CHURCH HISTORIES Terrebonne Parish, LA CATHOLIC - ST. ELOI CATHOLIC CHURCH Submitted by: Cynthia Daigle Source: The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press, Houma, LA. Last modified: 10 MARCH 2008 ================================================== NOTE: Most histories were submitted by the church to the Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press as part of the newspapers Sesquicentennial Edition. Not all churches submitted histories. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ================================================== CATHOLIC - ST. ELOI CATHOLIC CHURCH Location in 2007 - 1335 Bayou Dularge Rd., Theriot, LA The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press Houma, LA, Oct. 8, 1972, Sunday ST. ELOI IS AN ELDER CHILD OF ST. FRANCIS By Mary Tracy Duplantis Authors: St. Eloi, Souvenir Program Book (dedication of new church), and Misses Ollie and Florence Theriot. St. Eloi Church on Bayou du Large is one of the eldest daughters of the Mother Church, St. Francis de Sales, in Terrebonne Parish. The original church was "the Impossible Dream" (come true) of that indomitable couple, Michael Eloi Theriot and his spouse, Marie Seraphine Thibodaux. These pioneers, from St. James Parish, established the first plantation on Bayou du Large. It was they who gave the land for a church and cemetery. It is to be noted that the "daughter parish" has had more pastors then the Mother Church. In chronological order these were: 1875, Rev. Jean Geoffray; 1882, Rev. Joseph Constarot; 1890, Rev. J.F. Raymond; 1893, Rev. Pierre M. Bedell; 1894, Rev. Leon Ledue; 1897, Rev. Jerome Drolet; 1898, Rev. L.H. L'Anglaie; 1905, Rev. J. Barbe; 1913, Rev. Fred Bosch; 1916, Rev. George Andree; 1920, Rev. Joseph Boudreaux; 1926, Rev. Felix Miller; 1938, L. Abel Caillouet (later consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans); 1944, Rev. Arthur Brou; 1949, Rev. Preston Marquette; 1950, Roland Boudreaux; 1952, Rev. Preston Marquette returned from service in the Armed Forces, as chaplain; 1954, Rev. F.J. Pooley; 1958, Rev. Carter Richaud; 1963, Rev. Cecil Rodrigue; 1965, Rev. William Grangell, CSsR; 1966, Carmell Grech; and on All Saints Day, 1969, incumbent, became pastor. St. Eloi's new church, dedicated on January 9, 1972 has been described as 'a modern jewel'. Assistant pastors who have served at St. Eloi are: Rev. John A. Weber, 1945; Rev. Jerome Roppola, 42-49; Rev. George Landry, 50-51; Rev. Francis Amedee, 1951; and Rev. H.C. Daigle, 1951. The church was named for the patron saint of Mr. Michael Eloi Theriot, who spear-headed the founding of the parish. He was the grandfather of Miss America Theriot, long-time member of the St. Francis Choir and Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as a catechist. One of his great granddaughters is Miss Ollie Theriot, a former member of the St. Francis faculty, and a former catechist. St. Eloi has the distinction of being the first Catholic parish to participate in an Ecumenical Blessing of a Fishing Fleet - with St. Andrew's Episcopal Mission. The unprecedented even took place on Sunday, August 13th.