St. Charles Chapel at Bermuda is a historic
Catholic chapel founded in the early 1900s along the banks of the
Cane River on
Isle Brevelle in
Natchitoches Parish serving the unincorporated community of
Bermuda, Louisiana. It is the cultural and religious center of the area's
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creoles (french: Créoles de la Louisiane, lou, Moun Kréyòl la Lwizyàn, es, Criollos de Luisiana) are people descended from the inhabitants of colonial Louisiana before it became a part of the United States during the period of bo ...
, predominantly of French descent.
Location
The chapel is located on LA 119 near the Atahoe Plantation on the banks of the Cane River south of
Natchez, Louisiana.
Like nearby
Old River and
Bayou Brevelle
Bayou Brevelle is a series of interconnected, natural waterways totaling over 18 miles in length in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. Its main channel is at Old River (Natchitoches Parish), Old River and Kisatchie Bayou at Montrose to Natchez, Lo ...
, the Cane River was once the
Red River, a major trade route for early colonists and Native Americans.
History
The chapel was founded by French Creole families in the 1900s as a mission of
St. Augustine Catholic Parish Church of
Isle Brevelle. During this period, St. Augustine Catholic Parish Church founded 3 other missions:
St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake) (serving the
Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana
The Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana (also known as Adai Caddo Indian Nation of Louisiana and the Adai Caddo Tribe) is a state-recognized tribe in Louisiana and 501(c)(3) organization in Robeline, Louisiana. Its members are descendants of the ...
),
St. Joseph's Catholic Mission at Bayou Derbonne, and
St. Anne Chapel at Old River
St. Anne Chapel at Old River is a historic Catholic chapel founded in the 1800s along the banks of Old River near Cypress and Isle Brevelle in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, serving the Old River community. It is the cultural and religious ...
.
Notable Creole founding and patron families include Rachal, Longlois, Lacaze, Metoyer and Brevelle. The mission was initially under the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Natchitoches
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Natchitoches was a residential episcopal see of the Catholic Church from 1853 to 1910 and is now a titular see.
History
Originally, the bishopric of Natchitoches was the Catholic Diocese for the central portions of ...
, which is now part of the
Diocese of Alexandria The Patriarchate of Alexandria is the office and jurisdiction of the bishop of Alexandria in Egypt, referred to since 531 as Patriarch of Alexandria. It originated from Mark the Evangelist and developed until the Council of Chalcedon in 451 when it ...
.
St. Augustine Historical Society
The building is owned by the St. Augustine Catholic Church and has been given for use to the St. Augustine Historical Society.
Notable People
*
Jean Baptiste Brevelle
Jean Baptiste Brevelle (French: ''Jean Baptiste Brevel'') was a Parisian-born trader, explorer, and one of the first soldiers garrisoned at Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches in present-day Natchitoches, Louisiana and Le Poste des Cadodaq ...
(1698-1754), early 18th century explorer, trader and soldier of
Fort Saint Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches. Father of the namesake of Isle Brevelle.
See also
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana
:''See Diocese of Alexandria for namesakes
''Former names: Diocese of Natchitoches (1853-1910), Diocese of Alexandria (1910-1977), Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport (1977-1986).''
The Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana is a Latin Church ecclesi ...
*
St. Genevieve Catholic Church of Brouillette
References
{{reflist
Churches in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
Louisiana Creole culture