About St. James · Saint James, Louisiana
St. James Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the small community of Saint James, Louisiana, situated along the historic River Road in the heart of the cane-growing country of West St. James Parish. As one of the oldest congregations in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, it is grouped today with neighboring St. Philip in Vacherie and Our Lady of Peace in Vacherie under a single pastoral team known collectively as 'Cane Catholics' (canecatholics.com). The parish is currently administered by Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP, a Dominican priest, with Deacon Glenn Hymel assisting, and offers weekend and weekday Mass in English for the River Road communities of West St. James.
- Established
- 1770
- Patron
- St. James the Greater (originally St. Jacques de Cabahanoce, named in honor of Jacques Cantrelle, who donated the land)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
St. James Catholic Church offers English-language Sunday and weekday Mass in the heart of West St. James Parish's historic River Road community, with convenient Sunday-morning confession before Mass. Worship is shared with sister congregations St. Philip and Our Lady of Peace in Vacherie under one pastoral team (the 'Cane Catholics'), so families can worship at any of the three churches and stay connected through Flocknote text and email alerts. With roots going back to the 1750s Acadian settlement of St. Jacques de Cabahanoce, it is a welcoming, multi-generational parish anchored by the Dominican-administered liturgy and the care of Deacon Glenn Hymel.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:15 AM – 7:50 AM (St. James)
About St. James Catholic Church
St. James is one of three Catholic churches clustered in West St. James Parish, Louisiana, along the Mississippi's River Road. The parish is part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and today shares its clergy and website with sister churches St. Philip in Vacherie and Our Lady of Peace in Vacherie under the joint name 'Cane Catholics.' The church stands at 6613 Highway 18 in the small community of Saint James, and is currently served by a Dominican administrator, Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP, with deacon assistance from Deacon Glenn Hymel.
- Address: 6613 Highway 18, Saint James, LA 70086
- Phone: (225) 265-3953
- Website: canecatholics.com
- Diocese of Baton Rouge
- Administrator: Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP
History of St. Jacques de Cabahanoce
The parish was organized as an ecclesiastical mission prior to 1757 and named St. Jacques de Cabahanoce after Jacques Cantrelle, an early settler who donated land for the first church. The earliest French Capuchin pastor, Father Barnabé, also served St. Charles (Destrehan) across the river. Father Valentin became the first resident pastor, and the first baptism and marriage were recorded in 1770; the first burial in 1773. Parish registers were kept in French until 1786, and in 1771 the mission came under the Diocese of Havana.
- Organized before 1757
- First baptism and marriage: 1770
- First burial recorded: 1773
- Registers in French until 1786
- Came under the Diocese of Havana, Cuba, in 1771
Church Buildings Through the Centuries
From a modest 'shed church' to a magnificent Roman-esque three-steepled structure, and finally to the present church built in the 1930s, the people of St. James have rebuilt their house of worship repeatedly — at one point losing an earlier building to the encroaching Mississippi River channel. The current structure stands on Highway 18 (River Road) in Saint James and has served the parish for nearly a century.
- First structure: a modest 'shed church'
- Second structure: Roman-esque, three-steepled, lost to the Mississippi River
- Present church built: 1930s
St. James Catholic Cemetery
Directly associated with the parish is the St. James Catholic Cemetery at 6613 Hwy 18, established about 1770 and among the oldest burial grounds in St. James Parish. Many early Acadian families who came to St. James Parish in the late 1700s are buried there, along with prominent 19th-century planters and politicians.
- Established circa 1770
- One of the oldest cemeteries in St. James Parish
- Burials of early Acadian settlers and 19th-century planters and politicians
Clergy and Staff
The Cane Catholics pastoral team, currently led by Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP, a priest of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), serves all three parishes — St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace. Deacon Glenn Hymel assists at the three churches.
- Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP — Administrator (effective August 7, 2023)
- Deacon Glenn Hymel — Deacon Assistant
Pastoral Succession
Known pastors/administrators of St. James and its Cane Catholics cluster include Father Barnabé (pre-1757, Capuchin) and Father Valentin (first resident pastor); in more recent decades Rev. Chris Decker served as pastor of St. James and St. Philip from 2010 to 2016, followed by Father Matthew McCaughey, who in August 2023 was reassigned to St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales. Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP succeeded him as Administrator.
- Father Barnabé (French Capuchin) — pre-1757
- Father Valentin — first resident pastor
- Rev. Chris Decker — 2010–2016
- Father Matthew McCaughey — until August 2023
- Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP — from August 7, 2023
The Cane Catholics Family of Parishes
Cane Catholics is the joint pastoral identity of three River Road churches: St. James (in Saint James), St. Philip (Vacherie, est. 1873), and Our Lady of Peace (Vacherie, est. 1856). The two Vacherie parishes were both originally mission territory of St. James. All three share one administrator, one deacon assistant, and one website at canecatholics.com.
- St. James — Saint James, LA
- St. Philip — Vacherie, LA (est. 1873)
- Our Lady of Peace — Vacherie, LA (est. 1856)
Stay Connected — Flocknote
Parishioners are encouraged to subscribe to the parish Flocknote list to receive parish news, Mass-time updates, and event information by text and email. To join, text the word CANE to 84576.
- Text CANE to 84576 to subscribe
- Updates by SMS and email
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Barnabé (French Capuchin, also Pastor of St. Charles/Destrehan)prior to 1757
First priest recorded in charge of the St. Jacques de Cabahanoce mission.
- Father Valentinafter 1757
First resident pastor at St. Jacques de Cabahanoce, per the Explore Louisiana historic-sites narrative.
- Rev. Chris Decker2010–2016
Pastor of St. James and St. Philip, Vacherie, prior to 2023 reassignment.
- Father Matthew McCaugheyuntil August 2023
Pastor of St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace, reassigned to St. Theresa of Avila, Gonzales in 2023.
- Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OPeffective August 7, 2023
Dominican priest appointed Administrator of St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace.