Our History
A Legacy of Faith. A Home for Generations.
For more than a century, the story of St. Genevieve Catholic Church has been shaped by faith, sacrifice, Catholic education, and generations of parishioners who built a spiritual home for those who would follow them.
From the missionary priest whose vision helped establish the parish to the church, school, ministries, and community that continue that mission today, the story of St. Genevieve is one of faith taking root and being passed from one generation to the next.
FOUNDING FATHER
Msgr. William J. Teurlings
The story of St. Genevieve begins with a Dutch missionary priest whose ministry would leave a lasting mark on the Catholic Church in Lafayette.
William Teurlings was born January 27, 1872, in Tilburg, Holland. Called to the priesthood at a young age, he studied philosophy and theology at the American College in Louvain, Belgium, before volunteering for missionary service in Louisiana. At age 22, he was ordained by Archbishop Francis Janssens of New Orleans.
His early priesthood was truly missionary. After serving at St. Mary Magdalen in Abbeville, Fr. Teurlings was assigned an enormous territory stretching approximately 120 miles along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. With no established road system, he traveled on horseback to bring the Mass and Sacraments to scattered Catholic communities.
His ministry later took him to Washington, Louisiana, where he established additional mission chapels and helped bring Catholic education to the community.
Those years formed the missionary priest who would eventually come to Lafayette—and whose vision would help establish St. Genevieve.
THE FOUNDING PARISH
A New Catholic Community Takes Root
1906 →
In 1906, Fr. Teurlings was called to Lafayette to serve as pastor of St. John the Evangelist. During his years there, Lafayette grew rapidly, and so did its Catholic population. By the 1920s, getting across the expanding city for Sunday Mass had become increasingly difficult for many families, particularly when passing trains blocked travel across the railroad.
Fr. Teurlings recognized the need for another place of worship.
Property owned by Miss Edvigne DeClouet provided the location, while Henry Lastrapes made a generous $15,000 gift toward the establishment of a new chapel. His request was simple: that the church be named in honor of his mother,
Genevieve.
1925 →
Bishop Jules Jeanmard approved the plan, and on June 25, 1925, he blessed the new Chapel of St. Genevieve. Lafayette now had its third Catholic church.
The community quickly embraced its new spiritual home. Regular liturgies were celebrated, parish organizations formed, and the faithful rallied around the young chapel.
1929 →
Four years later, Msgr. Teurlings asked to leave his established position at the Cathedral and shepherd the community he had helped create. On February 1, 1929, he became the first pastor of St. Genevieve Catholic Church.
Permanent Roots
Building a Parish for Generations
With St. Genevieve established as an independent parish, Msgr. Teurlings turned his attention toward building a community that could serve generations to come.
Parish organizations were established, church debt was steadily eliminated during the difficult years of the Great Depression, and in 1938, the east and west wings were added to the church, expanding the building to essentially its present form.
The parish continued to grow beyond the church walls. Property was purchased for what would become Calvary Cemetery. During World War II, parishioners built the Our Lady of Lourdes grotto as a prayerful tribute to those serving in the armed forces. St. Patrick and St. Leo the Great chapels were also established as the Catholic population continued to expand.
One of Msgr. Teurlings’ most enduring dreams was Catholic education.
In 1945, St. Genevieve School opened its doors, beginning a relationship between parish and school that remains central to the mission of St. Genevieve today. A new school building followed in 1951, and parishioners worked together through fundraisers, volunteer labor, and countless acts of generosity to strengthen both school and parish life.
By the time Msgr. Teurlings died on December 28, 1957, the roots he had planted extended far beyond a single church building. His legacy lived in the parish, its schools, its families, and the Catholic institutions that grew from his vision.
Priest Shepherds
Generations of Faithful Leadership
Following the death of Msgr. Teurlings, generations of priests continued the work he began, each helping guide St. Genevieve through new seasons of parish life.
Their leadership accompanied continued growth in Catholic education, parish facilities, ministries, and service. Teurlings Catholic High School was established at its present location; the parish rectory was replaced; Mystical Rose Hall was constructed; St. Genevieve Middle School was developed; and generations of parishioners continued to receive the Sacraments and grow in faith under the care of their pastors.
