Little Story of French Settlement, Livingston Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue

Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives



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From the French Settlement Historical Register, published by the French Settlement
Historical Society, French Settlement, Louisiana 70733. The LaGenWeb Archives thanks 
them for contributing this information.

Vol. 5, December 1980

Originally submitted to the FSHR by Mercy Cambre.

     About the establishment of the church here, it was built

in the year 1889 according to the souvenirs of the oldest ones

here.  No record states the exact date of its completion nor

its blessing.

     Before this church, there was, about 100 years ago, a chapel

built not on the site of this present church - but near the old

cemetery.  Missionary priests attended to the community from time

to time but there was no resident-priest in the section.  This

first chapel was made mostly of dirt and wood and was small.  It

was replaced later by a larger one, which did not last very long.

A hurricane blew it down.  This second chapel was located down

the road toward the ferry.  A piece of land had to be donated to

build the chapel there.  But after it had been destroyed, it was

decided to change the location of the chapel in order to accommo-

date more people - and have the church in the center of the town.

The records of this parish date back to 1839 but - there has been

a priest resident here only since the building of this present

church took place in 1889.

     On Feb. 16, 1922, Archibishop J.W. Shaw erected and

established the Parish of St. Joseph French Settlement, giving

the boundaries of it.  These records are kept here, and they are

about the only sure documents we can depend on.  As for the rest 

of the story of this parish none has left anything definite.  The

Baptismal records are our only guides.

                Lucien Begin O.M.I.
                Oct. 9 - 1944

NOTE: This article by Father Begin was found in the records of St. Joseph Catholic
Church French Settlement, La.

Copied by Mercy Cambre 1976