|
|
St. Patrick's Church was founded as a mission of the Diocese of Louisiana on March 17, 1957 in Zachary, Louisiana.
"About that time [1957], I started St. Patrick's in Zachary on St. Patrick's Day. We had to have a priest come in, and we made a combination of St. Andrew's in Clinton, St. Patrick's in Zachary, St. Francis in Denham Springs, and St. Luke's. They were all just beginning. That rector was Bob Hall." -Bishop Robert Witcher
(Remarks by Bishop Witcher who was the rector of St. Augustine's, Baton Rouge at the time.)
On March 17, 1957, 18 Episcopalians met in the band room of Zachary High School and quickly began calling themselves "St. Patrick's." On January 15, 1958, the group of four missions was split. St. Andrew's in Clinton and St. Patrick's in Zachary were yoked as one parish under the leadership of its rector, The Rev'd Charles B. Romaine.
Fr. Romaine was killed in an automobile accident on March 23, 1963 - a Sunday morning - as he traveled between the two churches. Fr. Harry Allen became vicar in September of that same year.
In the early 1970's Dr. Howard Martin donated 2.56 acres on Hwy 64 on the west end of town in memory of his late wife, Ethel Brabston Martin. Shortly after this donation, St. John's Catholic Church in Zachary sold its building to St. Patrick's for $2,500. It was separated into two parts and became the church and the parish hall on the present site in January of 1976. The parish hall was named Martin Hall in memory of Susan B. Martin.
St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School opened in August 1981 for K-4 through 5th grade in temporary facilities at Plains Presbyterian Church. Phase I of construction on the church grounds for the school was completed in December 1982. Phase II for 5th through 8th was completed in December 1983.
The church attained parish status at the 145th Annual Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of LA on February 5, 1983.
Fr. Allen resigned in June of 1986 after 23 years. Due to hard economic times, St. Patrick's became a mission church again at the 149th Annual Diocesan Convention in November of 1986.
The school closed in August 1986 due to low enrollment and a downturn in the oil economy and other issues in the community.
Fr. Robert Slocum was appointed vicar on July 5, 1987. One of the highlights of his term was the opening of the preschool in 1987. He served four years and resigned to take a new assignment in Wisconsin in the summer of 1991.
St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School (Preschool) opened for seven 3 and 4 year olds in August 1987 thanks to the work of Beth Kimmell. It operated three days a week from 9 a.m. to noon.
Cathy Borneman became the director of the program beginning in August 1989 and served until May 1991.
Bonnie Dilmon became the director from June 1981 and served until May 1992.
Debbie Smith took over the reigns in June 1992 and helped the school expand its services and programs. The school became a 5 day program and added an 8 week summer camp. She began the tradition of the Annual Spring Tea Party for the girls and the Sports Day for the boys. The staff expanded to 15 teachers and staff and established a tradition of excellence in the community.
Deacon Stephen Craft was assigned to the church on July 1, 1992. Deacon Craft was ordained to the priesthood in December of that year. During his term the church regained its parish status at the 163rd Annual Diocesan Convention in February 2000. He served the parish until August 2000.
Debbie Smith resigned in March 2003 to pursue other interests.
Linden Langberg stepped in to serve in March 2003 and served until June 2005. Stacey Betz began her service with the extended care and elementary summer camp program in March 2003.
Stacey Betz took over the preschool and elementary programs in August 2005. During her time the school added classes for 6 month old babies through 2 year olds to the existing 3 and 4 year old classes and elementary before and after school programs. Summer classes were offered for all ages. During this time two modular classrooms were added to the back of the property to accommodate the two year old classes.
Fr. Matthew Rowe was approved by the vestry as rector in October 2001. During his term the church sanctuary received a facelift beginning in February 2002 and included refinishing floors, painting walls and general upgrades. Fr. Rowe served faithfully four years until June 2005 before resigning to become the Associate Rector at Trinity Church, Baton Rouge.
Fr. Miller Armstrong was asked to be the interim priest-in-charge upon Fr. Rowe's resignation. This "short-term" placement lasted three years. His love and gentle pastoral care for the parish is cherished to this day.
Fr. Chad Jones was appointed as vicar of the congregation of about 40 members in February 2008. At the 171st diocesan convention in March of 2008, St. Patrick's once again surrendered its status as a parish to become a mission of the diocese. Two years later church regained its status as a parish! Due to the rapid growth of the community and the dedication of the laity of the parish, St. Patrick's saw remarkable growth.