Yet the history of St. Genevieve has never been written by its priests alone. Religious sisters, deacons, seminarians, teachers, parish staff, ministry leaders, volunteers, and countless parishioners have each shared in building the life of this parish.
Their service—some remembered in parish records and some known only to God—is part of the inheritance entrusted to St. Genevieve today.
Generations of Faithful Shepherds
| Msgr. William Teurlings | Feb 1, 1929-Oct 1, 1954 | 1st Pastor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rev. Oscar Chauvin | Feb 25, 1929-June 1930 | Associate | |
| Rev. Herman Patzlet, SVD | 1933-1935 | Assisted Msgr. Teurlings | |
| Jesuit Fathers | 1937-1944;1947 | Assisted Msgr. Teurlings -noted on Annual Reports | |
| Rev. Adrian Van Hal | 1941 | Associate | |
| Rev. Charles Fortier | 4/28/1945-4/20/1949 | Associate | |
| Rev. Peter Blom | 7/1/1949-9/21/1952 | Associate | |
| Rev. John Windt | Dec 1949-Sept 1954 | Associate | |
| Rev. Charles Fortier | 10/1/1954-6/6/1965 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Leslie Prescott | 6/19/1954-9/1/1955 | Associate | |
| Rev. Colom Rafferty, SSC | 1954 | Assisted Msgr. Teurlings -noted on Annual Reports | actual appt is to Fatima, Laf |
| Rev. Guy Lemoine | June 1, 1956-June 1961 | Associate | |
| Rev. Bede Becnel, OSB | 6/16/1955-6/29/1957 | Associate | |
| Rev. Desmond Quinn, SSC | 9/7/1955-6/1/1956 | Associate | name does not appear 1956 report |
| Rev. Msgr. Rudolph Arlanti | 6/16/1965-6/15/1967 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Alexander Sigur | 6/15/1967-7/1/1970 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Aloysius Van Buijtenen | 6/29/1957-6/21/1958 | Associate | |
| Rev. John de Leeuw | 6/21/1958-3/20/1963 | Associate | |
| Rev. Gene Lafleur | 6/23/1961-6/29/1964 | Associate | |
| Rev. Marcel Gaudet | 6/15/1963-1/15/1966 | Associate | |
| Rev. Rosaire Veilleux | 6/15/1963-10/25/1969 | Associate | |
| Rev. Robert Landry | 6/15/1965-6/15/1967 | Associate | |
| Rev. Frederick Swenson | 6/15/1967-6/18/1970 | Associate | |
| Rev. Charles Marin | 6/18/1970-9/17/1973 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Conley Bertrand | 10/25/1969-8/5/1970 | Associate | |
| Rev. Henry Van Boxel | 1969 | Residence | name appears on 1969 Annual Report |
| Rev. Charles Edgar Marin | June 18, 1970-Sept 1973 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Adrian Aycock | 6/18/1970-1/18/1971 | Associate | |
| Rev. Hilary Zimmerman | 8/5/1970-9/15/1973 | Associate | |
| Rev. Rex Broussard | 1/20/1971-1974 | Associate | |
| Rev. Mr. John Stanley Boudreaux | Jan 10, 1973-June 2, 1973 | Deacon | |
| Rev. Jerome Frey | 6/2/1973-6/2/1974 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Jerome Frey | 1973-1977 | Pastor and/or Associate | |
| Rev. Mr. Carey Landry | 7/19/1971-1/5/1972 | Transitional Deacon | |
| Rev. Carey Landry | 1/5/1972-3/25/1975 | Associate | |
| Rev. Philip Brault | 6/26/1974 | Residence | |
| Rev. Jerome Frey | 6/2/74-12/15/1976 | Pastor & Associate | |
| Rev. William Havenar | 8/1/1975-3/11/1976 | Associate | |
| Rev. William Havenar | 3/11/1976-2/17/1977 | CoPastor | |
| Rev. Floyd Calais | 2/5/1977-6/15/1982 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Robie Robichaux | 2/5/1977-7/5/1978 | Associate | |
| Rev. Steven LeBlanc | 6/3/1977-6/15/1981 | Associate | |
