About St. Paul · Elton, Louisiana
St. Paul Catholic Church is a Roman Latin rite parish in Elton, Louisiana, in Jefferson Davis Civil Parish, canonically established on October 13, 1913 by Archbishop James H. Blenk of New Orleans. It is part of the Diocese of Lake Charles (East Deanery) and serves approximately 275 registered families from its church at 1100 St. Mary Street. The parish is currently led by Reverend Jose Vattakunnel, M.O.C., with Deacon Michael Guillory assisting, and offers daily Mass, a religious education program for K–11th graders, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a scriptural rosary devotion, and an annual parish festival the second full weekend of November.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Reverend Jose Vattakunnel, M.O.C.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lake Charles (East Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Paul is a small-town Catholic parish with deep roots — over a century of worship on the same block of St. Mary Street — that offers daily Mass Monday through Friday, a Saturday vigil, and two Sunday Masses, so working families and school children can easily find a time that fits. Faith formation is built into parish life through religious education for grades K–11 on Wednesdays and a strong OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program, while the spiritual life is supported by all-day Monday Eucharistic Adoration and a Saturday scriptural rosary. The Ladies Altar Society and the Sons of Saint Paul keep the parish woven into the wider Elton community through senior-citizen outreach and men's spiritual fellowship, and the annual parish festival the second full weekend of November draws the whole town together.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 15 minutes before every Mass
- Saturday 4:45–5:00 p.m.
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: Mondays, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Adoration and Scriptural Rosary: Saturdays at 6:15 a.m.
Parish Identity & Quick Facts
St. Paul Catholic Church is a Roman Latin rite parish in the Diocese of Lake Charles (East Deanery), located at 1100 St. Mary Street in Elton, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. It was canonically established October 13, 1913 by Archbishop James H. Blenk of New Orleans, and serves about 275 registered families. Its current pastor, Reverend Jose Vattakunnel, M.O.C., also serves as Administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Elton; the two parishes share an office and phone number.
- Parish name: St. Paul Catholic Church
- Established: October 13, 1913
- Diocese: Lake Charles (East Deanery)
- Civil Parish: Jefferson Davis
- Pastor: Rev. Jose Vattakunnel, M.O.C.
- Deacon: Michael Guillory
- Address: 1100 St. Mary Street, P.O. Box 129, Elton, LA 70532
- Office: 337-584-2818 / Fax: 337-584-3246
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
History
The Catholic presence in Elton predates the parish: priests from Lake Charles and then Jennings celebrated Mass in the area in the late 1800s, and early mission chapels were built in Soileau, Darbonne Prairie and Hickory Flats (Cheno). Around the turn of the century the coming of the railroads brought new settlers to Imperial Calcasieu, and a chapel was built on land donated by Benjamin Buller to serve the growing Catholic population.
Founding (1913)
On October 13, 1913, Archbishop James H. Blenk of New Orleans canonically established St. Paul Parish and appointed Rev. A. P. Borel as its founding pastor. The new parish included the town of Elton plus mission chapels in Oberlin, Soileau and Oakdale. In 1914 Fr. Borel obtained permission to build a chapel in Kinder, which was also attached to St. Paul.
St. Paul School (1920–1929)
By 1920 parishioners wanted a Catholic school. Fr. Borel and trustees Home Buller and Joseph Landry acquired property and built a two-story structure with four classrooms downstairs and an auditorium/stage upstairs. Lay teachers Hazel Broussard, Frances McCormack, Pauline Massart and Mr. Schwartzenburg staffed the school. In 1923 Fr. Eugene H. Derivas succeeded Fr. Borel and brought in five religious sisters as teachers. The first four graduates — Edward Abdalia, Walter Buller, Edmae Landry and Marjorie Fontenot — received their diplomas in 1928. The Great Depression forced the school to close in 1929.
Two Fires and the 1984 Rebuild
The original church was destroyed by fire in 1929 — within months of Fr. William Frantzen's arrival — and the remodeled former school auditorium became a temporary church. A new church building was constructed in 1952 and dedicated by Bishop Jeanmard; the former church became a parish hall. On January 25, 1982, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, the church was destroyed by fire a second time. The rectory and parish records were saved, and the bell tower from the original church survived and still stands on the grounds today. The present church was begun immediately and dedicated on January 25, 1984 by Bishop Jude Speyrer of Lake Charles. It seats 500 and includes a weekday chapel, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, reconciliation rooms, a sacristy and a bride's chamber.
