About St. Pius X · New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Pius X Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Lake Vista / Lake Terrace / Lakeshore neighborhoods of New Orleans, Louisiana, belonging to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Founded in 1953 under the patronage of Pope St. Pius X — whose papal motto 'to renew all things in Christ' remains the parish's central mission — it serves a vibrant faith community that includes St. Pius X Catholic School (K-8), the Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Adoration Chapel, and a wide array of liturgical, formation, and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- St. Pius X (Pope)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Jonathan P. Hemelt, JCL, VF
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
St. Pius X is a vibrant, multi-generational Catholic community in New Orleans' Lake Vista neighborhood anchored by daily Mass, extensive Eucharistic Adoration in the Blessed Seelos Chapel (Mon–Fri 6 AM – 10 PM), a National Blue Ribbon K-8 school, and an unusually broad slate of lay ministries — from St. Vincent de Paul outreach to the Sodality of Mary and a Domestic Church marriage program. With strong clergy leadership, active pastoral and finance councils, and the living mission of 'renewing all things in Christ,' parishioners find deep opportunities for worship, formation, and service.
Mass times at St. Pius X
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM
- Wednesday 6:10 PM – 6:50 PM
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- First Friday 6:00 AM – 6:25 AM (before the 6:30 AM Men's Mass)
Adoration times
- Monday 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Blessed Seelos Adoration Chapel)
- Tuesday 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Blessed Seelos Adoration Chapel)
- Wednesday 6:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Blessed Seelos Adoration Chapel)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Holy Hour (in Church)
- Thursday 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Blessed Seelos Adoration Chapel)
- Friday 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Blessed Seelos Adoration Chapel)
Parish Mission & History
St. Pius X Parish was formed in 1953 from territory belonging to Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Dominic, and St. Frances Cabrini parishes, with Bishop Abel Caillouet celebrating the earliest Sunday Masses at the Lake Vista Community Center. The first church-school-rectory was dedicated on August 16, 1953; the 1963 permanent church — a striking 'in the round' modern building with a soaring articulated roof — was dedicated by Archbishop Philip M. Hannan in 1966. The parish campus survived Hurricane Katrina's 2005 winds (which peeled the copper roof) with no flooding, and the church was rededicated by Archbishop Hannan in December 2007 after repairs.
- Founded 1953; founding pastor Fr. Michael Killoughey
- Officially named 'St. Pius X Parish' May 1954 after canonization
- Permanent church dedicated 1966 by Archbishop Philip M. Hannan
- 1953–2023: 70+ years of continuous parish life in Lake Vista
- Sisters of St. Joseph staffed the school from 1953
Worship & Liturgy
The parish offers a robust schedule of daily and weekend Masses in English, with weekday 8:00 AM Mass Monday through Saturday, additional 6:00 PM Masses on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Lent, and a First-Friday Men's Mass at 6:30 AM. The church's central-altar design — every seat within sixty feet of the altar — supports a deeply communal liturgical experience.
- Weekend: Sat 4:00 PM; Sun 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 5:00 PM
- Weekday: Mon–Sat 8:00 AM
- 6:00 PM Tue/Thu during Lent
- First Friday Men's Mass 6:30 AM
Pastoral Staff & Councils
St. Pius X is led by Very Rev. Jonathan P. Hemelt, JCL, VF, as Pastor, with Fr. Colm Cahill serving as Priest in Residence. Three deacons — Christopher A. Bertucci, Gary Levy, and a retired deacon — assist in liturgical and pastoral ministry. A full staff supports parish operations, finance, sacred music, youth ministry, facilities, and communications, and consultative Pastoral and Finance Councils assist the pastor in planning and stewardship.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Jonathan P. Hemelt, JCL, VF
- Priest in Residence: Fr. Colm Cahill
- Deacons: Christopher A. Bertucci, Gary Levy, one retired
- Director of Finance & HR: Nancy Degan
- Director of Youth Ministry / CYO: Ben Guerra
- Director of Sacred Music: Brad Yoder
- Coordinator of Ministries & Apostolate / Facilities Requests: Amy Barrios
- Church Office Coordinator: Ann Schlater
- Social Media / Website Coordinator: Michele Starnes
- Pastoral Council President: Steven Quaintance; Vice-President: Rene Truxillo
St. Pius X Catholic School
Founded together with the parish in 1953 and originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Pius X Catholic School is a K-8 elementary and middle school located at 6600 Spanish Fort Blvd (adjacent to the church at 6666 Spanish Fort Blvd). It earned Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation in 2006 and was recognized as a No Child Left Behind National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2007. A new school building — housing science, art, music, and resource classrooms plus administrative areas — was dedicated in 2019 through parishioner donations, and the parish website reports record enrollments at the school.
