About St. Gregory Barbarigo · Houma, Louisiana
St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Church is a family-oriented Roman Catholic parish centrally located near downtown Houma, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux. Established in 1963, the parish serves approximately 800 families and is home to St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Elementary School (PreK3 through 7th grade), which sits a block away on Sixth Street. The parish celebrates the Eucharist seven days a week, hosts the diocese's Filipino-American Mass on the first Sunday of each month, and supports a Knights of Columbus council, faith formation for grades K–11, OCIA, and outreach to the homebound and marginalized.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- Saint Gregory Barbarigo (Gregorio Giovanni Gaspare Barbarigo, 1625–1697), Italian cardinal, Bishop of Bergamo and later Bishop of Padua; canonized by Pope John XXIII on 26 May 1960.
- Rector
- Rev. Alexis (Alex) Lazarra
- Diocese
- Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux
Why belong here
St. Gregory Barbarigo is a small, family-oriented parish in the heart of Houma with daily and weekend Masses, a school Mass the whole community is welcome to attend, a Tuesday evening Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena, and a Holy Hour on the first Tuesday of each month. Families with school-age children benefit from an on-site Catholic elementary school (PreK3–7) and a parish-run CCD/Youth Formation program for grades K through 11. The parish also reaches beyond its own members by hosting the diocese's Filipino Mass on the first Sunday of the month, visiting the homebound, and supporting the marginalized — all under a pastor and parish staff who emphasize that 'we are many faces but one family.'
Mass times at St. Gregory Barbarigo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before all weekend Masses (Saturday Vigil and both Sunday Masses)
Adoration times
- First Tuesday of the month: 4:30 PM Holy Hour (before the 5:30 PM Mass)
Welcome and Mission
St. Gregory Barbarigo describes itself as a welcoming, family-oriented community centrally located near downtown Houma in the Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux. Its published mission is to 'proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ' through education, vibrant liturgies, para-liturgical celebrations, youth ministry, vocation awareness, and evangelization, while also serving the needs of the marginalized and homebound. The parish's closing line — 'We are many faces but one family' — sets the tone for its openness to new members, including its monthly gathering of the diocese's Filipino Catholic community.
- Established 1963
- Approximately 800 families
- Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux
- Motto: 'We are many faces but one family'
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by its pastor with the assistance of two deacons and a small lay staff that combines parish operations and parish-school liaison. The current pastor is Fr. Alexis (Alex) Lazarra, ordained June 5, 2010. He is assisted by active Deacon Dennis Dupre and retired Deacon John Mattingly. Lay staff include Denise DeHart (Secretary/Bookkeeper/Safe Environment Coordinator), Tressa Hebert (Coordinator of Youth Formation / Director of Faith Formation and Media Coordinator), and Alexis Pitre (Music Director). The school principal, Dr. Cindy Martin, sits on the parish councils ex officio.
- Rev. Alexis (Alex) Lazarra — Pastor
- Deacon Dennis Dupre
- Deacon John Mattingly (Retired)
- Denise DeHart — Secretary/Bookkeeper/Safe Environment Coordinator
- Tressa Hebert — Director of Faith Formation & Media Coordinator; Coordinator of Youth Formation
- Alexis Pitre — Music Director
- Dr. Cindy Martin — Principal (ex officio on parish councils)
Parish Councils
St. Gregory Barbarigo has both a Pastoral Council and a Finance Council, each described on the parish website with a roster of current members and a statement of purpose. The Pastoral Council exists to advise the pastor — not to administer — and to help the parish become the community of faith it is called to be, attentive to youth, the aging, ethnic minorities, disabled persons, and single-parent families. The pastor, the deacon, and the principal sit on both councils ex officio.
- Pastoral Council President: Rochelle Walker; Secretary: Evelyn Breaux
- Pastoral Council members: Angela Boudreaux, Glen Breerwood, Harvey Authement, Henriella Theriot, John Walker, Richard Olivieri, Wendy Romero, Lewis Tabor
- Finance Council ex-officio: Fr. Alexis Lazarra, Deacon John Mattingly, Dr. Cindy Martin
- Mission: on-going renewal of the parish as a whole
Parish School — St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Elementary
St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Elementary School shares the parish campus at 441 Sixth Street, Houma — one block from the church at 1005 Williams Avenue. The school describes itself as 'an educational ministry which strives to ensure, through study, prayer, service and discipline, the Christian formation and the academic success of all its students in a nurturing and caring environment.' It primarily serves Catholic families but welcomes families who respect its Catholic values. The school serves PreK3 through 7th grade under principal Dr. Cindy Martin and has been in operation for over 60 years. A weekly school Mass (Friday 8:30 AM, when school is in session) is open to the public.
