About St. Leo the Great · Leonville, Louisiana
St. Leo the Great is a small Roman Catholic parish in Leonville, Louisiana, located in St. Landry Parish along Bayou Teche in the heart of Acadiana. Founded in 1896 and blessed in January 1897, it is one of three historic Catholic churches serving this predominantly Creole and Cajun community, alongside St. Catherine of Siena (also in Leonville) and its mission chapel, St. Jules, in Prairie Laurent. Together the three form a 'Family of Faith Cluster' under one pastor, in the traditional pattern of rural south-central Louisiana parishes. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana and remains a focal point of community life in the village that takes its name from its first pastor, Father Leon Mailluchet.
- Established
- 1896
- Patron
- St. Leo the Great (Pope Leo I)
- Rector
- Rev. Kenneth J. Domingue
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
St. Leo the Great offers the rhythms of a small, traditional rural Catholic parish: Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m., Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m., and weekday Mass on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:00 a.m., with Saturday confessions before the Vigil. It belongs to a tight cluster of three parishes in and around Leonville (with St. Catherine of Siena and the mission of St. Jules in Prairie Laurent), so worshippers find a real sense of 'family of faith' rather than anonymity. Rooted in the Acadian-Creole heart of St. Landry Parish since 1896, it remains a community where the historic church, the old rectory with its chapel-era stained glass, and the parish cemetery are part of an unbroken Catholic tradition in this village along Bayou Teche.
Mass times at St. Leo the Great
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (at St. Leo, or by appointment)
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM (at St. Leo, or by appointment)
Adoration times
- First Friday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM (alternating between St. Catherine, St. Leo, and St. Jules, ending with Benediction)
Parish History — From 1896 Chapel to 1909 Church
In January 1896, Leonville's residents gathered and invited Father Leon Mailluchet, then pastor of Sacred Heart in Port Barre, to help them build their own chapel. They pledged $450 that very day, and Anatole Guilhas and others gave six arpents of land for the site. Father Mailluchet petitioned Archbishop Francis Janssens, who granted permission on February 11, 1896. The chapel was blessed on January 13, 1897, with the assistance of Fathers John Engerbrink and Drolet of Opelousas and Father D'Hommé of Washington. On September 5, 1898, Father Mailluchet moved his residence to Leonville and St. Leo the Great became the head parish, with Sacred Heart in Port Barre demoted to mission chapel status.
- Chapel blessed January 13, 1897
- Stations of the Cross blessed February 8, 1897
- Parish cemetery blessed March 2, 1897
- Statues of St. Leo the Great and Our Lady of Lourdes placed June 15, 1897
- Sanctuary, two side chapels, and sacristy added with bazaar funds in 1898
Building the Present Church (1907–1917)
After Father Mailluchet's death on July 16, 1914, the parish was shaped most visibly by Father Eugene Livoreil, who arrived in Leonville on February 28, 1907. He consulted architects Diebold and Owen, obtained Archbishop Janssens's approval once $1,000 had been subscribed, and broke ground on February 2, 1909. The new church was completed at a cost of $5,584.60 (lumber $3,300; contractor's bid $1,100; bricks $150; architect's fee $250; paint and painter $210; steeple lightning rod $43, etc.) and blessed on May 13, 1909, at the close of a mission preached by Father Louis Bouchet des Chartreux of Lyons, France. The 1897 chapel was moved and converted into the rectory — the attic still has stained-glass panels from the chapel era. A bell ($124.30) and new altar ($120.46) were added in 1916.
- Architects: Diebold and Owen (3.5% fee)
- Construction began February 2, 1909
- Church blessed May 13, 1909
- Old chapel moved and converted to rectory
- New altar and bell added 1916
Family of Faith Cluster
St. Leo the Great is paired with two neighboring parishes in a single pastoral cluster: St. Catherine of Siena (4390 Hwy. 31, Leonville, (337) 879-2940) and the mission chapel of St. Jules in Prairie Laurent. Together they form what the parish calls the 'Family of Faith Cluster,' sharing one pastor (Rev. Kenneth J. Domingue), one Parish Life Coordinator (Rev. Mr. Julian Judice), and one Sacramental Minister (Msgr. Paul Metrejean). This arrangement — common in the heavily Catholic rural parishes of Acadiana — keeps three historic worship sites alive in a small geographic footprint between Opelousas, Arnaudville, and Port Barre along Bayou Teche.
