About St. Mary's Nativity · Raceland, Louisiana
St. Mary's Nativity is a Roman Catholic parish in Raceland, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux. Its roots reach back to a cemetery established on the site around 1797, and the congregation organized itself under the name St. Mary Pamela in 1840. The first church, dedicated as The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 3, 1850, was followed by a brick church in 1888 and the present circular (modern) sanctuary dedicated in 1966. The parish operates St. Mary's Nativity School (Pre-K 3 through eighth grade) and runs an active ministry program centered on the Eucharist, education, and family life in the bayou-country community of Lafourche Parish.
- Established
- 1850
- Patron
- The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Tregre
- Diocese
- Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux
Why belong here
St. Mary's Nativity is a 175-year-old bayou-country parish whose defining feature is the way it binds together worship, school, and family life in a single community. Daily and Sunday Masses, a robust Eucharistic Adoration hour, school Masses, and full sacramental preparation make it easy for families to grow in faith from cradle through Confirmation; dozens of parish ministries let parishioners plug into service and fellowship; and the just-completed post-Ida renovation — preserving stained glass, 1888 statues, and the diocese's only working pipe organ — gives Raceland a freshly restored sacred space to call home.
Mass times at St. Mary's Nativity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before Daily Mass (per MassTime.us)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Chapel)
Parish Mission & Vision
St. Mary's Nativity Church parish 'supports and encourages spiritual growth through education, service, liturgy, worship and celebration of sacraments,' striving to deepen the faithful's relationship with God and to aim toward eternal life with the Lord. The parish couples this with a long-running Debt Relief campaign (a twelve-year plan begun to retire loans from major facility improvements) and an active Stewardship program with online giving for Sunday collections.
A 175-Year Story (History)
The St. Mary Pamela Corporation was organized in 1840 to administer a cemetery established circa 1797 — many of those earliest graves were ground burials marked with wrought-iron crosses. Father Charles Menard dedicated the first church under the title of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 3, 1850, with Father Amédée Beccard as the first resident pastor. A brick second church followed in 1888 under Father E. Vigroux (1870–1895), and the present circular sanctuary was dedicated in 1966 in the wake of Vatican II.
- 1797 — Cemetery established on site (predates the parish).
- 1840 — St. Mary Pamela Corporation organized to administer the cemetery.
- 1850-08-03 — First church dedicated under the title The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- 1850 — Father Amédée Beccard becomes first resident pastor.
- 1870–1895 — Pastorate of Father E. Vigroux; brick church built and dedicated 1888.
- 1922–1958 — Pastorate of Father Peter Nies; brick church's facade remodeled.
- 1961 — St. Mary's Nativity School founded under Rev. Sabastian Arjonilla.
- 1966 — Present-day church dedicated (circular, Vatican II plan).
- 2021 — Hurricane Ida heavily damages church, roof, and steeple.
- 2024 — Pastor Fr. Joseph Tregre arrives (July); extensive renovation completed.
- 2025 — Parish reopens after nearly five years; 175th anniversary celebrated.
Stained-Glass Windows
Twelve stained-glass windows line the sanctuary, tracing the central truths of Catholic life from the Eucharist and the Resurrection through the sacraments to the Nativity itself, flanked by God the Father and Christ.
- #1 — Eucharist
- #2 — Resurrection
- #3 — Holy Spirit
- #4 — Blessed Mother
- #5 — Matthew and Mark
- #6 — Baptism and Confirmation
- #7 — Reconciliation / Anointing of the Sick
- #8 — Holy Orders / Matrimony
- #9 — John and Luke
- #10 — Nativity
- #11 — God the Father
- #12 — Christ
Bells, Cemetery & Pipe Organ
The parish preserves three historic treasures alongside its sanctuary. A bell collection of five bells dated 1856 to 1960 was being restored for the parish's 175th anniversary. The St. Mary's Nativity Cemetery — the oldest feature of the parish — includes a restored Calvary scene and wrought-iron-cross ground burials of the pioneer era. The Wicks pipe organ, expanded under the direction of Eric Ordoyne with help from members of the American Theatre Organ Society and volunteer parishioners, was relocated into the nave and re-dedicated in December 2009.
- Five bells, 1856–1960, under restoration.
- St. Mary's Nativity Cemetery (c. 1797) with restored Calvary scene.
- Wicks pipe organ — only fully functional pipe organ in the Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux (dedicated December 2009).
- Marian shrine built from materials salvaged from the former church and rectory.
- Murals by Milo Piuz; life-size statues of St. Anne and the Sacred Heart dating to 1888.
Hurricane Ida & the 2025 Renovation
After nearly five years of recovery from Hurricane Ida (August 2021), St. Mary's Nativity reopened its freshly renovated church in 2025 in time for its 175th anniversary. Fr. Clyde Mahler shepherded the immediate post-storm period, and Fr. Joseph Tregre — who began as pastor in July 2024 — drove the renovation. The work preserved historic features while updating every system of the building.
- New ceiling, refinished drywall, redesigned lighting system.
- Brand-new oak pews, new carpeting, fresh paint.
- New audio system; HVAC upgrades; third ADA-accessible restroom added.
- New roof; copper restoration on the steeple.
- Rectory rebuilt; Marian shrine built from salvaged materials.
- Cemetery Calvary restored; grounds beautified.
