Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales

The Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales is a Catholic cathedral located in Houma, Louisiana, United States. Along with St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux it is the seat of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.HistorySt. Francis de Sales Parish was founded around 1847 by the Rev. Z. Leveque. Mass was initially celebrated in the Terrebonne Parish courthouse. The first church building was completed in 1848 and construction on the present church was begun in 1936 under the direction of the Rev. August Vandebilt.While the first St. Francis de Sales church was built in the Romanesque style in 1848, The current building was built as the parish Church of St. Francis de Sales in 1938 as the original structure was damaged by a Hurricane in the 1920s. The current building was made possible by the generosity of the Rev. August Vandebilt.The Sisters of the Marianites of the Holy Cross arrived at the parish church in 1870 to begin the first Catholic School in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The sisters lived in a convent that was built for them on the church grounds. During the first 20 years of the Sister's stay in Houma they taught at the predecessor to St. Francis School, the Houma Academy, which was located on Point Street, and only instructed girls. It wasn't until 1890 that the Sisters founded a school for the boys. The two storied wooden school was situated on the same ground that the present day Youth Center/Gymnasuim and Rectory stands. The current school which houses grades k-7 and is co-ed was built to replace both schools and was completed in 1951 at a cost of over $600,000. The previous Houma Academy began to operate as a boys high school until the completion of Houma Central Catholic High School in 1965. The School was renamed in 1966 to Vandebilt Catholic High School to honor the late Fr. August Vandebilt's commitment to Catholic Education in the area. The Sister's long history at the Cathedral parish and school sadly came to a close in 2011 as the last religious sister, Sr. Immaculata Paisant, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux retired from her position and returned to the motherhouse in New Orleans, LA. While their presence has faded their legacy and dedication will forever mold the schools identity.