Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church sits on West Main Street in Broussard, Louisiana, in Lafayette Parish. Founded in 1883, the parish serves more than 2,700 families and presents itself as a "One Heart Family" of faith together with St. Cecilia School. Its mission is captured in two phrases: "Encountering Jesus, Becoming Missionary Disciples."
A Prairie Donation, a Fire, and Four More Churches
The story of Sacred Heart of Jesus begins on February 1, 1870, when Valsin Broussard and his wife, Emma Monte, donated a portion of prairie land on the east side of Bayou Vermilion to Archbishop Jean Marie Odin of New Orleans. The deed stipulated that the land must remain a place of worship for Roman Catholics or it would revert to the donors. On January 9, 1883, Archbishop Napoléon-Joseph Perché assigned a resident pastor and declared the church of Broussardville a new parish.
Less than four years later, on December 19, 1886, tragedy struck. The newly built church and rectory burned, destroying all registers and records. Only the cemetery and church grounds survived. With financial support from local citizens, a second church was constructed in 1902, and a new rectory was ready for occupancy by March 1905. Donations followed quickly: three church bells in 1903, a marble baptismal font donated by Mr. Albert Malagarie in memory of his father and brother in 1905, and a beautiful set of Stations of the Cross in 1906, made in Kevelaer, Germany, and executed on copper plates. The Stations were canonically erected on February 11, 1906.
The parish continued to grow. On March 9, 1909, Archbishop J. H. Blenk appointed the first lay trustees, Hebert Billeaud and Alphonse L. Broussard, and the congregation legally became "The Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church of Broussard, Louisiana." Stained glass windows followed: the Good Shepherd window from the Billeaud family in 1907, the Sacred Heart of Jesus window in 1909, the St. Peter and St. Paul windows also in 1909, the St. Louis window in 1910, and the Blessed Mother window from the Children of Mary in 1912.
The current church was blessed and broken ground on January 24, 1954, with the cornerstone laid during the Marian Year under Bishop Jules B. Jeanmard of Lafayette and Father P.G.J. Kemps. The marble church altar was donated in 1955, and on September 27, 1960, the altar was consecrated with the relics of Sts. Benedictus and Clarus. The old rectory was sold for parts and rebuilt in 1966. In 1983, the mural on the sanctuary wall was painted by Robert Dafford, commissioned as a gift from Hilta Bernard. Robert Dafford also painted the fourteen Stations of the Cross that hang in the church today.
The campus expanded in 2005 with the addition of a narthex, the Parish Life Center, and an administrative building. The Adoration Chapel was built in 2012. On August 25, 2023, Bishop Deshotel blessed the new One Heart Building and cut the ribbon. The One Heart Building features a multipurpose room named after Father Louis Richard, a youth house named after Father Floyd Calais, a catering kitchen, and several meeting rooms.
Mass, Confession, and Adoration
Sacred Heart of Jesus offers Mass on Saturday evening at 5:00 PM and four times on Sunday: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 5:00 PM. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM, and on the first Saturday of each month at 8:30 AM. Holy Days of Obligation are marked at 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM, and 6:00 PM (with the exception of January 1, which has only the 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM Masses). Ash Wednesday brings three Masses: 8:30 AM, 12:10 PM, and 6:00 PM.
Confession is heard Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:25 AM, before the daily Mass, and on Saturday from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Confession by appointment is available by calling the parish office.
The Adoration Chapel is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Visitors need a code from the parish office. Exposition times are published on the Adoration Pro schedule. To become a Committed Adorer, contact the parish office.
All Masses from Saturday Vigil, Sunday, and the daily schedule are livestreamed. Other special Masses, such as Confirmation and the St. Cecilia School Mass for Dads, are streamed on the parish's Facebook page or YouTube channel.
The Building and the Sacred Heart Devotion
The present-day church houses a remarkable collection of sacred art. The Good Shepherd stained glass window depicts Christ as the shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. Other windows tell the story of salvation: the Annunciation, the Birth of Jesus, the Presentation in the Temple, the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Anointing of Jesus' feet, Jesus walking on water, the Healing of the Paralytic, the Multiplication of the Loaves, the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. The rose window, made of hand-blown glass from France and Germany, has symbols of the twelve apostles surrounding Christ the King at the center.