St. Mary's Nativity School
St. Mary's Nativity School provides 'quality academic education and spiritual formation for students which develop communities of faith in an environment that is safe, disciplined, caring, and affirm the dignity of all persons.' It opened in 1961 under Rev. Sabastian Arjonilla, who built two four-room school units, relocated and renovated the old St. Andrew Chapel from Bowie into a cafeteria, and erected a convent that housed three successive religious orders of teaching sisters — Teresian Sisters, Sisters of Mercy (1984 returned to Ireland), and Sisters of Loretto — before transitioning to an entirely lay faculty. Today the school serves Pre-K 3 through eighth grade, with a library, resource room, band room, multi-purpose space, and a 2009 community-center cafeteria.
- Founded 1961 by Rev. Sabastian Arjonilla.
- Pre-K 3 through 8th grade.
- Library, resource room, band room, multi-purpose space.
- Community-center cafeteria (built 2009 — old St. Andrew Chapel from Bowie relocated/renovated).
- Before- and after-school care; breakfast for early arrivals.
- Motto: 'Believe, Achieve, Succeed with Christ'.
- Administrator (Church and School): Rev. Joseph Tregre.
Sacraments
All seven Catholic sacraments are represented in the sanctuary's stained-glass windows (#6 Baptism/Confirmation; #7 Reconciliation/Anointing of the Sick; #8 Holy Orders/Matrimony) and are celebrated in the life of the parish — preparation for Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony, along with Anointing of the Sick and vocations support, is coordinated through the parish office.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — school/CCD preparation
- Confirmation — preparation through parish school
- Eucharist — see Mass schedule above
- Reconciliation — 30 minutes before Daily Mass
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment / emergency call
- Matrimony — couples contact parish office to begin preparation
- Holy Orders — vocational discernment support via the parish office
Devotions & Other Services
Beyond the Mass and Adoration schedule, the parish marks the OLPH (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) novena and offers robust stewardship infrastructure for online giving and a multi-year Debt Relief fund.
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena (follows a weekday Mass per parish schedule)
- Online Stewardship giving for Sunday collections
- Debt Relief Fund — a 12-year facility-loan retirement effort
- Parish bulletin published online
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish website lists the active ministries serving St. Mary's Nativity and encourages parishioners to contact the listed coordinator for each. Ministries cluster around liturgy and music (pipe-organ volunteer team, bell-ringing restoration), faith formation (school and sacramental prep), stewardship (online giving, Debt Relief), and heritage / cemetery care.
- Liturgy & Music — pipe-organ volunteer corps (under Eric Ordoyne) and bell-restoration team
- Faith Formation — St. Mary's Nativity School (Pre-K 3 – 8th)
- Sacramental Preparation — Baptism, First Eucharist/ Reconciliation, Confirmation, Matrimony
- Stewardship — online giving for Sunday collections
- Debt Relief Campaign — 12-year facility-fund retirement
- Cemetery & Historic Preservation — Calvary restoration and grounds beautification
- School Cafeteria / community center (built 2009)
Getting Involved & Newcomers
The website explicitly invites new faces: an 'I'm New Here' link sits alongside Contact Us. Visitors and parishioners interested in any ministry are directed to call the contact person for that ministry.
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM) and Friday 9:00 AM to noon (closed Friday afternoons). The church sits at 3500 Highway 1, Raceland, LA 70394, with parish-office phone (985) 537-3204 and the main website at stmnparish.org.
- Address — 3500 Highway 1, Raceland, LA 70394
- Phone — (985) 537-3204
- Office Hours — Mon–Thu 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed 12–1 for lunch); Fri 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Website — http://www.stmnparish.org
- Bulletin — published online via the parish website
- School — 3492 Nies, Raceland, LA 70394 (adjacent to the church)
Diocese & Wider Catholic Context
St. Mary's Nativity is part of the Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux and is one of the oldest parishes in the diocese, with origins traceable to a 1797 cemetery and a congregation organized in 1840. Its home is Bayou Country in Lafourche Parish — historically part of New Spain, Acadia, the Louisiana Purchase, the Antebellum South, and (briefly) the Confederate States of America.
- Jurisdiction — Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux
- Historical first church blessed 1850-08-03; second church 1876/1888; present church dedicated 1966
- Lafourche Parish / Bayou Country
- Regionally classified within Louisiana's River Parishes and Acadiana — Cajun Country
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Menardpre-1850 (founding)
Dedicated the first church on August 3, 1850 under the title of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Rev. Amédée Beccardfirst resident pastor (1850)
St. Mary's Nativity's first resident pastor after the 1850 dedication.
- Rev. E. Vigroux1870–1895
Long pastorate during which the second (brick) church was built and dedicated in 1888.
- Rev. Peter Nies1922–1958
Remodeled the facade of the 1888 brick church.
- Rev. Sabastian Arjonilla
Honduran pastor under whose leadership St. Mary's Nativity School was established in 1961; oversaw the construction of two four-room school units, a cafeteria (built from the relocated old St. Andrew Chapel from Bowie), and a convent that housed three orders of nuns.
- Rev. Clyde Mahleruntil mid-2024
Shepherded the parish through the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ida (2021).
- Rev. Joseph TregreJuly 2024–present
Led the multi-year renovation; welcomed parishioners back into the restored church for the parish's 175th anniversary.