St. John the Evangelist, Prairieville

The earliest history of the community dates to 1785 when a cemetery was established in what is now Prairieville. The cemetery was nonsectarian, but because the area was predominantly Catholic a mission was established near the cemetery to serve the people of East Ascension Parish.

The Lazarist Fathers, based at Ascension of Our Lord Church in Donaldsonville, served La Prairie Mission, as well as missions in Cornerview and St. Amant. After the Civil War, the mission was served by the new parish Sacred Heart at Cornerview.

In the midst of the Civil War, Archbishop Odin erected the parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of New River, comprising all of Ascension Parish east of the Mississippi, except for the river front plantations. This vast territory was served by two young priests, who traveled by buggy, boat or horseback to visit the missions under their care, including the chapel built at La Prairie. The chapel, built near the cemetery between 1870 and 1890, was placed under the invocation of Our Lady of Sorrows. At that time, many residents along New River brought their dead to Prairieville for burial.

In 1913, the mission community decided to build a new chapel. On September 1, 1919, the parish of St. John the Evangelist was established by Archbishop Shaw, and Father Ernest D. Miller was assigned as first pastor. St. John the Evangelist started its life as a parish with a brand new church, built under the direction of Mr. Gaudens Pousson, who was famous for his churches throughout Louisiana.

Sadly, the beloved church burned to the ground on July 14, 1968, nearly 50 years after its dedication. During a CYO summer gathering, a lightning bolt reduced the church to ashes. The pastor and parishioners quickly rallied and by February 1970, a new church was completed. To accommodate the rapid growth of the community, the church was expanded and renovated in 2000.

St. John the Evangelist is a vibrant parish with dedicated and involved pastors and parishioners, who work together to minister not only to the spiritual needs of the parish, but to social and emotional needs as well.