About St. Joseph · Evangeline, Louisiana
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural community of Evangeline, Louisiana, situated in the heart of Acadiana and within the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. The parish is paired with St. Jules Chapel, a mission church in nearby Iota, forming a single pastoral family led by Father Nathan Comeaux and supported by office manager Leslie Comeaux. Sunday Masses are celebrated at both chapels along with a Saturday Vigil, weekday morning liturgies, a monthly First-Saturday Mass, and a CCD religious-education program for the parish's children. Mass and Reconciliation are offered in the local English-speaking tradition of South Louisiana Catholic life, with the historic 1938-built church continuing to anchor a tight-knit, faith-rooted farming community.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Nathan Comeaux (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a small, family-style Catholic parish where the sacraments are central to weekly life — daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, monthly First-Saturday Adoration, and Reconciliation before every Mass mean every parishioner can find a rhythm of prayer that fits their week. The parish pairs with St. Jules Chapel in Iota, forming a tight-knit pastoral community with CCD religious education for children, a personal office staff, and a priest who knows his flock well. Rooted in the deep Catholic heritage of Acadiana since 1938, it offers a traditional, English-language Roman-Catholic experience in rural Evangeline with the Diocese of Lafayette's full support behind it.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes prior to all Masses (Saturday 3:30 p.m. vigil; Sunday 9:30 a.m.; Tuesday 4:30 p.m.; Wednesday 6:00 a.m.; Thursday 4:30 p.m.; Friday 6:00 a.m.)
Adoration times
- First Saturday of the month: Adoration from after the 8:00 a.m. Mass until 3:00 p.m. at St. Joseph's
Our Parish — St. Joseph's & St. Jules Chapel
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Evangeline, Louisiana, is paired with its mission chapel, St. Jules, at 5469 Riverside Road in Iota. Together they form one pastoral family under Father Nathan Comeaux, with Leslie Comeaux serving as Office Manager. Office hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The parish proudly describes its work as assisting Bishop Deshotel in shepherding the people of St. Joseph's Church and St. Jules Chapel in the love of God.
- St. Joseph's Catholic Church — 1400 Old Evangeline Highway, Evangeline, LA 70537
- St. Jules Chapel — 5469 Riverside Road, Iota, LA 70543
- Pastor: Father Nathan Comeaux
- Office Manager: Leslie Comeaux
- Office Phone: (337) 824-4995
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tue–Thu 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; Fri 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Our History
The parish's roots reach back to the early-1900s oil boom in Evangeline, when Catholic settlers found Mass celebrated only sporadically among the saloons and dance halls. In 1932 Bishop Jules Jeanmard sent two seminarians to teach catechism; their letters describing neglected Catholic instruction became the case for founding a parish. With Fr. Armand Cyr of Basile as a notable driving force, the community secured a $2,000 grant from the Catholic Extension Society of Chicago and built the original St. Joseph's Catholic Church in 1938.
- 1932 — Seminarians W.J. Labbe and Daniel Bernard dispatched to Evangeline
- 1938 — Original wood-frame church completed with a Catholic Extension Society grant
- 1956 — Fr. Tiel leads the building of the present brick church; original becomes parish hall
- 1909 — St. Jules Chapel founded under Fr. Francis Gossler and Fr. Alphonse Martel
- 1958 — Fr. Henry Van Tiel rebuilds St. Jules in brick
- 1972 — St. Jules burns; Fr. Frederick Webert rebuilds it
- 2014 — Fr. David Broussard renovates the interior of St. Jules Chapel
Sacraments
The parish website directs families to contact Father Comeaux directly for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and First Communion. Children receive First Holy Communion through the parish's CCD (religious education) program. Reconciliation is available thirty minutes before every Mass, including the monthly First Saturday.
- Baptism — contact Father Comeaux
- Confirmation — contact Father Comeaux
- First Holy Communion — through CCD
- Marriage — contact Father Comeaux
- Reconciliation — 30 minutes before every Mass
CCD — Religious Education
The parish runs a CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program for its families, providing religious education for the parish's children. CCD has its own dedicated page on the parish website and is listed among the main navigation sections alongside Sacraments, Mass Times, Our Parish, and Events.
- CCD offered for parish families and children
- First Communion prepared through CCD
Events & Bulletins
St. Joseph's maintains an active parish life through events and a weekly bulletin posted on the website. The events page is linked in the main parish navigation, alongside the most-recent bulletin PDF for parishioners who wish to follow announcements, liturgical calendars, and community news.
- Weekly bulletins posted on the website (most recent: 6/28/26)
- Parish events page linked from the main navigation
St. Jules Chapel — Mission Church in Petit Mamou
St. Jules Chapel, located at 5469 Riverside Road, Iota, is the paired mission church of St. Joseph Parish. Its story — from the first Mass under an oak tree and in Mr. Ursan Daigle's barn, through his ten-acre land donation aided by Mr. Jules Clement, to the chapel's 1909 founding, 1958 brick rebuild, 1972 fire, reconstruction under Fr. Frederick Webert, and 2014 interior renovation by Fr. David Broussard — is celebrated on the parish website as a 'journey of perseverance marked by Christ' and a 'sacred space where our community continues to celebrate and grow in the Catholic faith.'
- Address: 5469 Riverside Road, Iota, LA 70543
- Original chapel opened 1909 with help of Fr. Francis Gossler and Fr. Alphonse Martel
- First Masses celebrated under an oak tree and in the barn of Mr. Ursan Daigle
- Ten acres donated by Mr. Daigle; buildings provided by Mr. Jules Clement
- Rebuilt in brick 1958 under Fr. Henry Van Tiel
- Burned 1972; rebuilt under Fr. Frederick Webert
- Interior renovated 2014 by Fr. David Broussard
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Armand Cyr (of Basile)pre-1938
Key driving force in the foundation of St. Joseph's, alongside the Evangeline, Petite Mamou, and Gott's Cove Catholic communities.
- Bishop Jules Jeanmard1930s
Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette who marshaled resources and obtained the Catholic Extension Society grant that built the original church in 1938.
- Fr. Alphonse Martel (of Iota)1930s
Sent seminarians Labbe and Bernard to teach catechism; assisted St. Jules Chapel's 1909 founding.
- Fr. Tiel1956
Led the congregation to build the present brick church, leaving the 1938 wood structure as a parish hall.
- Fr. Henry Van Tiel1958
Rebuilt St. Jules Chapel in brick.
- Fr. Frederick Webertpost-1972
Rebuilt St. Jules Chapel after the 1972 fire into the structure that stands today.
- Fr. David Broussard2014
Renovated the interior of St. Jules Chapel.