About St. Joseph · Welsh, Louisiana
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Welsh, Louisiana is a parish of the Diocese of Lake Charles serving the western side of the town and roughly 25 families who attend the mission chapel in Iowa. It was founded in 1941 by Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard as a parish for the area's African-American Catholics — the second such parish in what is now the Diocese of Lake Charles, after Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lake Charles. The parish has been served for most of its history by priests of the Society of St. Joseph (Josephites) and today is pastored alongside the neighboring Our Lady of Seven Dolors parish. The parish's current sanctuary, seating 250, was dedicated in 1987.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Reverend Prabhakar Kowtiki, M.O.C.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lake Charles
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a historic African-American Catholic parish with roots going back to 1941, served for most of its life by the Josephite Fathers and now pastored alongside the neighboring Our Lady of Seven Dolors parish. The community comes together for daily Mass several days a week, weekly Eucharistic Adoration before Sunday Mass, and the Sacrament of Penance offered before each Mass — giving parishioners a steady rhythm of prayer and sacramental life. Beyond Welsh, the parish also cares for St. Peter Claver Mission in Iowa, which means joining St. Joseph puts you at the heart of a small but tightly-knit Catholic family that covers the western part of Welsh and surrounding rural communities, with parishioners themselves volunteering the day-to-day upkeep of the property.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before Mass on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration – Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
History & Heritage
St. Joseph Parish was established in August 1941 by Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard of Lafayette as a parish for the African-American Catholic community of Welsh and the surrounding Jefferson Davis rice country. Its roots reach back to 1926, when Black Catholics of the area — many of them rice-field workers from Lafayette and St. Martinville — organized a Knights of Peter Claver council and began to gather for Mass in the St. Peter Claver Hall, served by priests from the neighboring Our Lady of Seven Dolors parish. From its founding the parish was entrusted to the Society of St. Joseph (the Josephites), the same religious community that had begun missionary work in Louisiana in 1897. The founding pastor, Rev. John F. O'Connell, SSJ, celebrated his first Mass on February 8, 1942, and within months oversaw construction of a 76' by 34' church built on lots donated by Miss Katie Unkel of a pioneer Welsh family and made possible by a $5,000 gift from an anonymous northern priest. The new church was ready for Mass on Christmas Day 1942 and was formally dedicated by Bishop Jeanmard on February 8, 1942.
Growth, Missions, and the Present Church
Over the decades the parish extended its pastoral care to mission communities: Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Jennings (attached to St. Joseph in 1942 and elevated to its own parish in 1961) and St. Peter Claver Mission in Iowa (attached in 1961 and still part of St. Joseph today). In 1963 the original church was remodeled and brick-veneered, with much of the labor donated by parishioners themselves. When the Diocese of Lake Charles was established in 1980, St. Joseph became part of the new diocese. By the mid-1980s the 43-year-old building needed to be replaced, and under Rev. Lowell D. Case, SSJ, the parish built the present church and parish hall. Ground was broken in June 1986, the first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Day, and Bishop Jude Speyrer dedicated the new building on April 22, 1987 — a 250-seat sanctuary and parish hall that cost $375,000 at the time, a major accomplishment of the parishioners' own fund drives and volunteer labor.
Pastor Succession
For most of its history St. Joseph has been served by Josephite Fathers (SSJ). The full published list of pastors runs from founding pastor Rev. John F. O'Connell, SSJ (1941) through Rev. William D. Hogan, SSJ (1997), with later assignments to Rev. Gali Pradeep, H.G.N. (installed by Bishop Glen John Provost on September 8, 2019, the Solemnity of St. Peter Claver) and the current pastor Rev. Prabhakar Kowtiki, M.O.C., who was appointed effective July 1, 2025 as Pastor of both Our Lady of Seven Dolors and St. Joseph, Welsh, with the mission of St. Peter Claver, Iowa.
- 1941 Rev. John F. O'Connell, SSJ
- 1962 Rev. John R. Timpay, SSJ
- 1965 Rev. Vernon P. Moore, SSJ
- 1967 Rev. Thomas R. McKenna, SSJ
- 1974 Rev. Joseph N. Begay, SSJ
- 1982 Rev. Charles Moffatt, SSJ
- 1983 Rev. Joseph G. LeFrois, SSJ
- 1985 Rev. Lowell D. Case, SSJ
- 1989 Rev. Robert P. Zawacki, SSJ
- 1991 Rev. Calvin Sinclair, SSJ
- 1992 Rev. Joseph Macek, SSJ
- 1993 Rev. George W. Burden, SSJ
- 1995 Rev. Donatus Anosike, MSP
- 1997 Rev. Alfred Umagu
- 1997 Rev. William D. Hogan, SSJ
- 2019 Rev. Gali Pradeep, H.G.N.
