About St. Leo the Great And St. Raymond · New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, located at 2916 Paris Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana. The parish was formed in 2008 through the merger of St. Raymond Parish and St. Leo the Great Parish — both historically served by the Josephite Fathers (S.S.J.) and deeply rooted in the city's African-American Catholic community. Today the merged parish continues to worship at the St. Leo the Great church on Paris Avenue, offering weekend and weekday Masses, the sacraments, faith formation, and a wide array of lay ministries, choirs, and outreach programs.
- Established
- 2008 (merger of St. Raymond Parish, est. 1927, and St. Leo the Great Parish)
- Patron
- St. Raymond and St. Leo the Great
- Rector
- Father Stanley K. Ihuoma, SSJ
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great welcomes parishioners into a richly communal Catholic life: weekend and daily Mass in a historic Josephite parish, a robust Confirmation and Religious Education program (CCD, Children's Liturgy, RCIA/RCIC), and four choirs that make Sunday worship a real celebration. Members serve the poor through St. Vincent de Paul, grow in faith through the Marriage, Bereavement, Social Justice, and Evangelization ministries, and find belonging in groups like Women of Wisdom, Brothers in God, Golden Hearts (seniors), Singles and Singles Again, the Knights of Columbus, and the Young Adult Ministry. It is a parish where African-American Catholic heritage, Josephite spirituality, and a strong lay community meet.
Mass times at St. Leo the Great And St. Raymond
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
- By appointment
Parish History
St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great was created in 2008 from the merger of two historic New Orleans parishes — St. Raymond Parish and St. Leo the Great Parish — both long served by the Josephite Fathers. St. Raymond was founded in 1927 from the devotion of the Pailett Land community, who had risen at 4:30 a.m. every Sunday to attend Mass at Corpus Christi Church on St. Bernard Avenue. After Hurricane Katrina severely damaged St. Raymond's structures in August 2005, both parishes were suppressed and the new merged parish was erected to worship at St. Leo the Great on Paris Avenue.
- St. Raymond Parish founded October 16, 1927
- First resident pastor: Fr. James Crowe, S.S.J. (1929)
- St. Bernard Housing Project (1942) dramatically expanded the Catholic population
- St. Leo the Great and St. Raymond suppressed after Hurricane Katrina (2005)
- Merged parish St. Raymond–St. Leo the Great erected in 2008
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Father Stanley K. Ihuoma, SSJ, of the Society of St. Joseph (Josephites). The parish also lists Deacon Shelton, who serves the faithful and follows up with families preparing for Baptism. A previous lead pastor, Father Anthony M. Bozeman, SSJ, is named on the parish's Expectations/FAQ page.
- Father Stanley K. Ihuoma, SSJ — current pastor
- Deacon Shelton
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments. Families begin Baptism by submitting a Baptism Form, after which Deacon Shelton reaches out to them directly. Couples must contact the Pastor at least six months before the proposed wedding date to begin required marriage preparation. The parish also coordinates First Communion, Confirmation, and RCIA/RCIC through its Religious Education ministry.
- Baptism — Baptism Form required; Deacon Shelton follows up
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:30–3:45 p.m. and by appointment
- Marriage — contact the Pastor at least six months in advance
- Confirmation — coordinated through Religious Education
- RCIA / RCIC for adults and children
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Religious Education ministry helps children through adults become fully initiated members of the Catholic Church by passing on the values and teachings of the Catholic faith. Programs include CCD, Children's Liturgy of the Word, RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation of Children), and Confirmation preparation.
- CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine)
- Children's Liturgy
- RCIA / RCIC
- Confirmation preparation
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
The Youth Ministry empowers young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, draws them into responsible participation in the Catholic faith community, and fosters their total personal and spiritual growth. The Young Adult Ministry (YAMs) does the same for young adults. Youth are welcome to participate in youth ministry during church service, when they separate from the rest of the parishioners to learn about the Gospel and the Catholic faith.
- Youth Ministry
- Young Adult Ministry (YAMs)
- Youth activities throughout the year
Music & Liturgical Dance
Music is a celebrated part of worship at St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great. The parish supports four distinct choirs plus two liturgical dance ministries. Each choir exists to proclaim the word of God through song and instruments and to enable the full, active, and conscious participation of the assembly in worship.
- 8 AM Choir
- 10 AM Adult Choir (1st and 3rd Sundays)
- Men's Choir (last Sunday of the month)
- Young Voices of Praise — young adult choir (2nd Sunday)
- David's Angels — adult liturgical dance
- Young Voices — youth and young adult liturgical dance
Liturgical & Service Ministries
A wide range of lay ministries support the celebration of the Mass and the spiritual life of the parish. Servers, sacristans, and the Altar Society prepare the liturgy; lectors proclaim the Word; extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to the faithful and to the homebound; and ushers and greeters welcome everyone into the community.
- Altar Servers
- Altar Society
- Sacristans
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers and Greeters
Parish Life & Community Groups
The parish fosters a strong sense of community through groups organized by life stage, interest, and vocation. There are ministries for women, men, seniors, singles, married couples, and those experiencing bereavement — as well as service organizations such as the Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul.
- Women of Wisdom (women's ministry)
- Brothers in God (men's ministry)
- Golden Hearts (seniors)
- Singles and Singles Again
- Marriage Ministry
- Bereavement Ministry
- Fellowship
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul
Outreach, Social Justice & Evangelization
The parish reaches beyond its walls through ministries that serve the poor, address societal wrongs, and spread the Gospel. St. Vincent de Paul serves the poor within the parish's boundaries; Social Justice addresses issues not in accordance with God's plan; and Evangelization spreads the 'Good News' into the community and the workplace.
- St. Vincent de Paul — serves the poor within parish boundaries
- Social Justice ministry
- Evangelization ministry
Contact & Practical Information
St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great Catholic Church is located at 2916 Paris Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119. The rectory can be reached at (504) 945-8750 (fax (504) 309-1691). The parish also maintains a live-stream of its services on its website, and publishes a weekly bulletin online for the latest announcements, Mass intentions, and ministry news.
- Address: 2916 Paris Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119
- Rectory: (504) 945-8750
- Fax: (504) 309-1691
- Website: https://srslchurch.com/
- Live stream available online
- Affiliated school: St. Leo the Great School
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Samuel Joseph Kelly, S.S.J.founding era, c. 1925–1927
Founding pastor of Corpus Christi Church who championed the creation of St. Raymond Parish from the Pailett Land community.
- Father Michael O'Neil, S.S.J.c. 1925–1926+
Organized the Willing Workers Club to fund the new St. Raymond church; the club later became the Rosary Sodality.
- Father James Crowe, S.S.J.1929–1934
First resident pastor of St. Raymond; converted the stable into a school and oversaw early growth.
- Father John Meskill, S.S.J.1934–1938
Lived in a classroom until parishioners built the rectory.
- Father Stephen Boysko, S.S.J.1938–c. 1942
Personally repaired and decorated the church; brought Sisters of the Holy Family to teach in the school.
- Father John Rottman, S.S.J.1944–
First pastor to receive an assistant priest (Father William Dodd, S.S.J.) after the St. Bernard Housing Project expansion.
- Father Francis Tighe, S.S.J.after Rottman
Enlarged the school and built the Sisters' convent.
- Father Francis J. Schmutz, S.S.J.c. 1950
Added a marble altar and tabernacle through memorial gifts from the Valeary and Tully families.
- Father Anthony M. Bozeman, SSJ
Listed as lead pastor on the parish Expectations/FAQ page.
- Father Stanley K. Ihuoma, SSJcurrent
Current pastor per the parish homepage.