Sister Parish — St. Joseph (1951)
In 1951, Bishop Jeanmard established St. Joseph Parish in Elton for the local Black Catholic community, which had previously been ministered to by the priests of St. Paul. Today the two parishes share a pastor and office: Rev. Jose Vattakunnel, M.O.C., serves as Pastor of St. Paul and Administrator of St. Joseph, with one combined phone number (337-584-2818) and office address.
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a priest-pastor from the Missionaries of Compassion (M.O.C.) with assistance from a permanent deacon, an administrative assistant/bookkeeper, and lay coordinators for religious education, OCIA and evangelization.
- Pastor: Reverend Jose Vattakunnel, M.O.C.
- Deacon: Michael Guillory
- Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper / Safe Environment Coordinator: Lezlie LaFosse
- Director of Religious Education: Lezlie LaFosse
- OCIA: Chris Fuselier and Kara Scogin
- Evangelization: Frieda Shuff
Sacraments
Baptism and Marriage are scheduled by appointment through the parish office. The OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) prepares adults for full initiation into the Catholic Church; the parish also runs a religious education program for children in grades K–11.
- Baptism — by appointment
- Marriage — by appointment
- OCIA — Chris Fuselier and Kara Scogin
- Religious Education — Wednesday 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. (Grades K–11)
- Safe Environment Program — Lezlie LaFosse
Ministries & Organizations
Parish life at St. Paul is supported by a small set of active lay organizations and formation programs. The Ladies Altar Society cares for the church's material needs and runs a monthly senior citizens gathering for the Elton community. The Sons of Saint Paul is a men's organization formed to serve the parish's needs and to provide spiritual programs and fellowship for the men of the parish.
- Ladies Altar Society
- Sons of Saint Paul
- Religious Education (Grades K–11)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Evangelization team
- Safe Environment program
- Annual Parish Festival (second full weekend in November)
St. Paul Cemetery & Mausoleum
The St. Paul Mausoleum, completed in 1963, is on parish grounds and is the final resting place of longtime pastor Reverend William Frantzen (d. Jan. 17, 1980). Bishop Maurice Schexnayder of Lafayette celebrated Fr. Frantzen's funeral Mass with six area priests serving as pallbearers.
Annual Parish Festival
The parish hosts its annual festival on the second full weekend of November, drawing the wider Elton community together each year.
- Festival: second full weekend in November
Directions & Contact
St. Paul Catholic Church is easy to find in central Elton. From US 190, travel west into town and turn north on Langley Street; the church sits north of the intersection of Langley and St. Mary streets. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Address: 1100 St. Mary Street, P.O. Box 129, Elton, LA 70532
- Phone: 337-584-2818
- Fax: 337-584-3246
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Diocese listing: http://www.lcdiocese.org/diocesan-parishes/840-st-paul-catholic-church-elton
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. A. P. Borel1913
Founding pastor appointed by Archbishop James H. Blenk; oversaw early chapel at Elton, missions at Oberlin/Soileau/Oakdale and Kinder, and built the first parish school (1920).
- Rev. Eugene H. Derivas1923
Secured five religious sisters as teachers; first four students graduated in 1928; died September 1928.
- Rev. William Frantzen1928
Native of Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen); longtime pastor; church burned in 1929, rebuilt in 1952; celebrated 35 years at Elton in 1963; died Jan. 17, 1980.
- Rev. Eugene LaFleur1970
Began construction of new parish hall; acquired new organ.
- Rev. L. Michael Herpin1975
Began construction of eight-room religious education building.
- Rev. Ralph Landry1978
Short tenure in 1978.
- Rev. Willard Dugas1978
Completed and named the Thornton Center religious education building.
- Rev. Michael Barras1980
Ordained John H. Eaves as first Permanent Deacon of the parish; oversaw rebuilding after 1982 fire; new church dedicated Jan. 25, 1984.
- Rev. Marshall Boulet1992
Appointed to succeed Fr. Barras.
- Rev. Jose Vattakunnel, M.O.C.current
Current pastor; also serves as Administrator of St. Joseph Parish, Elton.