St. Augustine, New Roads

St. Augustine began in 1922 as a large parish composed mostly of tenant farmers and farm laborers surrounding the town of New Roads. From 1898, the area was visited by Father Pierre Lebeau, a Josephite who was assigned at Petite Prairie approximately 35 miles east of New Roads.

A native of Pointe Coupee parish, Father Lebeau visited monthly and strongly recommended the opening of a mission. In 1922, the Josephites established St. Augustine and assigned Father Edward Harnett as first pastor. The first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Day 1922, in a rented store, the old Simeon Parent store opposite the Texas and Pacific Depot.

In August of 1923, property on the east side of New Roads Street, north of the railroad, was donated by St. Mary Church for the construction of a permanent church. On Christmas Day 1923, Mass was celebrated in the newly built St. Augustine Church.

A school was opened in 1931 and Xavier graduates taught there until 1951. Beginning in 1951, the Holy Spirit Sisters served the needs of the school with over 400 students enrolled. Grades were added each year until a high school was established. The high school merged with Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee in 1971, but the elementary school continued to operate until 1979. The former school was converted into a meeting hall in 1987.

A mission chapel was established at Mix under the name St. Catherine of Siena in 1938. The chapel was used for about ten years before services were discontinued.

In 1994, renovation work on the campus of St. Augustine was completed, including the installation of memorial stained glass windows and newly-refurbished statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. Martin de Porres.

The first African-American Josephite priest from Louisiana was Father John Plantevigne S.S.J., a native of New Roads. Father Joseph Rodney, S.S.J., ordained as a Josephite in 1968, was also born in New Roads.  St. Augustine Parish continues to thrive with a strong and vibrant congregation.