About St. John Francis Regis · Arnaudville, Louisiana
St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church is a Cajun-Catholic parish of the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana, situated on Bayou Teche in the small twin-Parish community of Arnaudville, where it was founded in 1853 by the Arnaud family and other Acadian settlers. The parish serves the western (St. Landry Parish) side of Arnaudville and shares its pastoral life with neighboring St. Catherine of Alexandria. It maintains a French-language Rosary devotion, a Chapel of Perpetual Adoration in the old convent, a thriving Altar Society, a food pantry, St. Therese Thrift Store, Knights of Columbus Little Flower Council 3621, and the Teens on the Teche youth group, all rooted in the deep Catholic heritage of Acadiana.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- St. John Francis Regis
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette
Why belong here
St. John Francis Regis is a small but deeply traditional Cajun-Catholic parish where French-rooted devotions still matter: the Rosary is prayed in French, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed every Thursday in the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, and the parish calendar is anchored by the annual Etouffee Festival and the August 15 reopening of the renovated Adoration Chapel. Practical Catholic life is strong here — the Altar Society cleans the church and bakes for fundraisers, St. Therese Thrift Store on Main Street helps fund the parish and re-sues donated goods, and a community food pantry serves local families in need. It is a place where a visitor can join the Knights of Columbus, bring a teen to Teens on the Teche, or take the Vocations Cross into their home for a week of prayer, and be welcomed into more than a century and a half of Bayou Teche Catholic heritage.
Mass times at St. John Francis Regis
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:50 PM (before 4 PM Vigil Mass)
- Sunday 10:00–10:25 AM (before 10:30 AM Mass)
- Wednesday 5:00–5:25 PM (before 5:30 PM Mass)
- Friday 6:00–6:25 AM (before 6:30 AM Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Blessed Sacrament exposed at Adoration Chapel, old convent)
- Adoration Chapel tabernacle accessible 24/7 to anyone with the key code (call parish office)
History of St. John Francis Regis Parish
St. John Francis Regis was born in 1853 out of the faith of Acadian settlers on Bayou Teche. Jacques Arnaud and Marie Lalonde donated two acres to Father Rocoffort on November 24, 1853, the chapel was completed that same year, and the first baptism — Joseph Emar Stelly — was recorded on January 6, 1856. The Rev. Christopher Cuny became the parish's first pastor. A new church replaced the chapel in 1948; it was dedicated in February 1949 and consecrated on the parish's centennial in 1953.
- 1853 — Jacques Arnaud donates two acres on Bayou Teche to Father Rocoffort and his successors
- 1853 — Chapel completed and parish established
- ca. 1855 — Chapel dedicated
- 1856 — First recorded baptism: Joseph Emar Stelly
- 1865 — Marie Lalonde sells 12 adjoining acres to St. Charles College of Grand Coteau
- 1870 — Arnaudville incorporated Feb. 25
- 1948 — New church built
- February 1949 — New church dedicated
- 1953 — Church consecrated on the centennial
- 1953 — Knights of Columbus Little Flower Council 3621 chartered (April 12)
Patron: St. John Francis Regis
The parish takes its name from St. John Francis Regis (1597–1640), the Jesuit priest remembered as a friend of the poor, the sick, and the wayward, who eagerly desired to evangelize the peoples of North America. The parish website carries the traditional collect prayer in his honor.
- Patron: St. John Francis Regis, S.J.
- Feast day: June 16
- Collect prayer: 'O God, whose priest, Saint John Francis Regis… grant that we who serve You in his place may be filled with his same spirit of zeal. Amen.'
Parish Ministries & Groups
Parish life at St. John Francis Regis is carried by a small network of lay organizations. The Altar Society maintains the church interior and supports many parish events; the Knights of Columbus Little Flower Council 3621 (chartered April 12, 1953) serves Catholic men's spiritual and material needs; Teens on the Teche gathers high-schoolers every other Sunday at 6:00 PM at the St. Catherine rectory; and the Vocations Cross program invites families to pray for religious vocations for a week at a time.
- Altar Society — President: Kathy Olivier; $10/yr dues; meets monthly
- Knights of Columbus — Little Flower Council 3621 (chartered 1953)
- Teens on the Teche youth group — grades 9–12, every other Sunday 6 PM @ St. Catherine rectory
- Vocations Cross — weekly home devotion for religious vocations
- Adoration Chapel adorers (committed and substitutes)
- Book study / prayer group (Pastor's Corner initiative)
Outreach: St. Therese Thrift Store & Food Pantry
Two practical outreach ministries grow out of the parish: St. Therese Thrift Store at 370 Main Street resells donated clothing and small household items to support parish operations, and a community food pantry helps local families in need. St. Therese's main store and boutique are both open Wednesdays.
- St. Therese Thrift Store — 370 Main St., Arnaudville
- Main store — Wednesdays 12:00–4:30 PM
- Boutique — Wednesdays 12:00–4:00 PM
- Donations of clothing and small household items accepted during daylight hours in the small white shed
- Community food pantry — contact parish office (337-754-5912) to help or be helped
Cajun-Catholic Devotions & Parish Identity
The parish website identifies its mission as 'the glory of God and the salvation of souls through the Sacraments and through the authentic teachings of Holy Mother Church,' and the parish carries on Acadian-Catholic customs that distinguish Arnaudville. The Rosary is prayed in French, and the parish joins the broader Cajun-Catholic culture's love for the Blessed Virgin Mary — the renovated Adoration Chapel re-opened on August 15, 2022, the Solemnity of the Assumption, patroness of the Cajuns.
- Rosary prayed in French
- Adoration Chapel re-opened August 15, 2022 — Solemnity of the Assumption (patroness of the Cajuns)
- Annual Etouffee Festival (Altar Society bakes for it)
- Vocations Cross home devotion
- First Saturday devotion (Mass in Adoration Chapel when no funeral)
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the rectory by phone, mail, or in person at 232 Main Street in Arnaudville. Up-to-date First Saturday Mass information is posted on the parish Facebook page.
- Address: 232 Main St., P.O. Box 649, Arnaudville, LA 70512
- Phone: (337) 754-5912
- Fax: (337) 754-7203
- Facebook: Arnaudville Catholic (check for First Saturday Mass schedule)
- Parish website: http://www.arnaudvillecatholic.org/st-john-francis-regis
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Christopher Cuny1851 –
First pastor, appointed when the mission was transferred to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
- Father Rocoffortpre-1853
Serving La Jonction (Arnaudville) when the Arnaud family began building the chapel; received the 1853 land donation.
- Father Denoyel
Pastor during the period the village prospered and was incorporated (Feb. 25, 1870).
- Father August Martin1840s–1850s
Stationed at St. Martinville; advised considering relocation during Know-Nothing agitation (associated with the broader region, not necessarily resident pastor here).
- Father Daniel L. Bernard
Later pastor; elevated to the rank of Monseigneur.