St. Francis Xavier, Baton Rouge

In 1916, the Congregation of St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church was incorporated, the first African-American Catholic Church in the city. Prior to this time, Catholics of color had worshipped at St. Agnes for two years and, prior to that, at St. Joseph Church in downtown Baton Rouge.

Josephite fathers ministered at St. Francis, a little red brick church which was considered “a beacon of the Lord on the corner of Julia and South 11th Streets.” Construction and land purchase were made possible by dedicated fund raising and many donations, the first of which was from Mother Katharine Drexel, founder and Superior General of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, to insure “a good start.” Holy Family Academy was founded in Baton Rouge in 1881. It closed in 1882 but reopened in 1895. In 1919, its name was changed to St. Francis Xavier School.

The church was officially dedicated in 1919, though sacraments were recorded in 1918. Father Joseph Dube, S.S.J., was the first pastor. The Sisters of the Holy Family staffed the school which was built in 1920 along with a convent. A beautiful set of stained glass windows depicting the history of the Sisters of the Holy Family was installed in the convent chapel. Featured in this glass is Henriette Delille, a free woman of color of African descent who founded the Sisters of the Holy Family in New Orleans in 1842.
The church community prospered and grew and, by 1934, an expansion was begun. Parishioners who were skilled craftsmen built the addition themselves. An elementary school was built in 1921, and a high school was built in 1955.

Unfortunately, only six classes graduated from St. Francis Xavier High School because Interstate 10 carved a path straight through the building. The parish suffered a terrible loss, as not only was the school demolished but the neighborhood was cut in half and the church building heavily damaged by heavy machinery. The process of integration also weakened St. Francis Parish, and many parishioners moved to St. Agnes Parish. Bishop Tracy promised parishioners that, as long as they stayed, St. Francis would stay open. The Golden Anniversary of the church in 1969 rekindled the flame of hard work and sacrifice, and rallied parishioners to defend St. Francis. Bishop Tracy approved construction of a new church building, but he retired prior to its construction. In 1976, St. Francis Xavier Parish finally succeeded in building their new, sturdy church, which stands today as a monument to the hard work and dedication of its parishioners.