St. Joseph Church Ponchatoula Thriving as it Celebrates 150th Anniversary

In the 1870s missionary priest Father John Scollard came from the Archdiocese of New Orleans to minister to Catholics in the area stretching from Kenner to Amite and Clinton.

The Catholic faithful population in Ponchatoula grew, and in 1875 a small wooden church was built on land donated by Charles Yokum to better serve the community. Father Scollard was the first pastor of St. Joseph.

From those simple beginnings, the community flourished. St. Joseph has been commemorating its history with a year-long 150th anniversary celebration. Bishop Michael G. Duca will celebrate a special anniversary Mass on Sept. 28 at 11 a.m.

When the Benedictine priests came to serve St. Joseph in 1899, a rectory was built, the church was expanded, and a cemetery established.

The Spanish Dominican fathers succeeded the Benedictines in serving churches in Tangipahoa Civil Parish. Under their leadership, the parish expanded the rectory and built a parish hall. In 1896, St. Joseph School was established as a small, single-room framed building. The Order of St. Benedict and the School Sisters of Notre Dame served the school for many years. 
Top right photo: The current St. Joseph Church in Ponchatoula.
Above photo: The original St. Joseph Church, built in 1875. Photos provided by the Archives Department of the Diocese of Baton Rouge In the 1920s the Ponchatoula population grew exponentially due to thriving industries in lumber, strawberry, and construction and development.  A new church was built at a cost of $30,500 in 1927. Father Scollard's grave is located under the sanctuary of that church, which remains a historical landmark in Ponchatoula and is used as a weekday chapel. 

In 1938 the American Dominican priests of St. Joseph Province in New York replaced the Spanish Dominicans. Father J.R. Kelleher OP was the first pastor of St. Joseph under this new order. In the early 1940s a new two-story brick building was constructed to house the school. Additional structures have been added over the years to accommodate the growing enrollment. 

As the Catholic faith population continued to grow, the third and current church building was dedicated in 2006. It has a seating capacity of more than 800 people.

Throughout the years St. Joseph Church has nurtured faith through the sacraments, community life, and social and justice ministries.

The church has hosted a series of events over the year to commemorate the anniversary. The celebrations included a procession of St. Joseph followed by a talk on the life of St. Joseph by author Dr. Paul Thigpen on May 30. A family day was held on May 5 at the former Rosaryville Spirituality Center. On June 7, a First Saturday rosary was held, as well as a Father's Day breakfast on June 15. Father Wayne Menezes, host of EWTN's Open Line, gave a presentation on Sept. 11. 

An anniversary gala will be hosted on Saturday, Nov. 1. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the church’s “Special Ed Catechism and Sacramental Prep" program, which offers evaluations for special needs in Catechesis.

"One thing we have discovered is that having activities and fellowship events is really bringing the community and the parish together and is well received," said Ron Huguet who is head of the committee organizing the 150th anniversary events. "To have these events and guest speakers come in has had a positive impact on our parish."

The second St. Joseph Church built in 1927.Huguet emphasized that St. Joseph's inclusive nature attracts people to the church. 

"I've heard many times that a lot of people – there's several people I've spoken to that are now involved in ministry – that one of the reasons why they came to St. Joseph was because they felt welcome," said Huguet.

Bishop Duca will celebrate the Mass along with St. Joseph Pastor Father Paul McDuffie.  Joining them will be former priests and retired deacons of St. Joseph, according to Deacon Larry Melancon, who still ministers at St. Joseph in retirement.

The priests will include Father Cayet Mangiaracina OP, from Holy Ghost Church in Hammond, who was administrator of St. Joseph from 2011-2013, at which time Father McDuffie was assigned to the parish. Father Justin Kauchak, who played a key role in the relocation and preservation of the church's historic Wicks Opus 838 organ, will also be attending the event. Father David K. Seid, who also served at St. Joseph is also scheduled to attend. 

Joining Deacon Melancon will be Deacon Milton G. Webre and Deacon Natale Garofalo.

Deacon Melancon is amazed by the number of new faces that he sees at St. Joseph.

"We have a lot of families young with kids. That's all nurturing our church. It speaks well for the future of our church, I believe," he said.

There are approximately 60 ministries that support the church and community.

"There's a pretty good relationship between St. Joseph and the Ponchatoula area and Holy Ghost Church in Hammond," said Deacon Melancon.

The family of Angela Pevey, a member of the 150th anniversary committee, traces its genealogy back to the founding of the church. Her mother-in-law noted that her great-grandfather and great-grandmother (Charles and Katharine Yokum) donated the land for the original church. Their fourth child, Maria Francesca, was the first baby baptized in the church in 1875.
Francesca Oresta Drude Pevy (now deceased) holding her great-granddaughter, Brinley Ann Smith, in the baptismal gown in August 2012. The baptismal gown worn by Maria Francesca Yokum, the first baby to be baptized in the original St. Joseph Church in Ponchatoula. The gown has been used for family baptisms through the years. Photos provided by Angela Pevey

























"I actually own the baptismal gown she was baptized in," said Pevey. "And some of my grandchildren have been baptized in that same exact gown."

Pevey noted that with so many ministries and activities at St. Joseph, most people can find their niche there.

The St. Joseph community has been bustling with preparations for the anniversary. Each class at St. Joseph School created a banner featuring the different titles of St. Joseph. The youth also created artwork to be raffled at the anniversary gala. The Knights of Columbus will cook for the 150th anniversary Mass reception.

The church's anniversary celebrations reflect Ponchatoula's reputation as a tight-knit community, Pevey noted. Some refer to Ponchatoula as "the Mayberry of the South" because of its small-town charm, friendly residents, and slower pace of life.

"We are a big church family in Ponchatoula" said Pevey.
Early history and current photos of St. Joseph School.​