A Landmark on East St. Peter Street Since 1781
Saint Peter Catholic Church sits at 108 East St. Peter Street in New Iberia, Louisiana, anchoring the town center for more than two and a half centuries. The parish was founded in 1781 alongside the settlement of Nuevo Iberia by Spanish Governor Bernardo de Gálvez and Canary Island settlers, making it one of the oldest Catholic communities in southwest Louisiana. Its current church, completed in 1953, rises in the French Renaissance style with twin towers ninety feet above the nave, a Botticino marble altar, stained glass Stations of the Cross, and seating for 1,200. A 2,100-pound bell, cast in 1909, still rings from the belfry. The parish mission is to know, love and serve God by spreading the Gospel through liturgy, service, and education, in communion with the universal Church.
Mass and Confession Times
The parish gathers for Mass seven days a week. Sunday brings three celebrations: 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM, and 6:00 PM. Saturday includes a 6:30 AM morning Mass and a 4:00 PM Vigil Mass that fulfills the Sunday obligation. Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 PM, Tuesday at 12:10 PM, and Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 6:30 AM.
Confessions are heard Saturday from 3:00 to 3:45 PM and Sunday from 5:00 to 5:45 PM. On weekdays, a priest is available thirty minutes before each Mass. The parish also celebrates First Friday and First Saturday Masses with special devotions: on the first Friday, the 6:30 AM Mass is followed by Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the Litany of the Sacred Heart; on the first Saturday, an additional 6:30 AM Mass is offered at the Altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Chapel of Divine Mercy and the Week of Adoration
Behind the main church, the Msgr. Disch Perpetual Adoration Chapel, also known as the Chapel of Divine Mercy, keeps vigil with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from Sunday evening at 5:00 PM until Friday morning at 7:00 AM. Parishioners sign up for hourly slots so that the Eucharist is never left unattended during those days.
Two devotional candles in the chapel, one by a statue of Mary and one by a statue of Saint Joseph, can be memorialized for a seven-day burn in honor of a living intention or in memory of a loved one. The church sanctuary candle and the chapel sanctuary candle are similarly available. A $25 donation is suggested to help defray the cost of each candle.
A Rhythm of Weekly Devotions
Beyond the Mass schedule, Saint Peter sustains a rich pattern of weekly prayer. Each Tuesday at 11:30 AM, parishioners gather to pray the Pro-Life Rosary with intentions for the success of pro-life movements, for the conversion of those who have sought or committed abortions, and for a deeper appreciation of the dignity of human life at every stage.
On Wednesdays, the 5:30 PM Mass is followed by Vespers, the prayer of Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed together by the community. On Thursdays, the 6:30 AM Mass is followed by the Litany of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at the Altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the first Wednesday of each month, the 5:30 PM Mass is celebrated at the Altar of Saint Joseph, patron of workers, fathers, and the universal Church.
Sacraments from Baptism to Marriage
The parish prepares families and individuals for the seven sacraments. Parents preparing for the baptism of an infant attend a diocesan baptismal preparation course, and at least one godparent must be a confirmed Catholic at least sixteen years of age. The parish office encourages families to contact them before the child is born so arrangements can begin early.
Adults who have never been baptized enter the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the formal process by which unbaptized persons are initiated into the Catholic Church. Adults who have already received First Communion but never Confirmation can take part in a four-to-five-week Adult Confirmation process covering the Trinity, the sacraments, prayer, and morality.
Children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, and older students preparing for Confirmation, are served through the parish's Catechism (CCD) program. A separate Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC) is available for children old enough to participate in the catechumenate. The parish also subscribes to FORMED, an online Catholic library of videos, audio talks, and e-books accessible to registered parishioners.
Weddings are scheduled at least six months in advance. Since 2023 the parish has used the Witness to Love marriage preparation program, in which mentor couples, parishioners married at least five years and active in parish ministry, walk alongside engaged couples through the same materials and help integrate them into parish life. The parish office also assists couples whose civil marriages need to be convalidated, that is, recognized as a sacrament by the Church.
The parish also ministers at the time of death. Funeral arrangements are coordinated through the parish office, and sacramental certificates for baptism, marriage, and burial dating back to 1838 are available for genealogy research at $5 per certificate.
Children, Youth, and the Pastor's Youth Council
Rather than build a traditional youth group, Father Blanda has established a Pastor's Youth Council of eight high school seniors and college students who work directly with him to plan activities that are spiritual, apostolic, and communal. The aim, the pastor has written, is to invite all of the young people of the parish to take part, not only those who already belong to an established group.
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass, coordinated by Ann-Carol Indest. Children are dismissed from the assembly for an age-appropriate proclamation of the Gospel and return for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. For men, the parish hosts That Man Is You (TMIY), a weekly program that combines video teaching with small-group discussion.