- 2025 Rev. Prabhakar Kowtiki, M.O.C.
St. Peter Claver Mission, Iowa
The parish also serves St. Peter Claver Mission at 503 West Second Street in Iowa, Louisiana, which has been attached to St. Joseph since 1961 when Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Jennings was separated. The mission chapel was built in 1962 with help from the Josephites and today serves about 25 families from the surrounding rural area.
- Sunday Mass — 8:00 a.m.
- Confession — 30 minutes before Mass
- Eucharistic Adoration — 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Address — 503 West Second Street, Iowa, LA
Parish Life, Ministries & Community
St. Joseph has always been a parish whose people do the work themselves. From the construction of the first church in 1942 to the brick-veneer remodeling in 1963 and the building of the present church in 1986–87, parishioners contributed their labor, fundraising, and craftsmanship. Parishioners continue to volunteer for the day-to-day upkeep of the property, and parish organizations assist the pastor. A council of the Knights of Peter Claver has been active in the parish since 1926, and the parish has organized neighborhood watches to combat local drug problems. There is a particular emphasis on youth work. The Diocese of Lake Charles has recognized several parishioners as Companions of Honor: Mrs. Hilda Beloney, Wallas Carrier, Joseph Lemell Sr., Mrs. Johanna Lockett, and Mrs. Mary Latigue.
- Knights of Peter Claver council (since 1926)
- Volunteer upkeep and maintenance of the parish property
- Neighborhood watch ministry
- Youth ministry emphasis
- Pastoral care of St. Peter Claver Mission, Iowa
Visiting & Contact
St. Joseph Catholic Church is located at 310 North Sarah Street in Welsh, Louisiana, 70591, in Jefferson Davis Parish. From I-10, travelers enter Welsh going south on North Adams, then turn east (left) on West North Street; the church is between West North and West Millard Streets. The parish can be reached by telephone at (337) 734-3673.
- Address — 310 North Sarah Street, Welsh, LA 70591
- Phone — (337) 734-3673
- Diocese — Diocese of Lake Charles
- Pastor — Rev. Prabhakar Kowtiki, M.O.C.
- Entering from I-10: South on North Adams, east on West North Street
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John F. O'Connell, SSJ1941–1962
Founding pastor; celebrated first Mass Feb. 8, 1942 in St. Peter Claver Hall; oversaw construction of original 76' x 34' church and the early growth of the parish.
- Rev. John R. Timpay, SSJ1962–1965
- Rev. Vernon P. Moore, SSJ1965–1967
- Rev. Thomas R. McKenna, SSJ1967–1974
- Rev. Joseph N. Begay, SSJ1974–1982
- Rev. Charles Moffatt, SSJ1982–1983
- Rev. Joseph G. LeFrois, SSJ1983–1985
- Rev. Lowell D. Case, SSJ1985–1989
Approved final plans and oversaw construction of the present church and parish hall, dedicated 1987.
- Rev. Robert P. Zawacki, SSJ1989–1991
- Rev. Calvin Sinclair, SSJ1991–1992
- Rev. Joseph Macek, SSJ1992–1993
- Rev. George W. Burden, SSJ1993–1995
- Rev. Donatus Anosike, MSP1995–1997
- Rev. Alfred Umagu1997
- Rev. William D. Hogan, SSJ1997–
Native of Boston, ordained 1951 for the Society of St. Joseph; previously served parishes in Mobile, New Orleans, Natchez, Lake Providence, Houston, Jacksonville FL, Donaldsonville and Tuskegee AL.
- Rev. Gali Pradeep, H.G.N.2019–
Installed as pastor by Bishop Glen John Provost on September 8, 2019, the Solemnity of St. Peter Claver.
- Rev. Prabhakar Kowtiki, M.O.C.2025–
Appointed effective July 1, 2025 as Pastor of Our Lady of Seven Dolors and St. Joseph, Welsh, with the mission of St. Peter Claver, Iowa.