About St. Philip · Vacherie, Louisiana
St. Philip is a Roman Catholic parish in Vacherie, Louisiana, in St. James Parish on the German Acadian Coast (River Road, Louisiana Highway 18). It is one of three historically French- and German-rooted parishes clustered as "Cane Catholics" alongside St. James in St. James and Our Lady of Peace in Vacherie. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Baton Rouge and is served today by the Dominican Father Michael J. O'Rourke, OP, as Administrator, with Deacon Glenn Hymel assisting. Its present-day Roman-style frame church was dedicated in 1921, and the surrounding cemetery is a living record of generations of Vacherie Catholic families.
- Established
- 1873 (chapel/mission); 1877 (independent parish)
- Patron
- St. Philip
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP (Administrator; appointed August 2023). The previous pastor, Father Matthew McCaughey, was reassigned to St. Theresa of Avila in Gonzales in August 2023.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
St. Philip welcomes Catholics and visitors to celebrate Mass on the historic River Road in Vacherie, where three parishes (St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace) share clergy and resources as 'Cane Catholics.' The community is rooted in more than 150 years of German-Acadian Catholic tradition, offers regular weekday and weekend Masses in English, weekly confessions before Saturday Vigil Mass, and stays connected through Flocknote text and email updates. Joining the parish means becoming part of a tight-knit faith family that still gathers around the same Roman-style church dedicated in 1921 by Archbishop J. W. Shaw.
Mass times at St. Philip
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM (at St. Philip, before the 6:00 PM Vigil Mass)
Parish History
St. Philip's roots go back to the early German and Acadian settlements on the west bank of the Mississippi. The first Catholic chapel in North Vacherie was dedicated to Our Lady of Prompt Succor in 1873, after townspeople dismantled a Protestant church and rafted it to the new site. The mission became an independent parish in 1877 under Father Louis Ozanne, but its first permanent building was never finished — Mass was said in an uncompleted, unpainted structure for 42 years. The present Roman-style frame church was dedicated in 1921 by Archbishop J. W. Shaw. The parish cemetery sits directly behind the church and contains the graves of generations of Vacherie Catholic families.
- 1873 — first chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Prompt Succor
- 1877 — mission becomes an independent parish; Father Louis Ozanne named first pastor
- 1921 — current Roman-style frame church dedicated by Archbishop J. W. Shaw
- St. Philip Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum adjacent to the church
The 1924 Tornado at the Church Fair
On Sunday, August 24, 1924, a tornado struck St. Philip's Hall during a parish church fair. The Times-Picayune reported that 'grim death, riding rampant on the wings of a twister left in his wake eight dead, several dying and many injured.' An estimated five thousand people attended the joint funeral for seven of the victims at St. Patrick, with Father Fontaine of St. Philip's Catholic Church and nearly twenty priests from neighboring parishes officiating. The dead included Stephen A. Haydel and his wife, Arthur Hubbell (40) and his sister Virginia Hubbell (29), Florence Fernandez (7), Burchman Waguespack (21), and Marie Louise Troxclair (5).
- August 24, 1924 — tornado destroys St. Philip's Hall during the church fair
- Eight killed, many injured (some with broken backs and necks)
- Joint funeral for seven of the eight held at St. Patrick with Father Fontaine and ~20 priests
- Newspaper accounts carried by the Times-Picayune, August 26, 1924
Clergy and Staff
St. Philip is part of a three-parish cluster (Cane Catholics) sharing clergy. Since August 2023, the administrator for St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace is Father Michael J. O'Rourke, OP, a Dominican priest. Deacon Glenn Hymel serves as Deacon Assistant across the cluster.
- Rev. Michael J. O'Rourke, OP — Administrator (Dominican, Order of Preachers); appointed August 2023
- Deacon Glenn Hymel — Deacon Assistant for St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace
Cane Catholics Cluster
St. Philip shares clergy, communications, and parish life with two neighboring River Road parishes under the name 'Cane Catholics — Catholic Church in West St. James.' The three parishes are: St. James Church (St. James, LA), St. Philip Church (Vacherie, LA), and Our Lady of Peace Church (Vacherie, LA). Together they publish a single combined Mass schedule and use Flocknote for parish-wide text and email updates.
- St. James Church — 6613 Hwy 18 (River Road), St. James, LA (parish est. 1757)
- St. Philip Church — 1175 Hwy 18, Vacherie, LA (parish est. 1873)
- Our Lady of Peace Church — 13281 Hwy 644, Vacherie, LA (parish est. 1877)
- Shared communications via Flocknote — text Cane to 84576
Parish Communications and Bulletins
Parishioners and visitors can subscribe to Flocknote to receive weekly bulletins and cluster updates by text message and email.
- Text 'Cane' to 84576 to join the Flocknote list
- Combined bulletin covers St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace
Parish Mission and Special Events
The cluster parishes occasionally host regional parish missions at St. Philip Church, drawing Catholics from across the German Acadian Coast.
- Example: 'Behold the Lamb' one-night parish mission with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, hosted at St. Philip Catholic Church
Location and Visiting
St. Philip sits on Louisiana Highway 18 (the historic River Road) in Vacherie, St. James Parish, Louisiana. The parish's mailing address is 1175 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090. The St. Philip Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum is located directly behind the church and contains a partial but well-documented record of parish burials, with photos archived by the German Acadian Coast Historical and Genealogical Society.
- Address: 1175 LA Highway 18, Vacherie, LA 70090
- Phone: (225) 265-4085
- Located at the intersection of LA-18 (River Road) and LA-20
- St. Philip Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum behind the church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father A. Dubourg
Pastor of Our Lady of Peace in Vacherie; encouraged by Archbishop Perche to build the North Vacherie chapel in 1873
- Father Louis Ozanne1877–
First pastor when the mission became an independent parish in 1877
- Father Fontainecirca 1924
Officiated at the joint funeral of the eight 1924 tornado victims
- Father Matthew McCaugheythrough August 2023
Pastor of the Cane Catholics cluster (St. James, St. Philip, Our Lady of Peace); reassigned to St. Theresa of Avila, Gonzales
- Father Michael J. O'Rourke, OPAugust 2023–present
Current Administrator of St. James, St. Philip, and Our Lady of Peace