Sacred Music and the Hybrid Pipe Organ
Ben LeBleu serves as Director of Sacred Music. The parish's music program includes a strong choir tradition and a hybrid pipe organ that combines real pipes with digital voices. On the evening of December 28, 2024, lightning struck the church during a severe thunderstorm and damaged the bell tolling system, the security cameras, the copula and walkway lights, and the organ console. The relay systems controlling the pipes and digital voices, dating to 1993, were no longer serviceable.
The organ is now being rebuilt by the A.E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company of New Braunfels, Texas, with a new console, new relay and control systems, and all-new digital voicing. The repair, funded through a diocesan insurance claim, is expected to take ten to twelve months. In the meantime, the parish is using a loaner instrument at no cost and continues its monthly organ tours for visitors.
Care for the Homebound
Six lay ministers from the parish bring Holy Communion each week to fourteen homebound parishioners who cannot easily attend Mass. Msgr. Jefferson DeBlanc, who resides at the parish, makes the initial pastoral visit and hears confessions as needed. Family members or neighbors who know a parishioner who is temporarily or permanently homebound can call the parish office to begin the process.
During the pastorate of Msgr. John Henry Disch, the parish established the Disch-DeClouet Social Service Center to extend the parish's outreach to those in need across the New Iberia area.
Holy Family Cemetery and the St. Peter Cemetery Endowment
The parish maintains Holy Family Cemetery as part of the Catholic community's life in New Iberia. The St. Peter Cemetery Endowment accepts donations into an interest-bearing account whose principal is preserved in perpetuity while the interest provides ongoing maintenance. Cemetery dues collected annually cover the day-to-day upkeep, utilities, and insurance, while gifts to the endowment grow the principal. The New Iberia City Police patrol the grounds regularly to keep them safe for visitors.
Stewardship and the Bishop's Services Appeal
Online giving is available through the parish's secure giving portal. In addition to the weekly first collection, the parish takes a series of monthly second collections for St. Peter Maintenance and Repair, Property and Liability Insurance, Catholic High School Subsidy, and the Preservation Endowment. The annual Bishop's Services Appeal supports ministries of formation, discipleship, crisis response, and vocations across the Diocese of Lafayette, with donations mailed to the Office of Stewardship and Development at 1408 Carmel Drive, Lafayette, Louisiana 70501.
The parish's weekly budget target for the general offertory is $11,500, with additional monthly needs for insurance and repairs. The capital campaign funds larger projects, including an altar rail installed in front of the center pews and matching sanctuary kneelers for altar servers.
A Brief History
Saint Peter's history stretches back to the Spanish colonial period. The first church was a wooden colonial-style structure built on land donated by the Frederick Duperier family, with the condition that the church remain visible from their home. Fr. Charles Boutelou de St. Aubin became the first administrator in 1838 and celebrated the parish's first baptism on June 6, 1838, and first marriage on July 30, 1838.
Fr. Julien Pierre Priour defended Church authority during the anticlerical unrest and trustee revolts of the 1840s and founded the Confraternity of the Holy Scapular, the oldest society in the parish. Yellow fever epidemics swept the area in the 1860s, and priests ministered to the sick and dying. Catholic education began with the opening of Mt. Carmel Academy in 1870 by the Sisters of Mt. Carmel.
Under Fr. Claude Jacquet (1875 to 1890), the parish built a new rectory, established Holy Cross School for boys, and completed a larger Victorian Gothic church in 1889. The parish was legally incorporated in 1894 as The Congregation of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, Inc.
Fr. Jean Marie Langlois served as pastor for 39 years from 1908 to 1947, the longest tenure in parish history. He founded St. Peter's College, the forerunner of Catholic High School, and installed the 2,100-pound bell that still rings today. Msgr. Albert J. Bacque led the construction of the present church in 1951 to 1953, completing it debt-free.
Fr. Warren J. Boudreaux (1954 to 1971) introduced the parish bulletin The Voice and implemented the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. He later became Bishop of Beaumont. Msgr. John Henry Disch (1973 to 1988) was the first native New Iberian pastor of the parish. He oversaw major renovations, expanded parking and catechetical facilities, and founded the Disch-DeClouet Social Service Center.
Msgr. Joseph Guy Lemoine served as co-pastor beginning in 1983. Fr. Charles Langlois, appointed in 2001, led major improvements including a new organ, window replacement, and the Msgr. Disch Perpetual Adoration Chapel. Fr. William Blanda became pastor in 2014.
Visiting Saint Peter
First-time visitors are welcome at any of the weekend Masses. The church seats 1,200, accessible parking is available, and the parish grounds offer ample parking for Sunday worship. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 to 11:30 AM and 1:00 to 4:00 PM, and on Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 AM. The mailing address is P.O. Box 12507, New Iberia, LA 70562, and the parish can be reached by phone at (337) 369-3816 or by email at parish@stpetersofnewiberia.com.
Saint Peter Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Lafayette in the Roman Catholic Church, and a member of the wider Catholic community along the Bayou Teche.