St. Mary of False River celebrates bicentennial

On Aug. 13, a large group of faithful gathered under a brilliant blue sky at the adoration chapel of St. Mary of False River Church in New Roads. Even more intense than the summer heat was the people’s expressions of joy and devotion to Mary as they proceeded behind a statue of the Blessed Mother. When they entered the church, those waiting inside rose as the processional hymn “Hail Holy Queen” majestically resounded in the church.

The St. Mary community celebrated its Bicentennial with the Marian procession, a Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and fellowship. The event was hosted to thank Mary for covering the community with her mantle of protection and grace for the past 200 years.

St. Mary of False River is one of the oldest faith communities along the Mississippi River Valley, according to Brian Costello, a historian author, archivist and 11th generation resident of New Roads.

Costello noted that St. Mary was founded in 1823, only one year after the founding of New Roads as a mission of historic St. Francis of Pointe Coupee, the latter having been designated a church parish in 1728. Father Antoine Blanc dedicated the church to the Virgin Mary on land donated by Marie Pourciau that was located on the corner of West and St. Mary streets.



St. Mary was elevated to parish status, independent of St. Francis, in 1865.

Architect Theodore Brune designed the present church, which was built between 1904-1907, Costello said. His original plans called for a spire steeple which was to terminate 134 feet above ground level. However, funds were unavailable due to the financial recession caused by the 1906 and 1907 boll weevil infestation, severe sugar cane freezes in 1910 and 1911 and the parish’s greatest and deadliest natural disaster, the flood of 1912, which claimed at least 65 lives in Pointe Coupee.

“The present St. Mary Church is renowned for its Gothic revival architecture and interior treasures,” said Costello. An author of 19 books, Costello recently published the book, “And I Saw a River: A History of the Catholic Church in Pointe Coupee, St. Mary of False River & St. Francis of Pointe Coupee.”

St. Mary’s most noted late parishioner is Dame Corrinne “Lindy” Claiborne Boggs (1916-2013), a charismatic and tireless advocate of equal rights as a United States Representative and United States Ambassador to the Holy See, according to Costello.
“She is Pointe Coupee’s most decorated layperson, having been invested in five orders of charitable chivalry and in spiritual life was an Oblate (Third Order member) of the Redemptorist Order,” Costello said. “Having received all of her major sacraments at St. Mary, she is buried in the ancestral family tomb in St. Mary Cemetery.”

Boggs visited St. Mary cemetery every year for All Saints Day because of she had an infant son buried there.


In his books, Costello writes about the vibrant faith and resilience of the St. Mary and Pointe Coupee community. During the bicentennial Mass, celebrant Bishop Michael G. Duca, who was joined at the altar by St. Mary Pastor Father Chris Decker and priests throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge with St. Mary connections, highlighted some of these points.

In his homily, Bishop Duca talked about the work of the missionaries, including Spanish, Capuchins and Jesuits, who came and formed churches in the Pointe Coupee area. He noted that in the Bible, whenever the early church fathers would get to various destinations where God told them to go, they built an altar.

Bishop Duca said, “To build an altar means, ‘We are creating a new life here in right order. The altar will stand at the center of our lives as our relationship with God and will stand at the center of our lives and all of us who stand at the altar. What we build will be good, it will be holy, it will be the will of God.’ ”

The bishop urged attendees to remember that the people who came to Pointe Coupee built an altar and that should stand as a source of strength.

“Today, let us never forget that it’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears, a lot of lives given in service of the church, a lot of grit to stay here and build families here,” said Bishop Duca. “But it was built by men and women of faith by their love of Jesus Christ and the Eucharist and their commitment to their Catholic faith. Let us pray that will be our strength as we go into the future.”

Many of St. Mary’s parishioners said the church stands as a beacon of faith for local residents as well as those who have gone on to live and minister in other parts of the world.

Life-long New Roads resident John Wayne Jewell, 80, was baptized by Father John Janssen, a Dutch priest and has been tied to the church ever since.

Sacred to death when he made his first confession, Wayne received all his sacraments at St. Mary. He was an altar boy, beginning in third grade, learning Latin responses, though high school and was a commentator for many years. He also served as one of two lay trustees of the church for over 40 years.

“The love for my parish drew me to all of these,” said Wayne.

He added, “All parishioners are within close proximity and most personally know one another and our school (Catholic of Ponte Coupee) which has been serving our parish and community since 1904.”

Cathie Crochet, who served St. Mary as an administrative assistant for 20 years, a member of the liturgy committee for many years and a choir member, said the community is proud and conscious of its history.  

There’s also a cooperative spirit between St. Mary and the other Catholic churches in Pointe Coupee, said Crochet.

“You have to rely on your faith and those strong bonds with other people to get you through the hard times,” said Crochet.

Bourg Langlois said he is a “New Roadian by birth and choice.” He has served on the St. Mary building committee, cemetery committee and various other committees over the years. He has worked alongside pastors during renovation projects and in restoring St. Mary cemetery.

“I’ve watched all the different priests going and coming and each one has brought something to the table,” said Langlois.

He emphasized St. Mary’s vibrancy stems from the optimism it projects and its educational and catechetical outreach. Once people come in the church’s doors, they feel they are “home.”

“A lot of it is due to the fact that when you come into the church you feel welcome … everyone is equal in the eyes of God,” said Langlois.

He added, “There’s been a lot of modernization. But what keeps people coming back is there’s no mistaken in Mary … it’s kept that sense that the walls have been soaked up with a lot of prayer.”



Photos by Debbie Shelley and historical photo provided by Brian Costello