- St. Leo the Great (this parish)
- St. Catherine of Siena, Leonville
- St. Jules Mission, Prairie Laurent
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Parish ministries at St. Leo's follow the traditional small-parish pattern of rural Acadiana. The Ladies' Altar Society — re-established on April 29, 1917, by Father Gelabert after he found the parish 'abandoned spiritually' — remains an active force, having historically funded items like the confessional. The Holy Name and St. Joseph Societies donated the large statues of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, two angels, the statue stands, and the triple gong in the early years. Today the parish maintains a choir (practicing three times a week as in 1917), trained altar servers, and a catechism / First Communion program. Cluster-wide, Rev. Mr. Julian Judice serves as Parish Life Coordinator and Msgr. Paul Metrejean as Sacramental Minister.
- Ladies' Altar Society (re-established April 29, 1917)
- Holy Name Society (historical)
- St. Joseph Society (historical)
- Parish Choir
- Altar Servers
- Catechism / First Communion preparation
- Parish Life Coordinator: Rev. Mr. Julian Judice
- Sacramental Minister: Msgr. Paul Metrejean
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Leo the Great and its cluster parishes are served by a small, stable pastoral team. The pastor is Rev. Kenneth J. Domingue, who has served Leonville since July 2007 (he previously rebuilt St. Augustine Church in Basile after it was torn down and reconstructed 2004–2005, blessed August 28, 2005). The cluster's Parish Life Coordinator is Deacon Rev. Mr. Julian Judice, and Sacramental Minister is Msgr. Paul Metrejean.
- Rev. Kenneth J. Domingue — Pastor
- Rev. Mr. Julian Judice — Parish Life Coordinator
- Msgr. Paul Metrejean — Sacramental Minister
Visiting Leonville and the Church
St. Leo the Great sits on Church Road in Leonville, a small village in St. Landry Parish between Opelousas and Arnaudville along scenic Bayou Teche and Highway 31. The parish grounds include the 1909 church with its distinctive tower, the old rectory (converted from the 1897 chapel, with stained-glass attic panels), and the historic cemetery blessed in 1897. The parish office phone is (337) 879-2365; the cluster website is http://onebodyonespirit.org/. Leonville was officially chartered in 1911 by Governor J. Y. Sanders under Act 136 of the Louisiana Legislature and remains a small but tightly-knit Catholic community.
- Address: 126 Church Rd., Leonville, LA 70551
- Phone: (337) 879-2365
- Email: [email protected]
- Cluster website: http://onebodyonespirit.org/
- On Highway 31 between Opelousas and Arnaudville
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Leon Mailluchet1896–1907 (died in Leonville July 16, 1914)
Founder-pastor; organized the chapel, obtained Archbishop Janssens's permission Feb 11, 1896; blessed Jan 13, 1897; moved residence to Leonville Sept 5, 1898 making St. Leo the head parish.
- Rev. P. C. Cambière1907 (interim)
Succeeded Father Mailluchet briefly.
- Rev. Eugene LivoreilFeb 28, 1907 – c. 1917
Second pastor; drove the building of the present church (begun Feb 2, 1909, blessed May 13, 1909); converted old chapel into a rectory.
- Rev. James Gelabert (Rector)April 20, 1917 –
Took over from Father Cambière; revived parish organizations, the Altar Society, the choir, altar servers, and catechism for First Communion.
- Rev. Kenneth J. Domingue2007–present
Pastor of the Family of Faith Cluster: St. Leo the Great, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Jules Mission. Previously pastor of St. Augustine in Basile (1994–2007).