GACHGS.COM | St. James Parish

    In 1805, two years after the Louisiana Purchase, "Louisiana" only consisted of the current land west of the Mississippi River and the Isle of Orleans (the land on the east bank of the Mississippi River and south of Bayou Manchac). Our state was known as the Territory of Orleans and it's governing body, the Legislative Council, divided the territory into twelve counties: Acadia, Attakapas, Concordia, German Coast, Iberville, Lafourche, Natchitoches, Opelousas, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe-Coupée, and Rapides.   Acadia County included the Catholic Church parishes of St. James and Ascension of Our Lord, commonly called the first and second Acadian Coasts.
    On March 31, 1807 the Legislative Council of the Territory of Orleans redivided the original twelve counties into nineteen parishes, based on the ecclesiastical boundaries of the period of Spanish government.
    At this point Acadia county was divided into Ascension Parish and St. James Parish. The east bank of St. James Parish extended to its northern border at the Amite River. So parts of today's southern Livingston Parish and eastern Ascension where in the 1807 St. James Parish. The courthouse was established on the west bank at St. James, near the current St. James Catholic Church. The Territory of Orleans along with the West Florida Republic became the state of Louisiana in 1812. By 1861 the current boundaries of St. James Parish were in place and in 1869 the courthouse was moved to Convent on the east bank where it is located today.

By understanding the history of the Catholic Church in St. James Parish, tracing your genealogy can be rather easy. This section will provide you with the information needed to research your St. James Parish ancestors.
Please note that Genealogical research for Catholic Sacramental Records can be found for 1707-1894 in the Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records books which can be ordered from the Archives Department of the Diocese of Baton Rouge or found in most local libraries. For periods 1894-1920 you must write to the Diocese Archives for information. For more information click here. For records from 1920-current you must write to the individual churches below. Please use P.O. Boxes where given for mailing purposes. Each church establishes it's own procedures for genealogical research.
In the near future this information will be updated to give specific holdings of each church and the records available for that parish.

St. James Catholic Church 6613 Hwy 18 (River Road) St. James, Louisiana 70086-9100 (225) 265-4225 Parish Established: 1757
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church 6484 Hwy 44 (River Road) P.O. Box 65 Convent, Louisiana 70723-0065 (225) 562-3211 Mission Established: 1807 Parish Established: 1812 Current Church Built: 1831 Enlarged in: 1876			Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church 13281 Hwy 644 Vacherie, Louisiana 70090-3102 (225) 265-3953 Parish Established: 1877
St. Mary Catholic Church Mission Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel Hwy 44 (River Road) Union, Louisiana 70723 Mission Established: 1831 Current Church Built: 1875	St. Joseph Catholic Church 2130 Rectory Street (River Road) P.O. Box 129 Paulina, Louisiana 70763-0129 (225) 869-5751 Mission Established: 1849 Parish Established: 1900 Current Church Built: 1921		St. Philip Catholic Church 1175 Hwy 18 (River Road) Vacherie, Louisiana 70090-5357 (225) 265-4085 Parish Established: 1873
(picture needed) St. Philomena Chapel (originally named St. Vincent de Paul) Mission of St. Joseph Mission Established: 1874 Chapel Destroyed: 1965 (Hurricane Betsy)	Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church Mission Chapel of Sacred Heart of Jesus 2350 Louisiana Avenue Lutcher, Louisiana 70071 Mission Established: 1904 Current Church Built: 1982	Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church 616 East Main Street P.O. Drawer 1501 Gramercy, Louisiana 70052-1501 (225) 869-5324 Mission Established: 1920 Parish Established: 1961 Current Church Built: 1955

ST. JAMES PARISH LIBRARY
HEADQUARTERS 1879 West Main Street Lutcher, LA 70071-9704 225-869-3618 Fax:225-869-8435 E-MAIL: admin.s1jm@pelican.state.lib.la.us Mrs. Julie Champagne, Director M-TH 8:30-6:00 p.m. F 8:30-5:00 p.m. Sat 8:30-1:00 p.m.
WEST ST. JAMES BRANCH P.O. Box 190 Vacherie, LA 70090-0190 225-265-6003 E-MAIL: weststjames.s1jm@pelican.state.lib.la.us Margaret Simon, Branch Manager M-TH 8:00-5:30 p.m. F 8:00-4:00 p.m. Sat 8:00-12:30 p.m.

Alcidésiré Vacherie, Louisiana		Baytree Vacherie, Louisiana		Judge Poché Convent, Louisiana		Laura (Waguespack) Vacherie, Louisiana
Malarcher Convent, Louisiana	Oak Alley Vacherie, Louisiana		St. Joseph Vacherie, Louisiana		Sidney Graugnard St. James, Louisiana		Le Petit Versailles (Valcour Aime) Vacherie, Louisiana

In this section we hope to provide as much history and some photos from throughout the communities in this parish. Local landmarks, old buildings, schools, and business with local German-Acadian Coast names. More information will be provided soon.