrick parish office)
Parent Parish — St. Patrick Church, Ferriday
St. Gerard is administered together with St. Patrick Church in Ferriday, which was established in 1952 in the Eastern Deanery of the Diocese of Alexandria. The Ferriday parish office (601 Florida Ave., P.O. Box 369, Ferriday, LA 71334; (318) 757-3834) is the main point of contact for records, weddings, baptisms, and other pastoral needs beyond the St. Gerard mission's published Mass and Confession schedule. Office hours at St. Patrick are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Parent parish: St. Patrick, 601 Florida Ave., Ferriday, LA 71334
- Phone: (318) 757-3834
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Diocese & Deanery
St. Gerard is part of the Diocese of Alexandria, in central Louisiana, and falls within its Eastern Deanery. The current pastor serves as Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Eastern Deanery, which covers Ferriday, Jena, St. Joseph, Tallulah, and Vidalia.
- Diocese: Alexandria
- Deanery: Eastern
- Dean: Very Rev. John Pardue, V.F.
- Diocesan headquarters: 4400 Coliseum Blvd., Alexandria, LA 71303
Notable Facts & Local Context
Although small, St. Gerard is closely tied to a remarkable local landmark: the Troyville Earthworks, which once held an 82-foot-tall Mississippian-period 'Great Mound' right on the same block. Today only about three feet of mound fill remains, and a state historical marker on the Louisiana Ancient Mounds Trail sits in front of the church. Inside, the congregation continues the longstanding local tradition of Catholic life on the same ground — first gathered in a surplus Army building, then in the modest 1965 brick-and-frame church that still serves Jonesville Catholics today.
- Troyville Earthworks marker is in front of the church
- Site of an 82-foot Mississippian-period Great Mound
- Current building dedicated May 31, 1965
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Pardue, V.F.Re-appointed 2023 (current); listed in 2024 and 2026 diocesan directories
Serves as pastor of St. Patrick Church, Ferriday and St. Gerard Mission, Jonesville; also Vicar Forane of the Eastern Deanery.