About St. Joseph · Ville Platte, Louisiana
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a predominantly Black Catholic parish in Ville Platte, Louisiana, serving the faithful of the Faubourg area and surrounding neighborhoods. It is part of the Diocese of Lafayette and is currently administered from Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Ville Platte, with its pastor and sacramental ministry shared between the two parishes. The parish was established in the mid-1940s to serve African American Catholic families, and since 1978 has been cared for by deacons and Sacred Heart pastors, supported by the Sisters of the Holy Family founded by Servant of God Henriette Delille.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Tom Voorhies
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette
Why belong here
St. Joseph is one of the historically Black Catholic parishes of the Diocese of Lafayette, with a Mass and confession schedule built around a single, intimate Sunday gathering at 8:30 a.m. and the Sacrament of Reconciliation beforehand. Members are welcomed into a faith community sustained by diocesan priests, Carmelite and Holy Family religious sisters, and a long tradition of lay Catholic witness going back to the days when African American families walked to Mass from the Faubourg. It is a place for Catholics who value rooted liturgy, personal care, and a deep connection to the local Cajun and Cre Catholic heritage of Evangeline Parish.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM
History of St. Joseph Catholic Church
St. Joseph was established in 1946 by Josephite Superior Father Edward Casserly to serve Black Catholic families from the Faubourg area of Ville Platte. Five acres in 'The Woods' were purchased through the intercession of Father Gilbert Bemers, pastor of St. Mathilda Church in Eunice, and an Army chapel from Fort Polk was moved onto the site. Father Auclair became the parish's first pastor. The parish traces its deeper roots to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, where African American families had worshipped since the parish's 1854 founding under Archbishop Blanc of New Orleans.
- Established 1946 by Father Edward Casserly, Josephite Superior
- First pastor: Fr. Auclair
- Land acquired through Fr. Gilbert Bemers (pastor, St. Mathilda, Eunice)
- Five acres in 'The Woods,' Ville Platte
- Original building: Army chapel moved from Fort Polk
- 1947: parish placed under diocesan priests
Faith Community & African American Catholic Heritage
St. Joseph is one of the historically Black Catholic parishes of the Diocese of Lafayette, founded to give African American families a parish home of their own after generations of walking long distances to attend Mass. Its congregation today is sustained by the witness of the Sisters of the Holy Family — the African American congregation founded in New Orleans by Servant of God Henriette Delille — who serve the parish alongside diocesan priests and lay faithful.
- Predominately Black parish in the Diocese of Lafayette
- Served by Sisters of the Holy Family (SSF), founded by Henriette Delille
- Sister Clara Jackson, SSF
- Sister Rita Darensbourg, SSF
- Sister Christina Marie Griggs, O. Carm. (Pastoral Associate)
Shared Pastoral Administration with Sacred Heart
Because of long-standing priest shortages, Bishop Frey named Deacon Jonas Mason as parish administrator in 1978 to serve 132 families. In 1996 Deacon Roderick Perron became Parish Life Coordinator; on his resignation, Father Robert Romero — pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus — assumed duties as Canonical Pastor. From that point forward, St. Joseph has been served by Sacred Heart's priests, and the parish office contact is routed through that parish.
- 1978: Deacon Jonas Mason named administrator by Bishop Frey
- 1996: Deacon Roderick Perron, Parish Life Coordinator
- Fr. Robert Romero: Canonical Pastor (also pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Fr. Tom Voorhies: current pastor and Sacramental Minister
Visit & Contact
St. Joseph Catholic Church stands on Martin Luther King Drive in Ville Platte, the seat of Evangeline Parish in south-central Louisiana. The parish office line and the pastor's email are shared with Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, reflecting the two parishes' close pastoral bond.
- Address: 1107 Martin L. King Drive, Ville Platte, LA 70586
- Phone: (337) 363-1051
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stjosephvp.com/
- Diocese: Diocese of Lafayette
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Auclair1946–
First pastor of St. Joseph; the parish's first church was an Army chapel moved from Fort Polk.
- Rev. Mr. Jonas Mason (Deacon)1978–
Named parish administrator by Bishop Frey amid a diocesan priest shortage; served 132 families.
- Rev. Mr. Roderick Perron (Deacon)1996–
Served as Parish Life Coordinator.
- Rev. Fr. Robert Romero
Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus; assumed duties as Canonical Pastor of St. Joseph upon Deacon Perron's resignation.
- Rev. Fr. Tom Voorhies
Current pastor; pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Sacramental Minister of St. Joseph.