Above the front doors of the narthex is an image of the Lord's Sacred Heart. St. Peter and St. Paul flank the nave, and St. Louis of France holds the Crown of Thorns. Each window carries an inscription from the litany of the Sacred Heart.
The church also displays a Byzantine-style iconostasis, with icons in the lower tier forming a deisis: Christ in Glory at the center, flanked by the Blessed Mother, St. John the Baptist, Archangel Michael, and Archangel Gabriel. The middle tier features the patriarchs and prophets of salvation history - Abraham, Melchizedek, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, and Micah - surrounding the Virgin and Christ Emmanuel. An icon of the Holy Trinity based on St. Andrei Rublev's famous image completes the iconostasis.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has deep roots in Catholic spirituality. The parish's name comes from the image of Christ's heart, "wrapped with thorns, thus causing His heart to bleed for love of mankind," a sign of God's love made humanly visible and attractive. The parish points newcomers to the history of the devotion and the twelve promises of the Sacred Heart.
One Heart Family and St. Cecilia School
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church and St. Cecilia School consider themselves one mission and one family. The school is led by Principal Erin Henry and is part of the parish campus. It currently runs a capital campaign, "Building on Tradition, Trusting in His Will," to strengthen the campus and community for the future.
St. Cecilia School traces its roots to September 15, 1909, when St. Cecilia Convent opened under the supervision and direction of the Sisters of Divine Providence with an enrollment of seventy students. In 1922, the school was approved as an elementary and secondary school by the Department of Education. Today it serves as a K-12 Catholic school whose stated mission is to "form missionary disciples through academic excellence."
Becoming Catholic
The parish welcomes anyone inquiring about becoming Catholic into the One Heart Family. Those who have never been baptized follow the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), the formal process the Catholic Church uses to bring unbaptized adults into full communion. Christians validly baptized in another tradition receive appropriate instruction and make a public profession of faith. Baptized adult Catholics who have not yet received Confirmation follow a customized path. The Coordinator of Christian Initiation, Jessica Hindelang, accompanies inquirers through an initial conversation, formation sessions, rites, retreats, and sacramental celebrations. Adult Confirmation is celebrated on Pentecost Sunday with the permission of the bishop.
For children age seven and older who have not been baptized, the parish offers the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC), with catechesis that culminates in baptism at the Easter Vigil.
Faith Formation from PreK through High School
Faith formation at Sacred Heart of Jesus follows children through every stage.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is offered for pre-K through third grade, an interactive program based on the Montessori method that introduces children to the Catholic faith through hands-on materials and authentic encounter with Jesus.
First Communion preparation is for all second-grade students whose parents are parishioners, including St. Cecilia students, public school students, and students from other Catholic or non-Catholic private schools. The program uses the Renewed and Received series from Ascension Press and includes weekly sessions over six weeks in the fall and five in the spring, plus a mandatory spring retreat.
Family Faith Formation serves third through fifth graders. Once a month, students and their parents attend class on campus for prayer, a lesson, an activity, and small faith-sharing groups called "Grow Groups." Students also have the opportunity to enter into the sacraments throughout the year and to take a tour of the church and a Holy Hour in the Adoration Chapel.
Edge is the middle school ministry for grades six through eight, meeting on Sundays from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Edge is designed to meet the psychological, social, catechetical, and emotional needs of middle school students through engaging talks, games, small-group discussions, and prayer. Eighth graders now prepare for Confirmation in the fall, having transitioned from the previous eleventh-grade Confirmation timing to align with diocesan practice.
Life Teen is the high school program for grades nine through twelve, meeting Sundays from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Life Teen begins with 5:00 PM Mass and continues with a Life Night in the multipurpose building and youth house behind the church. As an Eucharist-centered movement within the Roman Catholic Church, Life Teen leads teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church, with the Blessed Virgin Mary as intercessor and guide.
Confirmation candidates must present a baptism certificate, attend nine evening prep sessions plus a day retreat (required by the Diocese), and choose a suitable sponsor who is at least sixteen years of age, fully initiated in the Catholic Church, attending Mass regularly, and not the candidate's parent. The ceremony is held at Sacred Heart of Jesus; modest attire is required, including button-down shirts and slacks for men and covered shoulders and knee-length dresses or skirts for women.
Vacation Bible School, called "Crave," brings kindergarten through fifth-grade children onto the parish campus for educational, spiritual, and creative activities designed to help them grow in the knowledge of the Catholic Church and in their relationship with Jesus.
