About St. John the Evangelist · Mermentau, Louisiana
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church is a small historic parish in Mermentau, Louisiana, founded in 1882 and part of the West Region of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. The parish shares ministry with its mission chapel, St. Margaret of Scotland in nearby Estherwood, and together the two communities publish Mass schedules, faith formation, and family activities through their joint website at stjohnstmargaret.com. Worship is offered in English, with Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday Mass, a Wednesday midday Mass, and a First Friday Mass, complemented by daily Eucharistic Adoration and a lively calendar of family events, retreats, and seasonal fundraisers.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Sahayaraj Irudayasamy, HGN (known to parishioners as Fr. Ravi)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana (West Region)
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is a tight-knit rural Catholic community where weekly Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession are woven into ordinary family life. The parish runs an active family-focused religious education program with classes for grades 1–7 and Confirmation prep for grades 8–9, hosts men's groups (Catholics Under Construction), women's and men's ACTS retreats through the JMJ Coalition, OCIA (formerly RCIA) classes for those becoming Catholic, Family Holy Hours, First Friday Mass and Adoration, and a major annual Fall Bazaar and Steak Supper that draw the whole parish together. For Catholics in Mermentau and Estherwood looking for a parish that prays together, serves together, and walks with families through every stage of faith life, St. John's offers a genuine home.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM (St. John the Evangelist, Mermentau)
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 3:55 PM (St. John the Evangelist, Mermentau)
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM (St. Margaret of Scotland, Estherwood)
- Tuesday & Thursday 6:00 AM – 6:30 AM (St. Margaret of Scotland, Estherwood)
- Also by appointment — call the parish office or speak to Father
Adoration times
- Monday 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM — Adoration at St. John the Evangelist, Mermentau
- Tuesday 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM — Adoration at St. Margaret of Scotland, Estherwood
- Wednesday 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM — Adoration at St. John the Evangelist, Mermentau
- Wednesday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM — Adoration at St. John the Evangelist (per Discover Mass listing)
- First Friday Adoration starting at 4:30 PM
- Family Holy Hour (monthly)
Parish Identity & History
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Mermentau, Louisiana, was founded in 1882 and is part of the West Region of the Diocese of Lafayette. Its Catholic roots, however, reach back further to the era of Jesuit missionary activity in South Louisiana during the Civil War, when Father Abbadie, S.J., of Grand Coteau celebrated the first Mass in Mermentau around 1863. In the late 1860s Father Anthonioz, S.J., continued that work and gave special pastoral attention to the neighboring settlement of Coulee Trieve, which later became Estherwood.
- Founded: 1882
- Pre-parish Masses: c. 1863 (Father Abbadie, S.J.) and late 1860s (Father Anthonioz, S.J.)
- Diocese: Lafayette in Louisiana, West Region
- Mission chapel: St. Margaret of Scotland, Estherwood
Mission Chapel — St. Margaret of Scotland, Estherwood
St. Margaret of Scotland in Estherwood is a mission chapel of St. John the Evangelist, sharing one pastor and one combined website at stjohnstmargaret.com. Its Sunday Mass schedule (Saturday Vigil 5:30 PM and Sunday 8:30 AM) complements St. John's schedule, and Adoration is offered Tuesday mornings from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The community grew out of the same Jesuit missionary outreach that founded St. John's.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:30 PM
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM
- Tuesday Adoration: 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Address: 322 Miller St., Estherwood, LA 70534
Clergy & Staff
St. John the Evangelist is served by a single pastor from the HGN missionary congregation. The parish is small and rural, and the priest ministers to both St. John the Evangelist in Mermentau and the mission chapel of St. Margaret of Scotland in Estherwood.
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen Sahayaraj Irudayasamy, HGN (Fr. Ravi) — listed in the Diocese of Lafayette priests directory as Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Mermentau
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a family-style Religious Education program for children in grades 1 through 7, beginning each class day with a 4:00 PM Mass, followed by a small meal and lessons that dismiss at 6:30 PM. Confirmation preparation for grades 8 and 9 begins at 3:30 PM. Class dates for the 2025–2026 year run from September through April. Catechism Sundays are also offered after the monthly 4:00 PM Mass.
- Grades 1–7 and 10–11: 4:00 PM Mass, then meal and class, ending 6:30 PM
- Grades 8–9 Confirmation: 3:30 PM class start
- 2025–2026 Class Dates: Sept 7, Oct 5, Nov 16, Dec 7, Jan 11, Feb 1, Mar 8, Apr 19
- Catechism Sundays after the monthly 4 PM Mass
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
Adults and older youth interested in becoming Catholic journey through the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) program. The 2025–2026 OCIA classes began in May, are offered at no cost, and include a small meal — reflecting the parish's family-first approach to faith formation.
- 2025–2026 OCIA classes began in May
- No cost to participate
- Small meal included
Retreats & Small Groups
St. John the Evangelist actively supports retreat ministry through the JMJ Coalition, which runs both Women's and Men's ACTS Retreats. The parish website also lists weekly, monthly, and bi-monthly small groups, plus a men's group called Catholics Under Construction that meets Wednesday evenings.
- JMJ Coalition Women's ACTS Retreat
- JMJ Coalition Men's ACTS Retreat (2026 information to be posted)
- Catholics Under Construction — Wednesday men's group, 6:00–7:30 PM
- Weekly, monthly, and bi-monthly small groups (details added as groups form)
Family Life & Devotions
Family prayer is a recurring theme on the parish site, summed up in the line 'a family that prays together, stays together.' A monthly Family Holy Hour and a regular Family Holy Hour event draw families into shared Adoration, and the parish participates in First Friday Mass and Adoration together with its mission chapel.
- Monthly Family Holy Hour
- First Friday Mass and Adoration
- Family-themed events on the parish calendar
Parish Events & Fundraisers
Beyond the sanctuary, the parish runs several signature annual events. The Fall Bazaar and the Steak Supper are flagship parish fundraisers that bring the Mermentau and Estherwood communities together. The parish also participates in the iGive Catholic fundraising campaign — in 2024 it raised $51,447, surpassing its $50,000 goal and winning multiple diocesan prizes.
- Fall Bazaar (annual; 2024 chaired by Trace and Morgan Benoit)
- Steak Supper with auction
- iGive Catholic campaign — 2024 total: $51,447
- iGive Catholic prizes: 2nd Place Advanced Giving Most Donors; 2nd Place Most Donors; 3rd Place Most Dollars Raised
Retreat & Spirituality Links
The parish website lists several regional retreat houses and spiritual centers as resources for parishioners seeking deeper prayer experiences, including Jesuit retreat houses and Benedictine communities within the wider Louisiana Catholic landscape.
- Saint Joseph Abbey (Covington, LA)
- Our Lady of the Oaks Jesuit Retreat House
- Manresa House of Retreats
- Community of Jesus Crucified
- Jesuit Spirituality Center