I would like to begin by saying how incredibly excited I am to be your pastor here in Ville Platte! Though I am born and raised in Lafayette, my mother is a native of this town and I would regularly come as a child to visit my grandparents on Sundays. I was also blessed to spend my first summer as a seminarian here with Father Mitch Guidry in 2013.
I entered the seminary in 2012 and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lafayette in 2018. From 2018 until 2020, I served as parochial vicar at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Breaux Bridge, and from 2020 until now I have served as parochial vicar at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, Catholic Church and Student Center on the campus of ULL.
Paraphrasing St. Augustine, “with you, I am a Christian, for you, I am a priest.” I am excited to grow in holiness alongside you and celebrate the Eucharist, absolve the penitent, anoint the sick, baptize, witness marriages, and bury the dead for you. I cannot wait to see the parish grow “until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
It is a privilege to spend my first pastorate with you all, and I look forward to meeting you!
Rev. Stephen Pellessier
Our Lady Queen of All Saints Catholic Church - Ville Platte, LA 