St. Peter

Parish Identity & Mission

St. Peter Parish (st-peter-reserve.org) is the historic Catholic parish of Reserve, Louisiana, on the west bank of St. John the Baptist Parish. It is a community of faith centered on the Eucharist and serves its members together with its mission church, St. Hubert Catholic Church in Garyville. The parish welcomes new members through a simple online Census / Join Our Parish form available under the 'About Us' tab on the website.

• Parish website: st-peter-reserve.org
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 435, Reserve, LA 70084
• Physical address: 1550 Highway 44, Reserve, LA 70084
• Email: [email protected]
• Join Our Parish / Census form available online

History

Founded in 1864 by Rev. LaCour as "Paroisse de St. Pierre de Bonnet Carré de la Rive Gauche," St. Peter was created to serve the east-bank Catholic families of St. John the Baptist Parish. The original wood-frame church burned in 1898 and a new one was built in 1900. As the local Catholic population grew, St. Peter gave rise to four daughter parishes between 1907 and 1979, and its cemetery — in use since about 1870 — is shared by all of them.

• Founded April 1864 by Rev. LaCour
• Original frame church burned 1898; rebuilt 1900
• Parish records through 1900 are held by the Archives of the Archdiocese of New Orleans
• Daughter parishes: St. Hubert (1907), Our Lady of Grace (1937), St. Joan of Arc (1947), Ascension of Our Lord (1979)

Clergy & Staff

The parish rectory is staffed by the pastor and the parish office. The pastor's email routes through the archdiocese domain, and the parish is served by the same rectory that covers St. Hubert in Garyville.

• Pastor: Rev. Ray Hymel (rhymelarchdiocese-no.org)
• Parish email: [email protected]
• Office hours: Mon–Thu 8 AM–4 PM, Fri 8 AM–12 PM (summer: Mon–Thu 8 AM–12 noon, closed Fri)
• Rectory phone: 985-536-2887; Fax: 985-536-7078

Devotions & Other Services

• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena — Tuesdays, immediately following the 6:30 AM Mass

St. Peter Catholic School

St. Peter Catholic School, located at 188 West 7th Street in Reserve, has been part of the parish since Monsignor Jean Eyraud opened its doors on September 1, 1930. Originally staffed by the Dominican Sisters (who led the school until the first lay principal in 1976), it now serves Pre-K 2 through 7th grade. The school lives by the motto "Live, love and learn as Jesus did," begins and ends each day in prayer, celebrates weekly Confession and monthly Adoration, and has marked milestones such as the 90th anniversary in 2020.

• Address: 188 West 7th Street, Reserve, LA 70084
• Phone: 985-536-4296
• Website: stpeterreserve.org (school)
• Grades: Pre-K 2 through 7
• Opened September 1, 1930, by Monsignor Jean Eyraud
• Originally staffed by the Dominican Sisters; first lay principal in 1976
• 90th anniversary celebrated in 2020

Music & Liturgy

Music is an established part of Sunday worship at St. Peter, with a long-serving Traditional Choir that sings the 8:00 AM Sunday Mass from September through May. Choir members have been recognized at the archdiocesan level — Mrs. Loyce Ann Vicknair, who served as choir director for over twenty years, received the St. Louis Medallion from Archbishop Aymond.

• Traditional Choir sings the 8:00 AM Sunday Mass, September–May
• Choir director Loyce Ann Vicknair honored with the St. Louis Medallion

Prayer & Outreach Ministries

The parish supports several lay-led prayer and outreach ministries, including the Moving Mary prayer ministry and the Knights of Columbus. Online giving makes one-time and recurring gifts simple for parishioners and visitors.

• Moving Mary prayer ministry — contact Paula Maurin, 985-817-9496, [email protected]
• Knights of Columbus (Reserve–LaPlace–Norco area council)
• Online giving via the parish website (electronic check or debit/credit card; recurring gifts supported)

Family Life & Marriage Preparation

St. Peter shares in the Archdiocese of New Orleans' Family Life Apostolate, which is committed to upholding Catholic teaching on the family, uplifting the holiness of Christian marriage, and providing programs for the many situations families face. Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact a parish priest or deacon at least six months in advance; a premarital inventory is a required element of marriage preparation in the Catholic dioceses of Louisiana.

• Couples must contact the parish priest or deacon at least six months before the proposed wedding
• Premarital inventory required as part of preparation
• Marriage preparation programs coordinated through the Archdiocese of New Orleans Family Life Apostolate
• Special programs available for couples who are remarrying or validating a previous marriage

St. Peter Catholic Church Cemetery

The parish cemetery has been in continuous use since about 1870. It serves not only St. Peter Parish but the four daughter parishes that grew out of it: St. Hubert (Garyville), Our Lady of Grace (Reserve), St. Joan of Arc (LaPlace), and Ascension of Our Lord (LaPlace). Some of the earliest tombstones are missing due to the historic practice of multiple burials in a single plot and the building of family tombs.

• Cemetery phone: 985-536-7939
• In use since c. 1870
• Shared by St. Peter and its four daughter parishes

St. Hubert Mission Church (Garyville)

St. Hubert Catholic Church in Garyville is a mission church of St. Peter Parish, sharing the same pastor and rectory. Founded in 1907, it hosts Sunday Masses, monthly Adoration (3rd Thursday), and the 1st Friday Mass and Adoration. Address: 176 Anthony F. Monica Drive, Garyville, LA 70051; rectory 985-536-2887.

• Address: 176 Anthony F. Monica Dr., Garyville, LA 70051
• Rectory: 985-536-2887 (same as St. Peter)
• Sunday Masses: 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM (per contact page); 10:00 AM (per homepage)
• 3rd Thursday Adoration 4:00–6:00 PM
• 1st Friday Mass and Adoration following 8:00 AM Mass