About St. Paul the Apostle · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church is a historic African-American parish in the Eden Park neighborhood on the North Side of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Founded in July 1960 by Archbishop Joseph Rummel of New Orleans to serve Black Catholics who had migrated from rural Louisiana parishes, it has been staffed continuously since 1962 by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) missionary priests. After worshipping for decades in a converted Capitol Theatre on Gus Young Avenue, the parish moved into a new church facility on the corner of 39th & Gus Young in 2011 and remains a faith community called to lift up the spiritual, social, and material lives of the people of Eden Park.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Father Arockiam Arockiam, SVD
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
St. Paul the Apostle is a warm, mission-driven parish in the heart of Eden Park where a long-standing African-American Catholic community has worshipped since 1960. Visitors and parishioners find a full sacramental life — Sunday and weekday Mass, the Rite of Christian Initiation (OCIA/RCIA), baptism preparation, Eucharistic Adoration, Bible Study, and a Holy Communion ministry to the sick — alongside active lay ministries such as the Liturgy Committee, Youth Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul, Bible Study, Altar Servers, and a Media Ministry. It is a place where, as the parish mission states, the community is 'called to celebrate the redeeming actions of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and to teach and bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ' across the North Side of Baton Rouge.
Mass times at St. Paul the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration — call the parish office for current schedule (Father Arockiam's Corner references 'adoration seeking God's…')
About St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church
St. Paul the Apostle is a Catholic parish in the Eden Park neighborhood on the North Side of Baton Rouge, in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Its mission is to be 'the very presence of Jesus in this community' — spiritually, socially, academically, politically, medically, and personally — in the spirit of Matthew 25:40. The parish is staffed by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and is rooted in a strong African-American Catholic heritage.
Parish Mission Statement
"Bound by our faith and guided by the Holy Spirit, We, the children of God, within the Community of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, are called to celebrate the redeeming actions of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and to teach and bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ."
History of the Parish
The parish was established in July 1960 by Archbishop Joseph Rummel of New Orleans to serve Black Catholic families who had moved to North Baton Rouge from rural parishes and who did not feel welcomed in the existing downtown parishes. Reverend Monsignor Paul J. Gauci (Pastor of Sacred Heart) arranged the acquisition of the old Capitol Theatre on Capitol Avenue (now Gus Young Avenue) and supervised its reconstruction; Reverend Monsignor H.P. Lohmann (Pastor of St. Joseph) helped develop the renovation plans, with J. H. Haas as architect and L. M. Couvillion as contractor. The conversion cost approximately $100,000.
- Founded: July 1960
- Original building: Renovated Capitol Theatre on Capitol Avenue (now Gus Young Avenue)
- Architect: J. H. Haas; Contractor: L. M. Couvillion
- New church facility opened: 2011 at 39th & Gus Young
- SVD staffing began: 1962
Pastoral Staff and Parish Leaders
St. Paul is served by an SVD pastor, a permanent deacon, a parish secretary, an office assistant, a bookkeeper, and a Director of Religious Education, along with a parish nurse. Lay leadership is provided by a Parish Pastoral Council and a Parish Finance Council.
- Pastor: Fr. Arockiam Arockiam, SVD ([email protected])
- Deacon: Mr. Benjamin Dunbar, Jr. ([email protected])
- Secretary: Mary Martin
- Office Assistant: Christy Hall
- Parish Accountant: Debra Dudley
- Director of Religious Education: Martha Davis (225-357-4108)
- Parish Nurse: Maxine Watts, RN (225-278-6732)
- Finance Council Chair: Luke LaVergne (Retired Judge)
- Pastoral Council Chair: Randy Le Duff
Sacraments
St. Paul the Apostle prepares parishioners for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, and the Anointing of the Sick, and welcomes new Catholics through the OCIA process (formerly RCIA).
- Baptism — Class required for parents and godparents; contact Deacon & Mrs. Dunbar (225-324-2939)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Coordinator: Bro. John Hotstream, SC; contact Fr. Arockiam
- Holy Communion to the Sick — by request through the parish office
- Marriage preparation — contact Fr. Arockiam
Devotions and Faith Formation
The parish maintains a robust schedule of devotions and adult formation activities, including a weekly rosary and a teleconference Bible Study that allows remote participation.
- Rosary — Sundays at 6:00 PM (Tele-Conference: 701-802-5490, Access Code 878800#)
- Adult Formation Class — Sundays at 9:00 AM in the Parish Center
- Tele-Conference Bible Study — Wednesdays at 6:00 PM (Dial 516-387-8633, no access code)
- Safe Environment Coordinator: Vera Dunbar
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. Paul the Apostle offers a wide range of lay ministries and parish organizations. Each ministry has a designated coordinator and contact line listed in the parish bulletin.
- Liturgy Committee — Gigi Mathis (225-278-0071)
- Eucharistic Ministers — Nancy Ball (225-397-4309)
- Altar Servers (7:30 AM) — Shirley Dawson (225-802-6128)
- Altar Servers (10:30 AM) — Christy Hall (225-223-7851)
- Readers — Paulette Robertson (225-937-2293)
- Youth Readers — Tasha Anthony (504-858-1902)
- Ushers — Edmonia Joseph (225-772-2090)
- Baptism Class — Deacon Benjamin & Vera Dunbar (225-324-2939)
- Bible Study — Barbara Haynes (225-665-2630)
- OCIA Coordinator — Bro. John Hotstream, SC
- Youth Ministry — Amanda Skinner (225-978-7347) / Kawayna Ridgley
- Ministry to the Sick — Nancy Ball
- Parish Nurse — Maxine Watts, RN (225-278-6732)
- Media Ministry — Makisha Anderson and Randy LeDuff
- St. Vincent de Paul — Janet St. Cyr-Moore
- Activity Center (Rental & Repast) — Velita Benjamin (225-654-6705)
- Activity Center (Parish Ministries Use) — Mary Martin
- Safe Environment Coordinator — Vera Dunbar (225-324-2939)
- Pastoral Council Chair — Rudolph Richard Jr. (225-284-7476)
Parish Activity Center
The parish Activity Center supports ministries, meetings, rentals, and repasts (memorial meals). The Parish Council has announced a major renovation scheduled to begin in April 2026 and is asking parishioners to consider contributing an additional $30 per month to support the project. Donations may be made via the parish envelope, mailed to the parish office, or by calling (225) 383-2537 to pay by phone.
- Activity Center renovation scheduled to begin April 2026
- Use of Center by parish ministries/organizations — Mary Martin
- Center rental and repast — Velita Benjamin (225-654-6705)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Aubry F. Osborn1960–1962
First pastor of St. Paul the Apostle.
- Father Elmer Powell, SVD1962–1969
First SVD pastor; SVD community has staffed the parish continuously since.
- Father George Artis, SVD1969–1974
- Father Richard Jeschke, SVD1974–1975
- Father Clifton Labbe, SVD1975–1984
- Father Jerome G. LeDoux, SVD1984–1987
- Father Anthony Hemphill, SVD1987–1990
- Father Joseph I. Guidry, SVD1990–2001
- Father Jaison G. Mangalath, SVD2001–2008
- Father Vincent Alexius, SVD2008–2012
- Father L. Joseph Jessing, SVD2013
- Father Richard Andrus, SVD2013–2020
- Father Arockiam Arockiam, SVD2021–present
Current pastor.