About St. Michael the Archangel · Convent, Louisiana
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish located at 6476 Highway 44 in Convent, Louisiana, in St. James Parish on the Mississippi River Road (the historic 'German Coast' / Acadian Coast). Established as a mission in 1809 and as a separate parish in 1831, it is the historic Catholic heart of the unincorporated community of Convent and one of three parishes in the East St. James Parish Cluster, alongside Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Gramercy and St. Joseph in Paulina. Today it is served from the cluster's Pastoral Center and is part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
- Established
- 1809 (mission chapel); 1831 (parish established); 1833 (present church completed)
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Fr. Lazaru (Laz) Panthagani (cluster lead priest, listed under the East St. James Parish Pastoral Center)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
St. Michael the Archangel offers a deeply rooted Catholic community along Louisiana's historic River Road, where Sunday Mass, perpetual adoration at the nearby Our Lady of Prompt Succor Chapel, regular confession before Mass, and a strong tradition of faith formation for youth and young adults are central to parish life. Active lay ministries — including Catholic Daughters of America, Junior Catholic Daughters, the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary, a Bereavement ministry, a Welcoming Committee, a Homebound Ministry, and the River Road Catholics Young Adult Ministry — give parishioners many ways to live out their faith. Fundraising Bingos at St. Michael's go directly to preserving the parish's historic 1830s church buildings and cemetery, so joining the parish is also a way of stewarding an irreplaceable piece of Louisiana Catholic heritage.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:00 AM – 7:50 AM (at St. Michael the Archangel)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Chapel, 2130 Rectory St (Hwy 44), Paulina, LA — sign up for an hour through Jason Amato or Bobby Lear (per cluster announcement)
History & Heritage of St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel traces its roots to 1809, when the St. Michael de Cantrelle chapel was built a mile from the present site — named for Michael Bernard Cantrell, son of Jacques Cantrelle, commander of the Second German Coast. In 1831, Father Charles de la Croix began collecting funds; the present building was completed by 1833 at a cost of about $19,445 and later dedicated by Bishop de Neckere. In the 1870s the church was enlarged and acquired its two sacristies, the Lourdes Grotto, and its spire — giving the cruciform basilica essentially its present appearance. The parish complex is on the National Register of Historic Places as the 'St. Michael's Church Historic District.'
- 1809: original chapel built a mile down the road
- 1827: present cemetery begun
- 1831: collection of funds for the new church
- 1833: church completed under Father Charles de la Croix
- 1870s: church enlarged; Lourdes Grotto added; spire added
- 1965: octagonal spire destroyed by Hurricane Betsy (never replaced)
Architecture & Sacred Furnishings
The present church is a cruciform basilica with a five-bay aisled nave, multishaft columns with foliated capitals supporting Romanesque double arches, an exposed truss roof with king posts and foliated hanging pendants, and brick laid in common bond. The exterior mixes Gothic verticality, pinnacles, buttresses, and multiple arches with Romanesque semicircular arches and blind arcading.
- 500-pound Belgian bell 'Eugenie Louise,' christened in 1832
- Hand-carved wooden altars imported from France
- Pipe organ believed to be the oldest in Louisiana
- Lourdes Grotto Chapel built in 1876 by Florian Dicharry and Christophe Columb out of bagasse (crushed sugar-cane residue), modeled on the Lourdes shrine in France
- Two-and-a-half-story Greek Revival rectory built in 1875
- Multiple historic school buildings
St. Michael's Convent & the Town of Convent
After Father de la Croix arrived as pastor, he raised $7,000 from the community to invite the Society of the Sacred Heart nuns to found a convent school. On Halloween 1825, Mother Hamilton, Sister Mullanphy, Sister Labruyette, and three novices arrived by boat, occupied a small frame building on November 20, and opened the first school in April 1826. By 1838 more than 200 girls were enrolled. The unincorporated community takes its very name from this Catholic foundation; the convent itself eventually closed after storm damage in 1926 and was later demolished.
- First school opened April 1826
- 200+ girls enrolled by 1838
- Named for the Convent of the Sacred Heart (1825–1932)
The Cemetery & Acadian Memorial
The parish cemetery, begun in 1827, contains Renaissance Revival tombs and gravestones dating to the early 1800s and a large memorial 'Dedicated to the memory of our courageous Acadian ancestors who settled this area in the mid-1700s…Once buried here, most of their original graves have been lost to time and the river.'
- Begun 1827
- Renaissance Revival tombs from the early 1800s
- Acadian ancestors memorial
Clergy & Pastoral Center Staff
St. Michael's is served through the East St. James Parish Cluster Pastoral Center. Fr. Lazaru 'Laz' Panthagani and Fr. Rajesh 'Raj' Pereira are the cluster priests, assisted by Deacon Randy Clement. Lay staff supporting the cluster's three parishes — including St. Michael — are led by the parish office team (Paula Poche, Crystal Faucheux, Lori Taylor, Missy Laurent, Amy L. Babin, Jackie Copponex, Tammy Martin, Allison Badeaux, Donna Rochon, Harriet Melancon, and Gordon Jenkins).