Small Groups, Encounter, and Freedom
Small groups are at the heart of parish life. Groups follow a semester-based schedule (spring: January-May, summer: June-July, fall: September-December) and meet once a week for six to twelve weeks.
Encounter is the parish-wide fall Bible study that walks through the kerygma, the heart of the Gospel message. The highlight of Encounter is The Father's House retreat, a weekend centered on the parable of the Prodigal Son. Encounter Groups meet on Wednesdays from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.
Freedom is a Bible study and retreat experience focused on healing and interior freedom from anything that keeps us away from Jesus. Multiple Freedom groups are offered each spring.
Other ongoing groups include Walking with Jesus (for the young at heart), the Men's Morning Gospel Group, the Men's Morning Group, the Men's 20s and 30s Adoration and Breakfast, The Father's Heart for Men, the Rosary Group for SCS Parents, the Rosary Group for the Grieving, the Mysteries of the Rosary for Women, Grounded in Hope for Women, The Lamb's Supper for Women, Come, Lord Jesus! (a study of the Sunday Gospels), Couples in Christ, Parents of Saints, Adoption is Love, Feed the Hungry (serving lunch at St. Joseph's Diner), and the Praise and Worship Dance Workout.
Mission Nights, Family Nights, and Formation Nights
Three signature parish gatherings complement Sunday Mass and small groups.
Mission Nights bring the parish together for inspiring talks, prayer, and praise and worship before the Blessed Sacrament, providing additional spaces for encounter with the Lord.
Family Nights focus on building a Kingdom-minded family. The format includes time for family dinner, Adoration, and formation for parents from inspirational speakers. The evenings are anchored by a quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta: "If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family."
Formation Nights provide further formation in the walk as missionary disciples, with refreshments, content, and time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Music, Liturgy, and the Adoration Chapel
The Adult Choir enhances worship at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and special liturgies throughout the year, with practice on Wednesday evenings. Praise and Worship brings a contemporary energy to the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass, with practice on Sunday afternoons. Altar servers are students in grades four through twelve. Liturgical Ministers include Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Sacristans.
The Adoration Chapel, built in 2012, is open twenty-four hours a day. The Prayer Team prays privately for the parish and serves as prayer partners for Freedom Retreat, Encounter Nights, and Mission Nights.
Christian Charities and Outreach
Sacred Heart's Christian Charities Committee is the parish's outreach arm, providing opportunities to live the corporal works of mercy (Matthew 25:35-46): feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Christian Charities accepts monetary donations, organizes supply drives (including the Back 2 School Drive), and offers outreach through home visits to the lonely, the elderly, and those most in need of companionship.
The parish sends a Homebound Team to take Holy Communion to and pray with those who are ill or unable to attend Mass. A Nursing Home Team accompanies the residents of Camelot Assisted Living with communion services, special experiences throughout the year, and monthly Mass and confession. The Feed the Hungry small group serves lunch each Wednesday at St. Joseph's Diner. The Knights of Columbus Council 7557 and the Ladies Auxiliary support the parish and the local community through works of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism.
Getting Involved and the Pastoral Team
Anyone interested in joining the parish family can complete a New Parishioner Form. A member of the team follows up to welcome newcomers and offer a tour of the campus.
The pastoral team is led by Father Michael Delcambre, Pastor, and includes Deacons Kyle Faber and Jules Breaux. The Mission Integrator is Robert Halphen. The Director of Discipleship is Kathryn Chatman. Faith formation is led by Jessica Taylor (Elementary Ministry Coordinator), Lily Rabalais (Middle School Ministry Coordinator), Casey Johnson (High School Ministry Coordinator), and Jessica Hindelang (Coordinator of Christian Initiation). Heather Prejean is the Connections Coordinator for small groups, retreats, and events. Jodie Boudreaux is the Liturgy Coordinator. Erin Henry serves as Principal of St. Cecilia School.
To dedicate a Mass, anyone may request a Mass intention for $5 per name per Mass, using the form available from the parish office. Requests should be submitted at least three weeks in advance.
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The address is 200 W. Main Street, Broussard, LA 70518. The phone number is (337) 837-1864 and the fax is (337) 837-1703.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church is part of the Diocese of Lafayette and welcomes anyone who wishes to encounter Jesus Christ and become a missionary disciple.