About St. Lucy · Houma, Louisiana
St. Lucy Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 1220 Aycock Street in Houma, Louisiana, within the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. Founded in 1947 by Rev. John McShane as a mission serving the African-American Catholic community, the parish is widely recognized for its distinctive gospel-influenced style of worship featuring a choir and band. After the original parish closed in 1967, it was re-established in 1986 alongside its sister parish St. Luke in Thibodaux as parishes with a Catholic African American spirituality. The parish remains a cultural and spiritual landmark in west Houma and continues to draw visitors from across the country and abroad.
- Established
- 1947
- Patron
- St. Lucy (Lucy of Syracuse, 4th-century martyr and patron saint of the blind and those with eye diseases)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Cletus Egbi (six-year Pastor assignment; previously Administrator since January 2018)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
Why belong here
St. Lucy is the spiritual home of a historically African-American Catholic community in west Houma and one of the few parishes in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux dedicated to a Catholic African-American spirituality. Visitors and parishioners come for its celebrated gospel-style liturgy, with a choir and band that have made its Sunday Mass internationally known. The parish also has a parish school legacy (1947–1968), religious education programs, and a parish council that anchors community life on Aycock Street.
Mass times at St. Lucy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:30–4:50 PM
- Sunday 7:30–8:00 AM
About St. Lucy Catholic Church
St. Lucy is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, located at 1220 Aycock Street on the west side of Houma, Louisiana. It is one of two parishes in the diocese (alongside St. Luke in Thibodaux) specifically identified as parishes with a Catholic African-American spirituality, and is well known beyond Houma for its gospel-rooted liturgy.
History of the Parish
St. Lucy was founded in 1947 by Rev. John McShane to serve the African-American Catholic community of Houma during segregation. McShane built the church together with a grammar school, high school, gymnasium and athletic facilities for about 450 Black students, making St. Lucy the first high school in Terrebonne Parish for Black students. A convent was added in 1952 to house 11 religious sisters displaced from the former Houma Naval Air Station.
- Parish founded 1947
- School opened 1953; closed 1968
- Parish closed 1967
- Re-established 1986 by Bishop Warren Boudreaux
Worship and Liturgy
The parish's signature worship style blends the Roman Catholic liturgy with gospel music, featuring a parish choir and band. Sunday Mass at St. Lucy has historically drawn visitors from France, Canada, Belgium, and England — many of whom are directed to the church by local bed-and-breakfasts.
- Gospel choir and band
- Distinctive African-American Catholic worship style
- St. Martin de Porres Mass each November for Black Catholic History Month
Clergy and Leadership
St. Lucy and its sister parish St. Luke in Thibodaux are typically administered by a single priest assigned by the bishop. As of the most recent diocesan appointments, Rev. Msgr. Cletus Egbi serves as Pastor (previously Administrator since January 2018), with Fr. Paul Birdsall named Administrator effective summer 2025 after Fr. Davis Ahimbisibwe's assignment ended.
- Rev. Msgr. Cletus Egbi — Pastor
- Fr. Paul Birdsall — Administrator (2025)
- Fr. Davis Ahimbisibwe — Administrator (2024–2025)
- Rev. John McShane — founding pastor
- Rev. Bert Heise — pastor during 2002 flooding
Schools and Faith Formation
From 1953 until 1968, St. Lucy operated a parish school — the first high school in Terrebonne Parish for Black students. The former school site included a grammar school, high school, gymnasium, and athletic facilities. Today, the parish continues to offer religious education programs on the Aycock Street campus.
- Historic grammar and high school for Black students (1953–1968)
- Religious education / CCD classes
- Gymnasium on campus
Hurricane and Flood Recovery
In September 2002, Tropical Storm Isidore dropped more than 10 inches of rain on Houma, and floodwaters contaminated with sewage invaded the 57-year-old church through two doors. The pastor and pastoral council estimated about $500,000 in repairs and spent $124,000 on environmental cleaning; only four pews remained usable and wallboard was cut about three feet up. The congregation worshipped temporarily at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in east Houma, and parish leadership emphasized restoring the historic building rather than replacing it.
- Tropical Storm Isidore flood, September 2002
- Worship relocated to Holy Rosary Catholic Church during repairs
- Restoration to preserve historic church rather than build new
Visit and Contact
St. Lucy is located 2 blocks south of Honduras Street in west Houma. The parish office can be reached by phone at (985) 879-2632; the diocesan secretary email is listed for general inquiries. The parish's official page is hosted on the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux website.
- Address: 1220 Aycock Street, Houma, LA 70360
- Phone: (985) 879-2632
- Website: htdiocese.org/stlucy
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John McShane1947–
Founding pastor who built the church, grammar school, high school, gymnasium and athletic facilities serving about 450 Black students; St. Lucy was the first high school in Terrebonne Parish for Black students.
- Rev. Bert Heisecirca 2002
Pastor during Tropical Storm Isidore flooding of the church building; led the parish through relocation to Holy Rosary Catholic Church for worship while repairs proceeded.
- Rev. Msgr. Cletus Egbi2018–present (pastor appointment)
Served as Administrator of St. Lucy and St. Luke since January 1, 2018; subsequently named Pastor for a six-year term.
- Fr. Davis Ahimbisibwe2024–2025
Appointed Administrator of St. Lucy and St. Luke, effective July 1, 2024; previously Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma.
- Fr. Paul Birdsall2025–
Appointed Administrator of St. Lucy and St. Luke effective summer 2025; previously Parochial Vicar of St. Hilary of Poitiers and St. Anthony of Padua.