- Fr. Lazaru 'Laz' Panthagani
- Fr. Rajesh 'Raj' Pereira
- Deacon Randy Clement
Sacraments
Baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick, communion to the homebound, and funerals are all coordinated through the Pastoral Center at (225) 869-5751. Families should contact the office early for marriage preparation; anointing and communion to the homebound are provided by a priest on request.
- Baptisms — Mrs. Missy Laurent
- Weddings — Pastoral Center
- Anointing of the Sick / Communion to the Homebound — Pastoral Center
- Funerals — Donna Rochon, Pastoral Center
Parish Ministries & Community Life
St. Michael's has a particularly rich lay-ministry ecosystem, with organizations serving the spiritual, charitable, and social needs of parishioners along the River Road.
Catholic Daughters of America (Court St. Michael)
Catholic Daughters — the largest women's Catholic organization in the world, whose motto is 'Unity and Charity' — is a charitable organization that embraces God's love for family and life. Court St. Michael is led by Regent Jackie Copponex (225-264-7877). Bulletin Board coordinator: Carol Ann Rome (SM) 562-3219.
- Regent Jackie Copponex, 225-264-7877
- Bulletin Board: Carol Ann Rome, 562-3219
Jr. Catholic Daughters of America (JCDA)
Founded in 1926 under the CDA, the JCDA helps girls enrich their lives through service to their church, community, and world. Its motto is 'Be useful,' with the mandate to 'love God, serve others, and live nobly.'
Knights of Columbus & Knights of Peter Claver
St. Michael's Knights of Columbus council is led by Grand Knight David Isom (504-231-3077). The parish also hosts a Knights of Peter Claver council (Grand Knight Barry Weber, 869-3125) and the KPC Ladies Auxiliary, with Grand Lady Natalie Jones (225-278-1312) and KC Home at 225-869-8184.
- Knights of Columbus: Grand Knight David Isom
- Knights of Peter Claver: Grand Knight Barry Weber
- KPC Ladies Auxiliary: Grand Lady Natalie Jones
River Road Catholics Young Adult Ministry
This ministry connects young adults with Jesus Christ through prayer, worship, community, bible study, service, and friendship. For more information, find River Road Catholics YAM on Facebook or contact Courtney Mistretta (225-933-0628).
- Contact: Courtney Mistretta, 225-933-0628
- Facebook: River Road Catholics YAM
Welcoming Committee, Bereavement & Homebound Ministries
The Welcoming Committee helps newcomers — originally formed for those new to the town — by distributing packets that include the bulletin and a parish directory (contact Amanda Berthelot, 869-5751). The Bereavement Ministry (Donna Rochon, 225-869-5751) walks with families through loss. The Homebound Ministry brings Communion and pastoral care to those unable to attend Mass.
- Welcoming Committee — Amanda Berthelot
- Bereavement — Donna Rochon
- Homebound Ministry
St. Michael's Bingo & Historic-Building Preservation
Several Bingos are scheduled throughout the year, along with other fundraisers, dedicated to the preservation of St. Michael's historic 1830s buildings. Watch the bulletin for details.
East St. James Parish Cluster
St. Michael's shares a cluster with Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Gramercy) and St. Joseph (Paulina), along with the Our Lady of Prompt Succor Chapel in Paulina. The cluster mission is to 'Focus on Faith, Sacraments, Gospel, and Community.' Together they share clergy, the Pastoral Center, faith-formation programming, and joint ministries such as CDA, KPC, and the Young Adult Ministry.
- Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — Sunday 10:00 AM Mass
- St. Joseph — 2130 Rectory St (Hwy 44), Paulina, LA
- Our Lady of Prompt Succor Chapel — 2350 Louisiana Ave, Lutcher; Sunday 4:00–4:50 PM Confession, 5:00 PM Mass
Contact, Visit & Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors can reach the Pastoral Center by phone at (225) 869-5751 (fax 225-869-4166) or by email at [email protected]. Online giving is available through the 'St. Michael Online Giving' link on the parish homepage. The church is at 6476 Highway 44, Convent, LA, on the River Road just behind the Mississippi River levee.
- Phone: 225-869-5751
- Fax: 225-869-4166
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.rivrdcat.org/
- Address: 6476 Highway 44, Convent, LA 70723
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles de la Croix
Directed construction of the present church building (1831–1833); invited the Society of the Sacred Heart nuns to found the convent school (1825).
- Marist Fathers of the Society of Mary1861 onward
Took over pastoral care of St. Michael's from the Jesuits in 1861, making it the first Marist parish in the United States.