| Rev. Chareles Marin | Sept 30, 1978-May 1979 | Associate | |
| Rev. Nelson Waguespack | 8/6/1979-2/1980 | Residence | |
| Rev. Louis Richard | 8/7/1981-3/29/1983 | Associate | |
| Rev. Joseph Brennan | 6/15/1982-5/15/1996 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Louis Richard | June 1, 1981-Aug 6, 1981 | Transtitional Deacon | |
| Rev. Louis Richard | Aug 7, 1981-March 28, 1983 | Associate | |
| Rev. David Hollier | Nov 10, 1983-Jan 1984 | Associate | |
| Rev. Luiz Dutra | 12/22/1983-11/17/1984 | Associate | |
| Rev. Filipe Dimants | May 28, 1984-Dec 1984 | Temp Associate | |
| Rev. Arthur Warren | Sept 1, 1984-Jan 1987 | Residence | |
| Rev. Daniel Picard | 3/4/1987-1/3/1988 | Associate | |
| Rev. Whitney LeBlanc | 8/31/1987-Apr 1988 | Residence | Hosital Ministry |
| Rev. Willard Dugas | 2/15/1989-9/21/1990 | Associate | |
| Rev. Thomas Voorhies | 6/29/1990-10/16/1993 | Associate | |
| Rev. Bill John Melancon | 11/26/1993-8/1/1995 | Associate | |
| Rev. William C. Mallet | 6/21/1996-6/18/1997 | Associate | |
| Rev. Jody Simoneaux | 5/20/1996-7/2/2007 | Pastor | |
| Rev. J. Aaron Melancon | June 25, 1997-June 2, 1999 | Associate | |
| Rev. Mitchell Guidry | June 9, 1999-Feb 2000 | Associate | |
| Rev. Franz Gassner, SVD | Feb 10, 2000-Aug 23, 2000 | Associate | |
| Rev. Richard Broussard | July 24, 2000-May 30, 2002 | Associate | |
| Rev. Mikel Polson | 7/24/2000-5/31/2002 | Associate | |
| Rev. Raymond Iwuji | Apr 30, 2001-June 21, 2001 | Residence | Chaplain Medical Center S/W, Lafayette |
| Rev. James Nguyen | 7/1/2004-5/17/2005 | Associate | |
| Rev. Jerry Mesley | 5/13/2005-6/22/2005 | Associate | |
| Rev. Thomas Finley | 8/12/2004-5/28/2013 | Residence | |
| Rev. Ken Broussard | 6/22/2005-7/2/2007 | Residence | |
| Rev. Kevin Bordelon | 7/2/2007-8/1/2008 | Associate | |
| Rev. William Curtis Mallet | 7/2/2007-7/2/2012 | Pastor | |
| Rev. Blair Lope M. Sabaricos | Aug 1, 2008-Jan 2009 | Associate | |
| Rev. Salvino "Ruben" Primor | June 24, 2009-Jan 2010 | Associate | |
| Rev. Jerry Mesley | 1/19/2012-4/1/2012 | Residence | |
| Rev. Alphonse Thainese | 7/2/2012-7/1/2013 | Associate | |
| Rev. Brian Taylor | 7/2/2012-present | Pastor | |
| Rev. Michael DeBlanc | 7/1/2014-6/27/2016 | Associate | |
| Rev. William Massie | 6/27/2016-7/3/2017 | Associate | |
| Rev. Paul Onuegbe | 7/3/2007-11/17/2018 | Residence | |
| Rev. Edward Duhon | 7/2/2018-7/1/2019 | Associate |
St. Genevieve Today
Carrying the Mission Forward
Today, St. Genevieve Catholic Church remains rooted in the faith and vision of the generations who came before us. The church itself tells part of that story. Its Romanesque architecture reflects the Dutch influence familiar to Msgr. Teurlings, with rounded arches, a cruciform floor plan, and stained glass that fills the church with color and light.
But the story of St. Genevieve has always been about more than a building.
It lives in every Mass celebrated, every Sacrament received, every child formed in the Catholic faith, every ministry served, every act of generosity, and every family that makes St. Genevieve its spiritual home.
Together with St. Genevieve Catholic School and the many ministries and organizations of the parish, St. Genevieve continues the mission entrusted to it more than a century ago:
to know Christ, grow in faith, and pass that faith on to generations yet to come.
