About St. John · Erath, Louisiana
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church is a Roman-Latin rite parish in the unincorporated hamlet of Henry, in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana (Erath ZIP 70533), within the Diocese of Lafayette. The parish is one of two churches served by a single pastor — the other being St. James in nearby Esther — and is particularly known for the healing ministry of its pastor, Rev. Emmanuel 'Manny' Fernandez. The present church is a remarkable survivor: originally built in 1895 as Our Lady of Prompt Succor in nearby Bancker, it was dismantled board-by-board in 1939 and rebuilt in Henry, then raised nine feet, three inches off the ground after Hurricane Rita's 2005 flood.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Emmanuel 'Manny' Fernandez
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana (West Deanery, Vermilion Civil Parish)
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist offers the kind of small-country-parish intimacy that larger Acadiana churches cannot: weekday Masses twice a week (Saturday evening anticipation and Friday morning), quiet Eucharistic Adoration on Friday mornings until noon, the Sacrament of Confession before each Mass, and a pastor widely known for a healing ministry and individual blessings. The parish is deeply rooted in the Acadian Catholic culture of Vermilion Parish, and its building itself — a board-by-board 1939 transplant, then lifted nine feet after Hurricane Rita — is a living memorial to the persistence of Catholic faith in coastal Louisiana.
Mass times at St. John
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 p.m. (before 4:00 p.m. Mass) — per fathermanny.com parish schedule
- Wednesday 11:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (per Discover Mass listing)
- Friday 11:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (per Discover Mass listing)
- Before Healing Masses (held periodically; e.g., confessions begin at 3:00 p.m. before the July 2025 Healing Mass)
Adoration times
- Friday after the 8:00 a.m. Mass until 12:00 Noon (Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Thursday at St. James Church, Esther, beginning at 4:30 p.m. before the 5:30 p.m. Mass
History of St. John the Evangelist
The parish traces its origins to 1895, when Fr. F. C. Elast established a Roman Catholic church called Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Bancker on land donated by William Cade; the first baptism was recorded there in 1897. In 1939 the building was taken down board by board and rebuilt in Henry on land given by Thomas B. Delino, and was renamed St. John the Evangelist. After Hurricane Rita's tidal surge in 2005, the church, office, and rectory were restored and lifted nine feet, three inches off the ground — a striking act of resilience funded by more than a million dollars in donations from Christians around the country.
- 1895 — Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church founded in Bancker
- 1897 — First recorded baptism (Anna Henry, daughter of Isaac Henry and Marie Toups) by Fr. F. C. Elast
- 1939 — Church and rectory dismantled board-by-board and rebuilt in Henry; renamed St. John the Evangelist
- 2005 — Hurricane Rita tidal surge causes extensive damage
- Post-2005 — Over $1,000,000 raised to restore and raise the church 9 ft. 3 in.
- December 29, 2019 — Louisiana historical marker dedicated
Pastor: Rev. Emmanuel 'Manny' Fernandez
Father Manny, the parish's current pastor, is a Filipino Catholic priest and Divine Word Missionary ordained November 10, 1979. His early missionary assignment in Africa was cut short by a grave illness (malaria, typhoid fever, and hepatitis) during which he was, briefly, pronounced clinically dead; his recovery marked the beginning of a healing ministry he has exercised publicly since 1987. He now serves as full-time pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Henry while traveling across South Louisiana for Penance & Healing Services, individual blessings, and the periodic Healing Masses at St. John Church in Henry.
- Ordained to the priesthood: November 10, 1979
- Originally a Divine Word Missionary to Africa
- Resident pastor at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Henry
- Known for healing ministry and individual blessings
- Author of 'Emmanuel … Chosen by God' and 'Emmanuel … the Holy Spirit Heals'
Healing Masses & Individual Blessings
Healing Masses are held periodically at St. John Church, Henry, and are the most distinctive devotional offering of the parish. The pattern is consistent: confessions begin early, Mass is celebrated, and Father Manny remains to pray individually over each person who comes forward. Healing services have also been offered at Deja Vu de Pont Breaux antiques and flea market in Breaux Bridge on the third Friday of each month, though those are temporarily suspended as of the parish's last published update.
- Healing Mass at St. John Church, Henry (e.g., July 13, 2025; previously November 11, 2018)
- 3:00 p.m. Confessions → 4:00 p.m. Mass → individual blessings after Mass
- Off-site Penance & Healing Service by request (contact Bonnie Latiolais, 278-8442)
- Third-Friday Healing Service at Deja Vu de Pont Breaux, Breaux Bridge (currently suspended)
Architecture & the Post-Rita Elevation
The present St. John the Evangelist is not a designed architectural landmark in the conventional sense — but its history-as-architecture is striking. Built originally in 1895 in Bancker, the church was taken apart plank-by-plank in 1939 and reassembled in Henry; the same timbers and form are still standing today. After Hurricane Rita's tidal surge caused extensive damage in 2005, more than a million dollars in donations funded a full restoration and a 9 ft. 3 in. lift of the church, office, and rectory — believed to be one of the highest-elevated churches in the area. Visitors today reach the elevated church door by stairs, an elevated walkway, and an elevator.
- 1895 Bancker wood-frame construction
- Board-by-board relocation to Henry in 1939
- Post-2005 elevation of 9 feet, 3 inches
- Access by stairs, walkway, and elevator
- Listed on a Louisiana state historical marker (dedicated December 29, 2019)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. F. C. Elast (Divine Word Missionary)1895 – first pastor of the predecessor Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in Bancker; recorded the first baptism in 1897
Founded the predecessor parish of which St. John the Evangelist is the direct continuation.