Stacey Betz resigned in June 2008. Terri Reynolds filled in until Linda Brown became the director. She served from August 2008-December 2009.
Terri Reynolds filled the role of director and was officially named director in June 2009. She served until October 2014.
Beth Kimmell was appointed director from October 2014 until her retirement in October 2015.
Christian Bell became the director in October 2015 and served until 2018. Adero Carey was added as Asst. Director in July 2018.
On January 12, 2014, St. Patrick's began a significant expansion and renovation to the historic church building. There were many surprises: some pleasant and others not quite so. Among the unpleasant surprises was near-catastrophic structural damage caused by years and years of old termite damage. The scope of the project changed and grew to accommodate this reality. After a pause of a few months to regroup, St. Patrick's commenced construction again which doubled the seating capacity and increased the size of the altar and sacristy. Construction was completed in January 2015.
In January 2016, Fr. Chad Jones was called to serve as rector at Resurrection Church in Franklin, TN. Fr. Don Brown served as Interim Rector from January 2016 to November 2016.
In November 2016, Fr. Ashley Freeman was called to serve as rector. During his term he led the church through the COVID pandemic which led to shutdowns of churches, businesses and schools in March 2020. The church never stopped offering worship opportunities and ministries to the congregation online and in person and the school remained open.
Janice Wootan began her service as director in 2018. She guided the school through the COVID restrictions and guidelines. The school closed for the month of April and opened on May 4 for essential worker's children only. It opened on May 18 for all children under strict guidelines. The school took the opportunity to add a security door, updated classrooms, bathrooms, office spaces and playground facilities while operating under state and federal guidelines. The school offers programs for 6 month old babies to fifth graders. It follows all state and federal mandated curriculum and safety guidelines and is respected as a quality Christian based early childcare provider.
Fr. Freeman served the church from November 2016 to July 2022 when he was called to serve as Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast.
Fr. Dan Krutz served as Interim Rector from August 2022 to July 2024.
Rev. Audra Ryes was called to serve as rector beginning July 2024.
With God's help, we will continue working to know and make known the Lord Jesus Christ as we gather to worship, learn, serve, and share the Gospel in our community and throughout all the world.
"About that time [1957], I started St. Patrick's in Zachary on St. Patrick's Day. We had to have a priest come in, and we made a combination of St. Andrew's in Clinton, St. Patrick's in Zachary, St. Francis in Denham Springs, and St. Luke's. They were all just beginning. That rector was Bob Hall." -Bishop Robert Witcher
(Remarks by Bishop Witcher who was the rector of St. Augustine's, Baton Rouge at the time.)
On March 17, 1957, 18 Episcopalians met in the band room of Zachary High School and quickly began calling themselves "St. Patrick's." On January 15, 1958, the group of four missions was split. St. Andrew's in Clinton and St. Patrick's in Zachary were yoked as one parish under the leadership of its rector, The Rev'd Charles B. Romaine.
Fr. Romaine was killed in an automobile accident on March 23, 1963 - a Sunday morning - as he traveled between the two churches. Fr. Harry Allen became vicar in September of that same year.
In the early 1970's Dr. Howard Martin donated 2.56 acres on Hwy 64 on the west end of town in memory of his late wife, Ethel Brabston Martin. Shortly after this donation, St. John's Catholic Church in Zachary sold its building to St. Patrick's for $2,500. It was separated into two parts and became the church and the parish hall on the present site in January of 1976. The parish hall was named Martin Hall in memory of Susan B. Martin.
St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School opened in August 1981 for K-4 through 5th grade in temporary facilities at Plains Presbyterian Church. Phase I of construction on the church grounds for the school was completed in December 1982. Phase II for 5th through 8th was completed in December 1983.
The church attained parish status at the 145th Annual Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of LA on February 5, 1983.
Fr. Allen resigned in June of 1986 after 23 years. Due to hard economic times, St. Patrick's became a mission church again at the 149th Annual Diocesan Convention in November of 1986.
The school closed in August 1986 due to low enrollment and a downturn in the oil economy and other issues in the community.
Fr. Robert Slocum was appointed vicar on July 5, 1987. One of the highlights of his term was the opening of the preschool in 1987. He served four years and resigned to take a new assignment in Wisconsin in the summer of 1991.