- Address: 441 Sixth Street, Houma, LA 70364
- Phone: (985) 876-2038; Fax: (985) 879-2789
- Website: https://www.stgregorycatholic.org/
- Grades served: PreK3 through 7th
- Principal: Dr. Cindy Martin
- Safe Environment Coordinator: Mrs. Ashley Landry
- Friday 8:30 AM School Mass (public welcome)
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Faith formation at St. Gregory covers both Religious Education (CCD) and a youth ministry component, organized under Tressa Hebert, Director of Faith Formation. The program serves students from Kindergarten through the 11th grade, with Confirmation preparation in grades 10 and 11. There is a separate track for OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those coming into the Church as adults, and sacramental preparation for First Communion/First Reconciliation is coordinated through the same office.
- CCD / Religious Education for grades K–9
- Confirmation preparation for grades 10–11
- Registration fees: $30 for grades K, 1, 3–9; $50 for grades 2, 10, 11
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Parent/youth registration meeting held in September each year
- Contact: Tressa Hebert, 985-876-2047
Sacramental Life
The parish website lays out preparation for all seven sacraments. Parents are asked to contact the parish office during pregnancy to begin baptism preparation; First Communion/First Reconciliation and Confirmation preparation both go through the Coordinator of Youth Formation; couples must contact the parish at least six months before their anticipated wedding date; and adults seeking Confirmation are directed to the OCIA/Adult Formation page. The Anointing of the Sick is also offered through the parish.
- Baptism — prenatal contact required; seminar with the deacon
- First Communion / First Reconciliation
- Confirmation (youth) and Adult Confirmation
- Marriage — minimum 6 months' notice
- Anointing of the Sick
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
Parish Ministries and Community Life
Beyond worship and formation, the parish supports a small set of ongoing ministries and organizations that involve parishioners in parish life. These include a Liturgical Environment Ministry that cares for the worship space, a Knights of Columbus council (#6170), and the two advisory councils (Pastoral and Finance) that help guide parish decisions. The parish also explicitly names outreach to the marginalized and the homebound as a core ministry of the community.
- Liturgical Environment Ministry
- Knights of Columbus Council #6170
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- Marginalized and homebound outreach
Filipino Catholic Community — Misang Pilipino
St. Gregory Barbarigo is home to the monthly Misang Pilipino (Filipino Mass), celebrated on the first Sunday of each month at the parish's regular 10:30 AM Sunday Mass. The Mass gathers the Filipino-American Cajun community of southern Louisiana, who are personally invited — together with the wider parish — to attend, after which there is a shared potluck. This regular gathering has made St. Gregory a hub for Filipino Catholics across the diocese.
- When: First Sunday of every month, 10:30 AM
- Where: St. Gregory Barbarigo Church, Houma
- Followed by a community potluck (attendees are invited to bring a dish)
- Open to all — Filipino-American Cajun community and parish regulars alike
New Parishioners and Getting Involved
Anyone interested in joining the parish can fill out the parish registration/census form available on the Forms page of the parish website, or stop by or call the parish office during its Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–3:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM hours. The 'I'm New Here' page walks visitors through the weekend and weekday Mass schedule and points out that confessions are heard before every weekend Mass.
- Parish registration/census form on the parish website
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–3:00 PM; Fri 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Office phone: (985) 876-2047
- Rectory phone: (985) 873-7770
- Email: [email protected]
About Saint Gregory Barbarigo (Patron)
Saint Gregory Barbarigo (1625–1697) was a Venetian-born cardinal and bishop, first Bishop of Bergamo and later Bishop of Padua, noted for implementing the reforms of the Council of Trent, founding seminaries, enlarging his cathedral's archive and printing press, holding a diocesan synod in 1683, and personally visiting all 320 parishes of Padua. Known for charity to the poor (he reportedly once sold his own bed to help them), he was beatified in the 18th century and canonized by Pope John XXIII on 26 May 1960. His liturgical feast is observed on 18 June in the General Roman Calendar. Naming the Houma parish after him in 1963, just three years after his canonization, places it among the many congregations worldwide that adopted this Italian cardinal-bishop as their patron at the height of his renewed devotion.
- Born 16 September 1625, Venice
- Died 18 June 1697, Padua
- Bishop of Bergamo (1657–1664), Bishop of Padua (1664–1697)
- Cardinal-Priest of San Marco (1677–1697)
- Canonized 26 May 1960 by Pope John XXIII
- Feast day: 18 June (General Roman Calendar)