About St. Henry · Lake Charles, Louisiana
St. Henry Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Lake Charles, Louisiana, serving the Diocese of Lake Charles in Southwest Louisiana. The parish worships in both English and Spanish, with a Sunday Mass celebrated in Spanish and a deliberate effort by recent leadership to unite the bilingual communities into one parish family. According to the parish's tax filings, St. Henry was founded in 1946 and today offers a full schedule of daily and weekend Masses, regular confession, adoration, and programs for youth, adults, and those entering the Church through OCIA (formerly RCIA).
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Henry
- Rector
- Reverend Carlos García
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lake Charles
Why belong here
St. Henry offers a warm, bilingual Catholic community — one parish with many cultures — celebrating Mass in English and Spanish every week. The parish sustains an unusually rich sacramental and devotional life: a full daily Mass schedule, frequent weekday confessions, Friday morning Eucharistic Adoration, a monthly Spanish Holy Hour, a monthly Pro-Life prayer and Rosary, and a parish youth group with elementary, middle, and high school tiers. For those curious about the Catholic faith, the parish hosts OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for anyone over 16 seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation — a true point-of-entry for newcomers.
Mass times at St. Henry
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM
- 30 minutes before all other Masses
Adoration times
- Friday Adoration: 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM (noon)
- Spanish Adoration: 1st Wednesday of each month, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
About St. Henry Catholic Church
St. Henry Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Lake Charles, located at 1021 Eighth Avenue in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1946, the parish serves Catholics in Southwest Louisiana through the celebration of the sacraments, preaching of the Word, outreach to those in need, and fidelity to Jesus Christ. St. Henry is a bilingual parish — worship and ministry are offered in both English and Spanish — and recent pastoral leadership has worked actively to make the parish one united community across its two language groups.
- Founded in 1946
- Located in Lake Charles, Louisiana (Southwest Louisiana)
- Diocese of Lake Charles
- Bilingual: English and Spanish
Parish History
The parish was founded in 1946 and has grown into one of the active Catholic communities of the Diocese of Lake Charles. In the years leading up to 2023, Bishop Glen John Provost assigned Rev. Msgr. Daniel A. Torres, VG as pastor of St. Henry's, with the stated mission of uniting the parish's English-speaking and Spanish-speaking members into one Catholic family. After six years, Msgr. Torres was reassigned to Christ the King Catholic Church, and Rev. Fr. Trey Ange succeeded him as pastor effective July 1 — marking both a continuity of vision and a new chapter for the parish.
- Parish founded in 1946
- Recent six-year pastorate of Msgr. Daniel A. Torres, VG
- Mission to unify the parish's English- and Spanish-speaking communities
- Leadership transition: Msgr. Torres → Fr. Trey Ange (July 1, 2023)
Clergy and Staff
St. Henry's is presently led by Pastor Rev. Fr. Trey Ange. The clergy team includes Rev. Fr. Jenesh Joseph, Parochial Vicar, and two permanent deacons, Rev. Deacon Patrick Hebert and Deacon Josue Canelo. The Rev. Msgr. Daniel A. Torres, VG, served as the immediate past pastor and remains identified on the parish's published leadership roster during the transition. Parish office staff include a bookkeeper, secretary, and office clerk.
- Rev. Fr. Jenesh Joseph — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Deacon Patrick Hebert — Deacon
- Deacon Josue Canelo — Deacon
- Msgr. Daniel A. Torres, VG — Immediate Past Pastor
OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
What was long known as RCIA is offered at St. Henry's under the updated name OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). The parish invites anyone over the age of 16 — including those preparing for Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and fully initiated Catholics who simply want to learn more — to enter the gradual process of faith development and catechetical instruction. Those interested contact the parish office at (337) 436-7223 to schedule an initial meeting.
- Open to anyone 16 or older
- Preparation for Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation
- Also open to fully initiated Catholics seeking formation
- Contact the parish office at (337) 436-7223 to begin
Youth Group and Religious Education
St. Henry's maintains an active youth group organized by school grade level, serving students from 4th grade through 12th grade. Parishioners are expected to 'always act and speak in a Christian manner' and to reflect the qualities of the parish's patron, St. Henry. The parish also offers a Religious Education program supporting catechesis for parish families.
- Elementary — 4th/5th Grades
- Middle School — 6th/7th/8th Grades
- High School — 9th/10th/11th/12th Grades
- Religious Education program for parish families
Visit, Contact, and Practical Information
St. Henry Catholic Church is located at 1021 Eighth Avenue, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601, with phone (337) 436-7223 and a parish fax at (337) 436-4614. The official website is sthenry.church and the parish is listed in the Diocese of Lake Charles parish directory. Visitors can find the parish's Mass times, confession schedule, adoration hours, and contact information via the diocese page and the parish's own 'Get Directions' link from the homepage.
- Address: 1021 Eighth Avenue, Lake Charles, LA 70601
- Phone: (337) 436-7223
- Fax: (337) 436-4614
- Website: sthenry.church
- Listed by the Diocese of Lake Charles at lcdiocese.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Daniel A. Torres, VGapprox. 2017 – June 30, 2023
Assigned by Bishop Provost to St. Henry's and served six years as pastor. His stated mission was to unify the parish's English and Spanish-speaking communities into one parish family. Reassigned by Bishop Provost as pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church effective July 1, 2023.
- Rev. Fr. Trey AngeJuly 1, 2023 – present
Succeeded Msgr. Torres as pastor of St. Henry's effective July 1, 2023; described in the farewell message as 'very energetic and well able to serve the needs of this growing and vibrant parish.'