St. John the Baptist, Brusly

The history of St. John the Baptist Parish is heavily influenced by the Acadian exiles, who settled the area following their expulsion from Canada in 1755. Throughout the end of the 18th century, the early Acadian settlers in West Baton Rouge Parish were served by priests from St. Joseph Church in Baton Rouge.

At this time, there were no bridges or ferries to cross the river, so the priests arrived in “skiffs.” Since there was no church building, the faithful assembled in local homes, including the home of early church benefactor Jean Baptiste Hebert. Many parishioners of St. John the Baptist trace their ancestry to Mr. Hebert, the son of Acadian exiles.

The first chapel was funded by Mr. Hebert and built on his land in the early 1800s. In 1835, the congregation was incorporated by a special law of the Louisiana legislature under the name l’Eglise Catholique de St. Jean Baptiste d’Ouest Baton Rouge. In 1840, a new brick church was completed on land in front of the present St. John Church. The following year, the first resident pastor was assigned to the parish, Father J. Evrard.

The little brick church on the river served the parishioners of St. John for nearly 50 years. Tragically, the church was destroyed by fire in 1907, which also resulted in the loss of sacramental records. Some of the baptism records, destroyed in the fire, were later re-created through interviews with parishioners whose records were lost. The present St. John Church was rebuilt and completed in 1913 in the Gothic Revival Style; however, there are no buttresses, pinnacles, or tracery. Influences of Victoria style are also seen in the church’s exterior, making the church very uniquely designed. The church was remodeled in the 1950s and again in 1979. In recent years, the Church was again renovated.  

From the early Acadian beginnings to the present, St. John the Baptist has continued to endure and grow. Today it is the spiritual center for the communities of Addis and Brusly.