St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School (Preschool) opened for seven 3 and 4 year olds in August 1987 thanks to the work of Beth Kimmell. It operated three days a week from 9 a.m. to noon.
Cathy Borneman became the director of the program beginning in August 1989 and served until May 1991.
Bonnie Dilmon became the director from June 1981 and served until May 1992.
Debbie Smith took over the reigns in June 1992 and helped the school expand its services and programs. The school became a 5 day program and added an 8 week summer camp. She began the tradition of the Annual Spring Tea Party for the girls and the Sports Day for the boys. The staff expanded to 15 teachers and staff and established a tradition of excellence in the community.
Deacon Stephen Craft was assigned to the church on July 1, 1992. Deacon Craft was ordained to the priesthood in December of that year. During his term the church regained its parish status at the 163rd Annual Diocesan Convention in February 2000. He served the parish until August 2000.
Debbie Smith resigned in March 2003 to pursue other interests.
Linden Langberg stepped in to serve in March 2003 and served until June 2005. Stacey Betz began her service with the extended care and elementary summer camp program in March 2003.
Stacey Betz took over the preschool and elementary programs in August 2005. During her time the school added classes for 6 month old babies through 2 year olds to the existing 3 and 4 year old classes and elementary before and after school programs. Summer classes were offered for all ages. During this time two modular classrooms were added to the back of the property to accommodate the two year old classes.
Fr. Matthew Rowe was approved by the vestry as rector in October 2001. During his term the church sanctuary received a facelift beginning in February 2002 and included refinishing floors, painting walls and general upgrades. Fr. Rowe served faithfully four years until June 2005 before resigning to become the Associate Rector at Trinity Church, Baton Rouge.
Fr. Miller Armstrong was asked to be the interim priest-in-charge upon Fr. Rowe's resignation. This "short-term" placement lasted three years. His love and gentle pastoral care for the parish is cherished to this day.
Fr. Chad Jones was appointed as vicar of the congregation of about 40 members in February 2008. At the 171st diocesan convention in March of 2008, St. Patrick's once again surrendered its status as a parish to become a mission of the diocese. Two years later church regained its status as a parish! Due to the rapid growth of the community and the dedication of the laity of the parish, St. Patrick's saw remarkable growth.
Stacey Betz resigned in June 2008. Terri Reynolds filled in until Linda Brown became the director. She served from August 2008-December 2009.
Terri Reynolds filled the role of director and was officially named director in June 2009. She served until October 2014.
Beth Kimmell was appointed director from October 2014 until her retirement in October 2015.
Christian Bell became the director in October 2015 and served until 2018. Adero Carey was added as Asst. Director in July 2018.
On January 12, 2014, St. Patrick's began a significant expansion and renovation to the historic church building. There were many surprises: some pleasant and others not quite so. Among the unpleasant surprises was near-catastrophic structural damage caused by years and years of old termite damage. The scope of the project changed and grew to accommodate this reality. After a pause of a few months to regroup, St. Patrick's commenced construction again which doubled the seating capacity and increased the size of the altar and sacristy. Construction was completed in January 2015.
In January 2016, Fr. Chad Jones was called to serve as rector at Resurrection Church in Franklin, TN. Fr. Don Brown served as Interim Rector from January 2016 to November 2016.
In November 2016, Fr. Ashley Freeman was called to serve as rector. During his term he led the church through the COVID pandemic which led to shutdowns of churches, businesses and schools in March 2020. The church never stopped offering worship opportunities and ministries to the congregation online and in person and the school remained open.
Janice Wootan began her service as director in 2018. She guided the school through the COVID restrictions and guidelines. The school closed for the month of April and opened on May 4 for essential worker's children only. It opened on May 18 for all children under strict guidelines. The school took the opportunity to add a security door, updated classrooms, bathrooms, office spaces and playground facilities while operating under state and federal guidelines. The school offers programs for 6 month old babies to fifth graders. It follows all state and federal mandated curriculum and safety guidelines and is respected as a quality Christian based early childcare provider.
Fr. Freeman served the church from November 2016 to July 2022 when he was called to serve as Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast.
Fr. Dan Krutz served as Interim Rector from August 2022 to July 2024.
Rev. Audra Ryes was called to serve as rector beginning July 2024.
With God's help, we will continue working to know and make known the Lord Jesus Christ as we gather to worship, learn, serve, and share the Gospel in our community and throughout all the world.