About St. Joseph · Rayne, Louisiana
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Rayne, Louisiana — the heart of Acadia Parish's Acadiana — founded in 1872 by Jesuit missionaries. It belongs to the Diocese of Lafayette and today is served by Very Rev. Brent L. Smith, VF, with two permanent deacons and a small lay staff. The parish offers three Sunday Masses plus a daily weekday schedule, a 24-hour Adoration Chapel, family-based faith formation for children, OCIA for adults, ACTS retreats, and a wide range of liturgical and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1872
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Very Rev. Brent L. Smith, VF
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a multi-generational Catholic community rooted in Rayne since 1872, with a busy sacramental life — three Sunday Masses, daily weekday Mass, confessions before every Mass, and a 24-hour Adoration Chapel. Families are served by a whole-family catechesis model for children, OCIA for adults, and First Communion and Confirmation preparation, while adults can grow through the JMJ Coalition ACTS retreats held twice a year. A wide network of liturgical ministries (altar servers, lectors, EMHCs, choir, sacristans, ushers/greeters, homebound ministers), outreach through André Landaiche's Ministries & Outreach office, and groups like the Legion of Mary, Catholic Divorce Recovery, and Life Teen give every parishioner a way to belong and serve.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every Mass
- By appointment — call the Parish Office at 337-334-2193
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel — open 24 hours (parishioners commit to one hour per week)
- First Fridays — Adoration 7:00 am to 8:00 am
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Catholic Church traces its origins to 1872, when Fr. Joseph Anthonioz, S.J., a Jesuit missionary serving Church Point and Mermentau, became the parish's first pastor under Archbishop Napoleon J. Perche. The original church stood on a ridge between the Pouppeville and Castille settlements on the Valsin LeBlanc plantation. In 1880, with the town of Rayne booming thanks to the Southern Pacific Railroad, Fr. Anthonioz had the church raised, mounted on wooden wheels, and hauled roughly a mile by 120 oxen to its present site — a journey that took weeks. After Fr. Anthonioz's death, the Jesuits transferred the parish to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
- 1872 — Parish founded; first church on Valsin LeBlanc plantation ridge.
- 1880 — Original church moved one mile on wooden wheels pulled by 120 oxen to current location.
- After Fr. Anthonioz — Fr. Blaise Branche named second pastor; built the rectory (1894) and a second church (1899, $5,524).
- Third pastor Fr. Amable Doutre — Mount Carmel Academy grew; first graduate Alma Duclos in 1917.
- 1923 — Fr. Hubert Lerschen (later Msgr.) became fourth pastor.
- 1929 — Parish acquired Mount Carmel Academy; renamed St. Joseph High School.
- 1952 — Third (current) church built.
- 1963 — Fr. Emery Labbe became fifth pastor.
- 1967 — St. Joseph High School consolidated with St. Michael's and St. Francis to form Notre Dame High School in Crowley.
- 1971 — Parish school became elementary-only and was renamed Rayne Catholic Elementary.
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
The parish is led by Very Rev. Brent L. Smith, VF, who also serves as Chancellor of Notre Dame High School and Dean of the Western Deanery of the Diocese of Lafayette. He is assisted by two permanent deacons and a small lay staff who coordinate faith formation, music, outreach, and parish administration.
- Very Rev. Brent L. Smith, VF — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon Denis LaCroix — Evangelization Director; Marriage Preparation contact ([email protected])
- Deacon Tim Ledet
- Shelby Fuselier — Director of Elementary School Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Brandon LeJeune — Family Catechesis Director ([email protected])
- Debbie Harrington — Parish Secretary ([email protected])
- Denise Brignac — Choir Director
- André Landaiche — Ministries & Outreach Coordinator
- Ashley Primeaux — Marriage Preparation Coordinator ([email protected])
- Cathy Breaux — Adoration Chapel contact ([email protected], 337-501-1404)
- Grayson Benoit — ACTS Retreats contact (337-523-7497)
Sacraments
St. Joseph prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms are normally scheduled on the 1st and 2nd Saturday and 1st and 3rd Sunday, with preparation classes for first-time parents on the fourth Sunday after the 10:00 am Mass. Couples must contact the parish six to twelve months in advance of a desired wedding date, and only a priest can set a wedding date.
- Baptism — 1st–3rd Sunday after 10:00 am Mass; contact the office two weeks before birth.
- Baptism Preparation Class — 4th Sunday after 10:00 am Mass, Cry Room.
