200 Year History

Parish History

The Catholic Church in Louisiana dates back to the mid 17th century when missionaries accompanied French expeditions along the Mississippi River and the Louisiana Gulf Coast. French colonists began to arrive in the region and  church parishes were established in St. Martin Poste des Attakapas in 1756 and la Poste des Opelousas in 1776. On the banks of  the Vermilion River a small trading community called the Manchac Trading Post was established at the Pinhook (Pinsahuk)Bridge. This post grew into a small settlement which attracted French trappers and British traders. This community was called Vermilionville and began to flourish in this newly colonized region. 

Catholic Church parishes were soon established in the Attakapas area and many were served by Father Michel Bernard Barrière, a missionary priest from Bordeaux, France who came to the New World to escape persecution during the French Revolution. Father Barrière travelled throughout the Attakapas region, often on horseback or pirogue, to celebrate masses and perform sacraments of marriage and baptism for the rural residents. Church records indicate that at Vermilionville he often celebrated these at the home of Jean Mouton, a refugee of the Acadian Exile who, through land grants from Spain, had become a substantial landholder.

By the early 19th century as part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the population of Vermilionville numbered 4000 souls, mostly French Catholics. The need for a Catholic Church to serve the faithful of Vermilionville became apparent. In March of 1821, Jean Mouton donated 5.4 arpents for a small chapel to serve the residents of Vermilionville. This church was named Saint Jean du Vermilion and the new church parish was consecrated on December 20, 1821. Bishop duBourg appointed Fr. Barrière the first pastor of St. Jean. The boundaries of the new parish extended west to the Mermentau river, east to the Atchafalaya river, north from boundary at the St. Charles parish in Grand Coteau, and south to the Gulf of Mexico. 

The courthouse for the city of Lafayette was erected facing the Cathedral during this time period and the town continued to grow. After the initial establishment of the parish, a new church was built in the 1850s under the direction of Father Antoine Mégret, also known as Abbé Megret, the founder of St. Mary Magdalen church parish in Abbeville. 

In 1846, at the request of Fr. Mégret, The Sisters of Mount Carmel arrived from New Orleans to establish a mission in Vermilionville. The Convent of All Grace was opened for girls. Later it was called Mount Carmel Convent.

Vermilionville was touched by the Civil War and experienced Union occupation early on during the war years. During occupation, the church was damaged considerably when Union soldiers under General Weitzel camped in and around it. Federal troops used the steeple platform as a signal and lookout tower. 

A new church was built on the grounds but was damaged during a strong tropical storm in 1871. Father Ernest Forge, pastor of St. Jean from 1881-1906, spearheaded an extensive remodel effort including, electric lights, stained glass windows, and a new Italian marble altar. Fr. Forge also enlarged the church and added transepts to accommodate the African American community. In 1881 this same community donated a new Church bell weighing 3000 pounds installed in the large Flemish tower. Mount Carmel Convent graduated its first class of girls in 1880. 

In 1884 Vermilionville was renamed Lafayette after Marquis de Lafayette, a French Revolutionary War hero, and then entered a period of economic growth. The parish life of Saint Jean L’evangeliste reflected this growth. Father Forge, an avid gardener, planted rows upon rows of flowers in front of the church. Lafayette was nicknamed, The City of Flowers. 

The present church structure was built in 1916 under the direction of Monsignor William Joseph Teurlings from Holland. Teurlings recognized the need for a larger and stronger church structure to accommodate the growing population of Lafayette. He commissioned E.A. Cousin of Holland drew up the plans for the church and hired Eugene Guillot as the contractor. 

Saint John the Evangelist was elevated to the status of a Cathedral in 1918 when the Diocese of Lafayette was created from the Diocese of New Orleans. Breaux Bridge, Louisiana native Rev. Jules Benjamin Jeanmard was appointed as Lafayette’s first bishop. Msgr. Teurlings continued on as rector of the Cathedral. The Teurlings era saw much growth in both the parish life and in education. In 1919, Msgr Teurlings opened up Cathedral School for boys in 1919. 

Since the creation of the new diocese, the story of the Diocese of Lafayette and of the Church parish are commingled. The Bishop of the Diocese is the pastor of the Cathedral while rectors have managed the parish over the past 100 years. L'évêché, once home of the bishop and the diocesan offices, now houses the parish priests. The Cathedral Center, once known as the Chancery office for the diocese, is now the central business office for the parish. 

In 1967 Mount Carmel High School and Cathedral High School consolidated, although the two schools maintained their campuses. In 1982  Cathedral-Carmel school for grades k-8 was established on St. John street and grades 9-12 relocated to the newly constructed Saint Thomas Moore High School. 

  Fr. Anthony Francis Isenberg became pastor of the Cathedral in 1929. The final beautification of the Cathedral took place during his tenure including marble wainscotting in the sanctuary and the large marble altar that was gifted from Bishop Jeanmard. Fr, Isenberg paid off the Cathedral’s building debt as well, a huge feat during the Great Depression years. He also oversaw the opening of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in 1949.

In 1967 Mount Carmel High School and Cathedral High School consolidated, although the two schools maintained their campuses. In 1982  Cathedral-Carmel school for grades k-8 was established on St. John street and grades 9-12 relocated to the newly constructed Saint Thomas Moore High School. 

Major renovations to the Cathedral were completed in 1984.  A period of growth and renaissance of spirit in the parish followed. Father Glenn Provost was appointed pastor of the Cathedral in 1985 and instituted several new parish programs. The parish celebrated its 175th anniversary during his time as rector. 

Monsignor Keith Derouen became rector of the Cathedral in 1998. During his tenure, several building and renovation  projects were completed. The parish information was also updated during his time at Cathedral. The cemetery was thoroughly mapped and the sacramental records and archives were digitized. 

Fr. Chester Arceneaux was installed as rector of the Cathedral in June 2010. Fr. Arceneaux has overseen several building projects on the Cathedral campus including renovations to the Youth Center and Spirituality Center, several new buildings at the Cathedral-Carmel school campus, renovations to the Chapel of the Beloved Disciple. Fr. Arceneaux also added several improvements to the cemetery with new mausoleums and a chapel. The Cathedral Hall, a space for the growing parish to gather in fellowship, was completed in 2016. Fr. Arceneaux has also built upon the traditions of the parish spiritually. The parish census has almost doubled with 1600 families added since 2010. 

Currently, Fr. Arceneaux shepherds 2816 families. As the parish continues to grow into the 21st century, so does the faith of the community it rises above.  Since its establishment in 1821, the parish of Saint John the Evangelist has been the spiritual hub for Downtown and Lafayette. The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist continues to be the source of the pulse of faith for Acadiana.