About St. Winifred · Effie, Louisiana
St. Winifred Chapel is a small Catholic mission chapel located in the rural community of Effie, Louisiana, in Avoyelles Parish. It is not a standalone parish but a mission chapel of St. John the Baptist Church in nearby Deville, which was established in 1879 and serves as the mother church for the surrounding rural communities. St. Winifred Chapel provides weekly Saturday Vigil Mass for the Catholic faithful in the Effie area, with confessions offered 30 minutes before Mass. The chapel is listed in the Diocese of Alexandria's official directory under the Central Deanery and serves the local rural community of Effie along with another mission, St. John the Baptist Mission in Moncla.
- Patron
- St. Winifred (Saint Winifred of Wales)
- Rector
- Rev. Albi Mulloth, JCL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Alexandria (Louisiana)
Why belong here
St. Winifred Chapel offers a quiet, rural worship space for Catholics in the Effie area who would otherwise have to travel to attend Mass. As a mission of the long-established St. John the Baptist Church in Deville (founded 1879), the chapel is served by an experienced pastor and connected to a broader Catholic community with active faith formation, music, and devotional life. The Saturday Vigil Mass schedule makes it convenient for working families and others who cannot attend Sunday services elsewhere. The chapel's simple, country-roadside setting offers a traditional, intimate Catholic worship experience in central Louisiana.
Mass times at St. Winifred
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (30 minutes before Mass)
About St. Winifred Chapel
St. Winifred Chapel is a small Catholic mission chapel in Effie, Louisiana, in the rural Avoyelles/central Louisiana region. It is administered as a mission of St. John the Baptist Church in nearby Deville. The chapel's primary role is to bring the Mass and sacraments to the Catholic faithful living in and around Effie, who would otherwise have to travel to the mother parish for worship. The chapel is listed in the official Diocese of Alexandria directory under the Central Deanery and serves alongside another mission, St. John the Baptist Mission in Moncla.
- Type: Mission Chapel
- Diocese: Diocese of Alexandria (Louisiana)
- Deanery: Central
- Mother Parish: St. John the Baptist Church, Deville
- Sister Mission: St. John the Baptist Mission, Moncla
Clergy & Staff
Because St. Winifred is a mission chapel, its priest is the pastor of the mother parish, St. John the Baptist Church in Deville. Parishioners of the chapel can therefore rely on the larger parish staff of St. John the Baptist for faith formation, music, sacraments, and administrative support.
- Rev. Albi Mulloth, JCL — Pastor
- Sheri Paul — Parish Manager (at St. John the Baptist, Deville)
- Elizabeth Alford — CCD/Religious Education (at St. John the Baptist, Deville)
- Laura Marks — CCD/Religious Education (at St. John the Baptist, Deville)
- Helen Beran — Music Director (at St. John the Baptist, Deville)
Mother Parish — St. John the Baptist, Deville
St. John the Baptist Church in Deville is the parish that oversees St. Winifred Chapel. Established in 1879, it is one of the older Catholic parishes in central Louisiana. According to local historical records, after the population shifted from the area of the 'Old Catholic Church' to the Big Island area, a meeting was held in the home of Michel Deville, where pledges were received for the construction of a new church. Mr. Broullette built the church in 1880 on land donated by John Hanlin, an Episcopalian. Hanlin became the first person buried in the new cemetery, which still stands behind the present church.
- Established: 1879
- Address: 1024 Hwy 1207, Deville, LA 71328
- Mailing: P.O. Box 7, Deville, LA 71328-0007
- Phone: (318) 466-5587
- Office Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Sunday Masses: 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
- Weekday Masses: Tuesday-Friday (except First Fridays) at 8:00 a.m.; Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
- First Friday: 5:30 p.m. Mass followed by Adoration 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Sister Mission — St. John the Baptist, Moncla
St. John the Baptist Mission in Moncla is the other rural mission of the Deville parish, alongside St. Winifred Chapel. It offers Sunday Mass to the faithful in the Moncla area.
- Address: 334 Community Center Rd., Moncla, LA 71351
- Sunday Mass: 10:30 a.m.
- Confession: 30 minutes before Mass
Patron Saint — St. Winifred of Wales
St. Winifred (Welsh: Gwenfrewi) was a 7th-century Welsh saint, an abbess who is the patron saint of virgins and is venerated for her purity, courage, and miraculous well at Holywell. Her feast day is November 3 in the Roman Catholic calendar. Churches bearing her name are found particularly in Wales, England, and in Catholic communities with strong Celtic heritage.
- Feast Day: November 3
- Patronage: Patron saint of virgins; venerated in Wales and at Holywell
- Era: 7th century
Diocese of Alexandria
St. Winifred Chapel belongs to the Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana, a Roman Catholic diocese serving the central part of the state. The diocese was established in 1910 and its cathedral is the Cathedral of the Holy Savior in Pineville. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
- Diocese: Diocese of Alexandria
- Central Deanery
- Mother See: Archdiocese of New Orleans
Visit, Location & Contact
St. Winifred Chapel is located on the rural Highway 107 in Effie, Louisiana. Because the chapel is a small mission, visitors and parishioners with questions about Mass, confession, baptisms, weddings, or funerals are encouraged to contact the parish office at St. John the Baptist Church in Deville using the phone number listed.
- Address: 2644 Hwy 107, Effie, LA 71323
- Phone (Parish Office): (318) 466-5587
- Driving Directions: North of the junction of Hwy. 115 with Hwy. 107
- Website: diocesealex.org/church/st-winifred-chapel/