About St. Joseph · Saint Joseph, Louisiana
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a rural parish in the town of St. Joseph, the seat of Tensas Parish in the Mississippi Delta of northeastern Louisiana. Established in 1940 when Bishop Daniel Desmond invited the Josephite Fathers to take over the apostolate of Tensas Parish, it has served the small farming community and the seasonal "Lake People" — hunters, fishermen and families who maintain camps around Lake St. Joseph and Lake Bruin — for more than 80 years. The parish also operates St. Francis of Assisi Mission Church in nearby Waterproof as its Sunday vigil church. Under its current pastor, Reverend Taylor Reynolds, JCL, who also serves as Ecclesiastical Judge for the Diocese of Alexandria, the parish lives out its motto "Taking Christ in our Arms with Servant Hands," gathering for daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the sacraments, and seasonal blessings of the fields, the boats, and the people of the delta.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Reverend Taylor Reynolds, JCL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Alexandria (Louisiana)
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a small, close-knit delta town: daily Mass in a historic parish, two chances to worship on Sunday between the main church in St. Joseph and the St. Francis of Assisi Mission in Waterproof, generous adoration and confession times, and devotional traditions shaped by the surrounding land and water — May Crowning, the Blessing of the Fields, and the annual Blessing of the Boats on Lake Bruin. The parish also connects members to FORMED for at-home Bible study and faith formation, welcomes families to a summer mission camp with the Institute of the Incarnate Word, and gathers the women of the parish for workshops and retreats. It is a place where regular Mass-goers and the seasonal "Lake People" — hunters, fishermen and their families — meet as one Catholic community.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every Mass
- During Wednesday adoration (5:00 pm – 5:45 pm)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Wednesday 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm (followed by Mass at 6:00 pm)
- First Fridays 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Parish Origins and History
The Catholic roots of St. Joseph go back to 1682, when Father Zenobius Membré, the first pioneer missionary of Louisiana, accompanied René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, on his Mississippi River expedition. Near present-day Newellton, on the shores of Lake St. Joseph, Fr. Membré preached the Gospel to the Tensas Indians. For the next two centuries the area's Catholics were served from neighboring parishes: the 1883 Catholic Directory lists St. Joseph as a mission of Lake Providence, and by 1888 it was a mission of the church at Vidalia.
- 1682 — Fr. Zenobius Membré evangelizes Tensas Indians on Lake St. Joseph
- 1883 — St. Joseph listed as a mission of Lake Providence
- 1888 — Reassigned as a mission of Vidalia
The Josephite Era, 1940–1957
In 1940, Bishop Daniel Desmond invited the Josephite Fathers (the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, a religious community dedicated to ministry among African Americans) to take over the apostolate of Tensas Parish, centering their work in the town of St. Joseph and nearby Waterproof. Between 1941 and 1942 the Josephites extended their reach to Newellton and Winnsboro, and in 1943 they established the Blessed Martin de Porres Center in St. Joseph to coordinate aid for the hundreds of Black sharecroppers and migrant workers who came each season to work in the fertile delta fields. The Josephites retired from the area in 1957, handing the parish over to diocesan clergy.
- 1940 — Bishop Daniel Desmond invites the Josephite Fathers
- 1941–42 — Missions opened at Newellton and Winnsboro
- 1943 — Blessed Martin de Porres Center founded for sharecroppers and migrant workers
- 1957 — Josephites withdraw; diocesan priests take over
St. Francis of Assisi Mission, Waterproof
St. Francis of Assisi Mission Church in Waterproof, Louisiana, is the parish's mission church. In 2013 the deteriorating original mission building was replaced with a structure purchased from another Christian denomination, which the parish then adapted for Catholic worship. The mission hosts the 8:00 am Sunday Mass and a 6:00 pm Mass on Holy Days of Obligation. It also holds a second-class relic — a piece of St. Francis of Assisi's hairshirt — and was designated an official pilgrimage site for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis (January 10, 2026 – January 10, 2027) proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV; pilgrims can sign the parish's pilgrim book and receive a blessed Holy Card of St. Francis.
- Address: 142 Main Street (Hwy 568), Waterproof, LA 71375
- Mailing: P.O. Box 198, St. Joseph, LA 71366
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 am
- Confessions: 30 minutes before Mass
- Houses a second-class relic of St. Francis's hairshirt
- Designated pilgrimage site for the 2026–2027 Jubilee of St. Francis
Parish Ministries and Sign-Ups
The parish keeps an active sign-up board for liturgical and devotional ministries, and it offers formation opportunities through FORMED and special events.
- Altar Servers
- Lectors
- First Friday Adoration volunteers
- Flower ministry
- Women's Workshop of Worship — annual women's day retreat with talks, small groups, songs, confession, adoration, and closing Mass on the lake
- FORMED parish subscription — Bible studies, books, and faith-on-demand content
- Summer Mission Camp — annual, hosted with the Institute of the Incarnate Word; Pre-K4 through high school
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Children and youth of the parish receive the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation in coordination with the Diocese of Alexandria. The parish also promotes at-home faith formation through its FORMED subscription, which includes trusted Catholic content from the Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, Lilies and Loaves, and Sock Religious, and through its summer mission camp with the Institute of the Incarnate Word.
- First Communion celebrated at the parish (e.g., April 21, 2024, with Fr. Taylor Reynolds)
- Confirmation coordinated with the Diocese of Alexandria (Bishop Robert Marshall celebrated in 2026)
- FORMED on-demand Catholic Bible studies and books
- Summer Mission Camp — games, crafts, faith-building, family evenings, bonfires, and talks
Contact, Communication, and Getting Involved
The parish keeps in touch with members through its website, weekly bulletin, and the myparishapp.com mobile app. Office hours are by appointment, Monday through Thursday. Members and visitors can sign up online to serve as an altar server, lector, First Friday Adoration volunteer, or flower ministry helper; the bulletin also lists upcoming opportunities to serve and get involved.
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday by appointment
- Phone: (318) 766-3565
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stjoeinstjoe.com/
- Mailing: P.O. Box 198, St. Joseph, LA 71366
- Parish app: myparishapp.com (search your phone's app store)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Josephite Fathers (Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart)1940–1957
Invited by Bishop Daniel Desmond to staff the new parish and its missions at Waterproof, Newellton, and Winnsboro; founded the Blessed Martin de Porres Center in 1943 for sharecroppers and migrant workers.
- Msgr. Terrance Lennon1957–
First diocesan pastor after the Josephites withdrew. Oversaw the building and 1960 dedication of the present St. Joseph Church by Bishop Charles Greco.
- Rev. Kenneth Obiekwe, STD
Listed as pastor on the Diocese of Alexandria directory page for St. Joseph Church (preceded or followed Fr. Reynolds depending on the year of the listing).