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Home/Central Louisiana/St. Augustine Church
metal St. Augustine Church sign with trees and blue sky

St. Augustine Church

A creole louisiana landmark

Historic St. Augustine Church, nestled on the banks of Louisiana’s Cane River Lake, stands as a testament to the resilience and faith of the region’s Creole community. The Catholic church, the first of its kind in the state to be built by a free person of color, continues to serve its racially mixed congregants faithfully, just as it did nearly 200 years ago.

white wooden church with large oak tree and sign St. Augustine
St. Augustine Catholic Church in the community of Isle Brevelle, Louisiana

the bell of st. augustine

The church bell, a prominent voice of this enduring institution, is remembered fondly by lifelong parishioner Tommy Roque. He explains that the bell-ringer “would intone the bell and the certain way he would pull that rope, and that signified there was a funeral.” He recalled that the bell ringing for Mass sounded different. Roque’s lineage, like the bells, is intertwined with St. Augustine Church. Generations of his family, from his great ancestors to himself, have been part of its congregation.

founding a creole church

portrait of man in black suit and tie with top hat pointing to small white wooden chapel
Portrait of church founder Nicolas Augustin Metoyer hangs inside St. Augustine

In 1803, Nicolas Augustin Metoyer, a wealthy free man of color, began Catholic worship services inside his plantation home. He later constructed a mission church in 1829. Several remnants of that first chapel – the church bell, a wooden crucifix, and a large painting of St. Augustine, still exist in the church today. Metoyer’s legacy continues in the form of the church’s role as a cornerstone for the Creole community.

painting of small white chapel with hand
Painting of first chapel built in 1829

st. augustine church featured on tv

Watch this Heart of Louisiana story on historic St. Augustine Church

a faithful community

Rev. Dr. Mark Guidry, a church Deacon and direct descendant of Augustin Metoyer, believes, “The church is what sustained the community and helped it to survive. And that’s why it’s still here today.” Reflecting on the term ‘Creole,’ which some perceive in racial terms, Guidry notes, “Here, for the most part, we don’t. Creole is a culture, it’s a way of life. It’s a spectrum.”

white brick tomb with historical market under blue sky
The family tomb of Nicolas Augustin Metoyer located behind the church

st. augustine – a symbol of unity

The current church building, built in 1916 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, remains the heart of this rural community. Isle Brevell is just 10 miles south of Natchitoches, Louisiana’s oldest city. St. Augustine continues to resonate with its founder’s vision of serving a diverse Creole community. As Guidry asserts, “I think we have a message, perhaps for America, that people can be family and get along and be a part of a parish family in spite of color lines.”

river on a sunny day surrounded by trees
Cane River Lake in Isle Brevelle in front of the church
wooden crucifix above church altar
Wooden crucifix from original Chapel
white wooden church bell tower
Bell tower holds the bell from 1829 Chapel
gold colored brass cross and candle holders on altar inside church
Inside the church

getting there

St. Augustine Catholic Church is located at 2262 LA Hwy-484, Natchez, LA.

2262 LA-484, Natchez, LA 71456

Central Louisiana

white 2.5 story plantation home with trees

Melrose Plantation

    Louisiana Maneuvers at Fort Polk

      abandoned Longleaf sawmill in Longleaf, Louisiana

      Sawmill Town

        Written by:
        Dave McNamara
        Published on:
        June 13, 2023
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        Categories: Central Louisiana, Featured

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