St. Joseph Co-Cathedral (Thibodaux, Louisiana) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Saint Joseph’s Co-Cathedral and Rectory
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


Location in Louisiana Show map of Louisiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	721 Canal Boulevard, Thibodaux, Louisiana
Built	1923
Architect	Joseph A. Robichaux
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival
MPS	Thibodaux MRA
NRHP reference No.	86000435
Added to NRHP	March 5, 1986

St. Joseph Co-Cathedral is a beautiful Catholic church located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. It shares the important role of being a "cathedral" with the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. Together, they serve as the main churches for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. This church is also the oldest Catholic community in the entire diocese.

The church building and the rectory (the house where the priests live) were officially recognized as historically important. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1986. This list includes buildings and places that are significant to American history.

History of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral
Architecture and Design
Images for kids
See also

History of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral

StJosephsChurchThibodauxAfter1909Hurricane

The 1849 church damaged by the 1909 Grand Isle hurricane

The St. Joseph Parish first started to form in 1813. It began as a mission, which is like a smaller church group, connected to Assumption Church in Plattenville in 1817. Just two years later, a small wooden church building was built close to where the current church cemetery is today.

The Rev. Antoine Potini was the very first pastor, or priest, assigned to St. Joseph. This church is the oldest Catholic parish in its diocese. Many other churches in the area actually started from St. Joseph and were served by its priests.

In 1849, Rev. Charles Menard had a new church built using bricks. Sadly, this brick church was destroyed by a fire in 1916. However, some very special items, called relics, of Saint Valerie survived the fire. These relics are still kept in the current church today, inside a glass case.

The construction of the church you see now began in 1920. This happened during the time Msgr. Alexander Barbier was the pastor. The church was finished three years later, in 1923. It was built in the Renaissance Revival style, which means it looks like buildings from the Renaissance period. The first church service in the new building was held on January 25, 1923. Beautiful marble and plaster decorations were added in 1931, and the final paint colors were chosen in 1954.

Two other parishes, St. Genevieve Parish and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, were later created from the St. Joseph community. St. Genevieve was established in 1959, and St. Thomas Aquinas in 1970.

On March 2, 1977, Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. St. Francis de Sales Church in Houma became the main cathedral for this new diocese. St. Joseph Church in Thibodaux then became the co-cathedral, sharing the important role.

In 1985, the St. Joseph Life Center was built. This building holds the church's offices and serves as a community center for parish activities. The co-cathedral church itself had a big restoration project completed in 2005, making sure it stays beautiful and strong for many more years.

Architecture and Design

The outside of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral is made of pressed brick with stone decorations. Two tall towers stand on either side of the main front of the church. In the center of the front, there is a beautiful round window called a rose window. The roof is covered with special clay tiles called terra cotta tiles.

Inside the church, the most striking feature is a tall, decorative canopy called a Baldachin. It stands 34 feet (about 10.4 meters) high in the apse, which is the curved area at the end of the church. Symbols of the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are carved into the top edge of the Baldachin. You can also find these same symbols on the columns throughout the church.

On the dome above, there are symbols like the Tree of Knowledge, the Tree of Life, a snake, an apple, and peacocks. The peacocks are a symbol of the triumph and glory of Jesus Christ after he rose from the dead. You can also see the special symbols, or coats of arms, for Pope Pius XI and Archbishop John Shaw of New Orleans there.

The colorful stained glass windows in the church tell stories from the life of Christ and show the seven Sacraments (important religious ceremonies). On all the columns, there is a crest, which is like a shield design. These crests have emblems that represent faith, hope, charity (love), and the Ship of Life. Below these crests, you can see carvings of grapes and wheat, which are symbols of the Eucharist, a very important part of Catholic worship.