CHURCH HISTORIES    Terrebonne Parish, LA 

CATHOLIC - ST. LAWRENCE 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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CATHOLIC - ST. LAWRENCE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Location in 2007 - 2135 Bull Run Road, Chacahoula, LA

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


ST. LAWRENCE HAS 1858 FOUNDING DATE (picture of church in paper)

Prior to 1858, St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Chacahoula was a mission of 
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Thibodaux. A sufficient number of Catholics 
were living in the area, however, causing Rev. Menard, then pastor of the 
Thibodaux church to recommend that a separate parish be established for 
those residents.

Archbishop Antoine Blanc, therefore, established St. Lawrence as a 
separate church parish in 1858, naming Fr. Perreau as first pastor. In 
1858, Fr. Perreau was killed when he fell from his horse while out on a 
sick call.

Rev. C. Urcun was then appointed pastor in 1860 and attended to St. 
Lawrence as well as the Bayou Boeuf and Morgan City areas.

During the War Between the States, the records of the Bayou Boeuf 
community were burned, which resulted in the communities of Chacahoula, 
Tigerville, Bayou Boeuf and Morgan City once more being reduced to 
missions of St. Joseph in Thibodaux.

In 1871, Fr. Maitre was made pastor of St. Lawrence. He was succeeded by 
Fr. Lapeyrusse in 1873, and then Fr. Chabrier in 1875.

In 1898, Chacahoula and Bayou Boeuf became missions of Morgan City when 
Fr. Souby became pastor of the church in Morgan City. In 1902, Fr. A. 
Maisonneuve was appointed pastor of St. Lawrence.

Fr. Baissac became pastor of St. Lawrence in 1911. Under his 
administration a new church was erected.

In 1914, during the administration of Fr. John F. Basty, St. Agnes 
Catholic Chapel was built at Donner.

Fr. Basty was succeeded by Fr. J.B. Delepin; Fr. F.X. Legare; Fr. Joseph 
M. Higginbotham; Fr. Charles Murphy; and the present pastor, Fr. M.W. 
Finnagin.

On January 1, 1972, the St. Lawrence community will celebrate its 125th 
anniversary.