CHURCH HISTORIES    Terrebonne Parish, LA 

CATHOLIC - St. GREGORY BARBARIGO CATHOLIC CHURCH

Submitted by: Cynthia Daigle
 
Source:  The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press, Houma, LA. 

Last modified: 10 MARCH 2008
 
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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.

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Location in 2007 - 1005 Williams Ave., Houma, LA

The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press
Houma, LA, Oct. 8, 1972, Sunday

ST. GREGORY SERVES LARGE HOUMA AREA

St. Gregory Barbarigo parish is located in a predominantly residential 
section of Houma, just across from the mother church of St. Francis de 
Sales, on the north side of Bayou Terrebonne. The parish was established 
on June 3, 1963, in view of the rapidly expanding area in and around 
Houma. Rev. Francis J. Amedee was appointed as the founding pastor. Under 
his energetic leadership and with the enthusiastic support of the 
parishioners, immediate plans were formulated for the building of a church 
plant at the corner of Williams Avenue and Sixth Street.

It was determined that the new parish would serve the Catholic population 
in the area between the Intracoastal Canal, Bayou Terrebonne, Wright 
Avenue and the Coteau Road. The 1963 census shows 1100 families residing 
in and belonging to the parish. This figure has remained stable and 
substantially the same up to the present.

Until the church was built, Sunday services were held at the Legion Park 
School cafeteria, beginning on June 16, 1963, and for a short while in the 
American Legion Home in 1964.

The church, beautifully designed for the purpose of worship and 
participation in the liturgy, was occupied in mid-August 1964. The School 
opened with four elementary grades on September 1, 1964. The official 
dedication of both buildings took place on September 13, 1964.

The parishioners of St. Gregory Parish have shown their appreciation 
through the subsequent years by their generous support for the operation 
of the parish, the steady debt reduction of the original investment of 
over $600,000.00, and by their personal involvement in parish activities 
and organizations. The School developed into an educational facility for 
approximately 200 students in grades 1 through 7, under the direction of 
the School Sisters of Notre Dame, until their departure in 1971, and 
(then) of competent and qualified lay staff and administration in the 
following years.

The parish priest at the present time are Rev. William Koninkx and Rev. 
Jerry Prinz. Father Koninkx was recently elected as Dean of Terrebonne 
Parish. Father Prinz is the Director of Catholic Charities for the Tri-
Parish area.