- First Communion & First Reconciliation — 2nd-grade program; mandatory Saturday practice.
- Confirmation — for teens and adults; Adult Confirmation available.
- Matrimony — 6 to 12 months advance scheduling with a priest.
- Anointing of the Sick — call the Parish Office to schedule.
- Funerals — funeral home personnel coordinate with the parish office.
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA).
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children and adults at St. Joseph grow in faith through a layered formation program that pairs a whole-family catechesis model with traditional sacramental prep. The Elementary School Faith Formation program serves public- and private-school children from Pre-K through 8th grade, while OCIA welcomes unbaptized adults, Christians from other denominations, and Catholics preparing for Eucharist or Confirmation.
- Family Catechesis — whole-family model for faith formation (Director: Brandon LeJeune).
- Elementary School Faith Formation — Pre-K through 8th grade (Director: Shelby Fuselier).
- First Communion & Reconciliation — 2nd grade.
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.
- Adult Confirmation preparation.
- Steubenville Youth Conference.
- Life Teen youth ministry / fall retreat.
Ministries & Groups
The parish's ministries span the liturgical, formational, and outreach life of the church. The St. Joseph Mass Ministry coordinates those who serve inside the liturgy, while ACTS retreats, the Legion of Mary, the Catholic Divorce Recovery Program, and parish family groups like Elderberries and Babyberries serve adults and families in different stages of life.
- St. Joseph Mass Ministry — Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Sacristans, Choir, Ushers & Greeters, Ministers of Holy Communion to the Home-Bound.
- ACTS Retreats — JMJ Coalition with St. John the Evangelist (Mermentau) and St. Margaret of Scotland (Estherwood); held twice a year for men and women ($325 parishioners, $375 others).
- Adoration Chapel — 24-hour worship and reflection.
- Legion of Mary — Tuesday 6:30 pm.
- Catholic Divorce Recovery Program — Tuesday 6:00 pm, FLC.
- Rosary Group — Monday 9:00 am and Wednesday 6:00 am.
- Elderberries & Babyberries — parish family groups.
- Life Teen (youth) and Steubenville Youth Conference.
- Cub Scouts.
- Ministries & Outreach — Coordinator André Landaiche.
Music & Liturgical Life
Liturgical music is led by Director Denise Brignac with weekly choir practice on Tuesday evenings in the church. Sacristans, lectors, altar servers, ushers and greeters round out the volunteer liturgical corps, and the parish publishes a weekly bulletin with prayer intentions and liturgical ministry schedules.
- Choir Director — Denise Brignac.
- Choir Practice — Tuesday 6:30 pm, Church.
- Lectors, Altar Servers, Sacristans.
- Ushers & Greeters.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (including to the Home-Bound).
- Weekly bulletin with prayer intentions and ministry schedules — sign up via Flocknote on the parish homepage.
Parish Office, Location & Contact
St. Joseph's parish office sits alongside the church at 401 South Adams Avenue in Rayne, Louisiana. The mailing address is P.O. Box 199, Rayne, LA 70578. The office can be reached at 337-334-2193 or [email protected], and Google Maps directions are linked from the website's Contact page. The parish also maintains a Facebook presence under the name St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rayne La.
- Address — 401 South Adams Ave., Rayne, LA 70578.
- Mailing — P.O. Box 199, Rayne, LA 70578.
- Phone — 337-334-2193.
- Email — [email protected].
- Website — https://stjoerayne.org/.
- Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/stjoerayne/.
- Diocese — Diocese of Lafayette.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Anthonioz, S.J.1872–
First pastor; Jesuit missionary who also served Church Point and Mermentau. In 1880 he had the original church rolled on wooden wheels pulled by 120 oxen to the present site.
- Fr. Blaise Brancheafter Fr. Anthonioz's death
Second pastor; appointed by Archbishop Francis Janssens. Built the present rectory (1894) and the second church (1899, $5,524).
- Fr. Amable Doutrethird pastor
Guided Mount Carmel Academy; by 1912 it offered high school courses and produced its first graduate (Alma Duclos) in 1917.
- Msgr. Hubert Lerschen1923–
Fourth pastor. Acquired Mount Carmel Academy in 1929, which became St. Joseph High School; oversaw construction of the current (third) church in 1952.
- Fr. Emery Labbe1963–
Fifth pastor. Consolidated Acadia Parish Catholic high schools into Notre Dame High School in Crowley (1967); St. Joseph became an elementary school and in 1971 was renamed Rayne Catholic Elementary.