- Opened August 1953, K through 6th grade
- New 1957 school building: 15 classrooms + cafeteria
- 1983 multi-purpose building added library, computer labs, art and science rooms
- 1997 Fr. A. T. Screen Gymnasium dedicated
- 2006 SACS accreditation; 2007 National Blue Ribbon School
- 2019 new school building with science, art, music, and resource classrooms
- Phone: 504-282-2811; email: [email protected]
Parish Ministries & Apostolates
St. Pius X offers a wide range of lay ministries and formation programs in keeping with the parish's mission to renew all things in Christ. These include devotional, service, formation, and fellowship groups spanning all ages and stages of life.
- Adoration
- Adult Faith Opportunities (Thursday Morning Prayer Group, Lord Teach Me to Pray, Joy Book Club)
- Altar Servers (4th grade and older)
- Angel Tree (Christmas outreach to twinning parish)
- Choir
- Holy Name Society
- Hospitality
- Liturgical Art and Environment
- Ministry for Persons with Disabilities
- NAIM — Bridge to NAIM (widows and widowers)
- Prayer for Priests
- Social Concerns
- Sodality of Mary
- St. Vincent de Paul Ministry to the Poor
Marriage & Family Life
A dedicated Marriage and Family Life ministry supports couples and families through retreats, small accountability groups, and formation in the domestic church. Specific programs assist single parents, those healing from divorce or the loss of a spouse, those discerning natural family planning, and grieving parents suffering a miscarriage.
- Domestic Church: retreats and small 'circles' for married couples
- Natural Family Planning
- Clean Heart Online
- Single Parent Families ministry (assistance for those separated, widowed, or divorced)
- Annulment process support
- Miscarriage support through Deacon Gary
Faith Formation & Youth
Faith formation spans cradle to adult: youth are served by the Director of Youth Ministry / CYO and Altar Servers program (open to boys and girls in 4th grade and up), while adults encounter ongoing formation through Lord Teach Me to Pray — a three-part Ignatian prayer series approved by the USCCB — and multiple Adult Faith Groups.
- CYO Youth Ministry (Director: Ben Guerra)
- Altar Servers (boys and girls, 4th grade and older)
- Lord Teach Me to Pray (Ignatian, USCCB-approved)
- Thursday Morning Prayer Group
- Joy Book Club and other Adult Faith Groups
Outreach & Social Concerns
The parish's outreach arm coordinates charitable works, social action, and education, while maintaining a twinning relationship with St. Mary of the Angels Parish. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference provides direct help — food, rent, and utility assistance — along with spiritual guidance to neighbors in need.
- St. Vincent de Paul Ministry to the Poor (food, rent, utilities)
- Angel Tree (Christmas gifts to twinning parish and other organizations)
- Social Concerns Committee (charitable works, social action, twinning)
- Twinning Parish: St. Mary of the Angels
Devotions & Community Life
Devotional life centers on the perpetual Adoration Chapel and weekly Holy Hour, complemented by long-standing parish societies that meet regularly for prayer, formation, and fellowship under the Sodality of Mary, the Holy Name Society, and the Pastoral Council.
- Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Adoration Chapel (daily)
- Wednesday Holy Hour in Church
- Sodality of Mary (prayer, litany, days of reflection)
- Holy Name Society (monthly Mass and breakfast)
- Pastoral and Finance Councils
Visit, Contact, and Getting Involved
Newcomers are warmly welcomed by the Hospitality ministry, which supports newly baptized members and hosts parish socials. The parish office can be reached by phone, email, or in person during listed hours, and prospective parishioners are invited to browse the website for current news, schedules, and ministry sign-ups.
- Address: 6666 Spanish Fort Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124
- Phone: 504-282-3332
- Email: [email protected]
- Emergency Line: 504-500-7531
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM; Fri 8:30 AM – Noon
- Hospitality Ministry for new parishioners
- Parish contact for ministries: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Killoughey1953–1963
Founding pastor; led construction of the first Church-School-Rectory building, dedicated August 16, 1953.
- Monsignor Arthur T. Screen1963–1991
Designed and oversaw the 1963 permanent church (dedicated by Archbishop Hannan in 1966); oversaw the 1983 building expansion.
- Monsignor Clinton J. Doskey1991–~2007
Twenty-year pastorate; greatly expanded parish ministries and created the first Adoration Chapel; Fr. A. T. Screen Gymnasium dedicated in 1997.
- Very Rev. Patrick J. Williams2009–present successor (as Pastor)
Appointed Parochial Vicar August 2007 after rectorship of Notre Dame Seminary; appointed Pastor July 2009. New Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Chapel built during his pastorate; 2019 school building erected.
- Very Rev. Jonathan P. Hemelt, JCL, VFCurrent pastor
Current pastor, listed on parish contacts page.