About St. Theresa of the Child Jesus · Abbeville, Louisiana
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Abbeville, Louisiana, situated in the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. The parish serves both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics in Vermilion Parish from its worship site at 101 N. Leonard Street, offering three Sunday Masses (two in English, one in Spanish), a Saturday Vigil, and daily Mass Tuesday through Friday. Under the pastoral care of Fr. François Sainte-Marie, the community is known for its active liturgical, faith-formation, pro-life, and apostolic ministries, along with a perpetual Adoration Chapel known as the Little Flower.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (St. Thérèse of Lisieux, 'The Little Flower')
- Rector
- Rev. François Sainte-Marie
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Why belong here
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus is a welcoming, bilingual parish that actively serves both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics in Abbeville and Vermilion Parish. Families can grow in faith through religious education, Vacation Bible School, the RCIA process, youth ministry, and a wide variety of small groups including the Come Lord Jesus Scripture study (offered in English and Spanish) and the Legion of Mary. Worship is enriched by a dedicated Music Ministry, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, ushers, altar servers, and a sacristan team, while a perpetual Adoration Chapel (the Little Flower) gives parishioners an ongoing opportunity for prayer. Outreach such as the Pro-Life Apostolate, Homebound Ministers, Knights of Columbus, and Knights of Peter Claver makes the parish an active presence in the wider community.
Mass times at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- Tuesday: 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM (15 minutes before weekday Mass)
- Wednesday: 11:45 AM – 12:00 PM (15 minutes before noon Mass)
- Wednesday: 4:40 PM – 4:55 PM (before Spanish 6:30 PM Mass)
- Thursday: 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM (15 minutes before weekday Mass)
- Friday: 11:45 AM – 12:00 PM (15 minutes before noon Mass)
- Sunday: 11:40 AM – 11:55 AM (before noon Spanish Mass)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel (Little Flower): Eucharist exposed for adoration 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for a few closures. All are invited to sign up for one hour a week to sit with the Lord.
Welcome to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Abbeville, Louisiana, belonging to the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. The parish gathers English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics from Abbeville and the surrounding Vermilion Parish area for daily Mass, three Sunday Masses, and a Saturday Vigil, along with confession, perpetual adoration, and an extensive program of ministries and small groups. The parish office (Pastoral Center) is open during regular hours for registration and inquiries.
- Mailing address: PO Box 809, Abbeville, LA 70511
- Office phone: (337) 893-5631
- Fax: (337) 893-9168
- Emergency line (Pastor): 337-652-7867
Pastoral Staff
The parish is led by its pastor with the support of an Executive Pastoral Assistant and a small staff responsible for faith formation, the bulletin, the Spanish-language community, audio/video, and music. The published staff listing reflects the parish's bilingual character, with dedicated Spanish liaison and Cantor/Musician roles.
- Rev. François Sainte-Marie — Pastor
- Loretta Gayneaux — Executive Pastoral Assistant (Emergency phone: 337-652-7867)
- Dodi Perry — DRE / Receptionist / Pro-life Coordinator
- Cristina LeBlanc — Bulletin Assistant
- Reyna Torres — Spanish Liaison
- Valeria Torres — Audio/Video
- Allison Bourque — Cantor/Musician
Prayer & Devotional Life
Beyond Mass and adoration, the parish nurtures prayer through a weekly rosary in the Church Library, a monthly family rosary (Children of Mary), and a parish chapter of the Legion of Mary. The Come Lord Jesus Scripture Study meets in several small groups throughout the week, including a Spanish-language group.
- Praying the Rosary — Mondays at 5:45 PM in the Church Library; Coordinator: Jenni Boudreaux (893-5962)
- Children of Mary — Rosary on the 1st Saturday of each month; Coordinator: Michelle Abshire (337-517-6775)
- Legion of Mary — Wednesdays at 6:15 PM in the Pastoral Center office; Contact: Shelly Picard (337-281-1267)
- Come Lord Jesus Scripture Study — groups meet on Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, Wednesday evening (in Spanish), and Sunday evening
Liturgical Ministries
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus offers a full range of liturgical ministries in which parishioners of all ages may serve. Both children's and adult altar server teams are active, supported by sacristans, ushers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, and a music ministry with a Cantor/Musician on staff. The Ladies Altar Society cares for the sanctuary linens and vessels, while a Decorations committee prepares the worship space for the major liturgical seasons.
- Altar Servers (Children) — Dodi Fontenot (337-257-2941)
- Altar Servers (Adults) — Doug Romero (337-772-8442)
- Sacristan — Dean Broussard (337-893-2062)
- Ushers — Clarence Taylor (337-893-8837)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — Laurie Lee Domingue (337-652-4698)
- Reader/Lector — proclaims the Sacred Word at Mass and special liturgies
- Music Ministry — leads and enriches Mass at the weekend and special celebrations
- Ladies Altar Society — Faye Broussard (337-893-8637)
- Decorations — interior decorators, gardeners, and floral arrangers
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish supports faith formation for children and adults through religious education classes, Vacation Bible School, and the RCIA process for adults wishing to become Catholic. Catechists share their own faith journey with young people, and Vacation Bible School brings Bible stories to life during a week in summer with stories, music, crafts, skits, and classroom experiences.
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Coordinator: Paul Trahan (337-600-9099)
- Catechist — shares faith with young people
- Religious Education — for children
- Vacation Bible School — held one week during summer; volunteers needed
- Youth Ministry — empowers young disciples and fosters personal/spiritual growth
Service & Outreach Ministries
Outreach to those in need — and within the parish community itself — is carried out through dedicated service ministries. The parish is also home to local councils of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of Peter Claver, as well as a Spanish-language Council of the Knights of Columbus named Virgen de Guadalupe.
- Homebound Ministers — bring Communion to homebound, hospital, and nursing home parishioners
- Hispanic Ministries — Coordinator: Fr. François Sainte-Marie (337-261-5542)
- Pro-Life Apostolate — Coordinator: Faye Broussard (337-652-8638); works to respect, protect, and serve life from conception to natural death
- Knights of Columbus / Knights of Peter Claver — Contact: Odale Darby (337-893-7965)
- Knights of Columbus Virgen de Guadalupe — Contact: Albert Malmberg (337-967-1627)
- Office Volunteers — assist with phones, bulletins, and simple office duties
Getting Involved & New Parishioners
The parish invites newcomers and those interested in being added to the parish mailing list to register at the Pastoral Center Office during regular hours. There are many ways to participate, from liturgical service to prayer groups, faith formation, and outreach. Pastoral Messages from the Holy Father, the Bishop, and the Pastor are available on the parish website.
- Parish registration at the Pastoral Center Office during regular hours
- Pastoral Council — listed under Parish Information
- Financial & Management Commission — listed under Parish Information
- Parish Guidelines & Forms — under Parish Information
- Pastoral Messages — Holy Father's, Bishop's, and Pastor's Message