St. Genevieve Catholic Church and Cemetery of Brouillette is a historic
Catholic Church founded in the 1800s along the banks of the
Red River of the South
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major river in the Southern United States. It was named for its reddish water color from passing through red-bed country in its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name ...
near
Marksville, Louisiana, United States, serving the Brouillette community. The current structure was built in the 1950s. It is the cultural center of the area's historic
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 church is located at the intersection of Levee Road and Preston Road (LA HWY 452) in the Brouillette community of Marksville, Louisiana. It is located just off the levee of the Red River adjacent to the
United States Army Corps of Engineers and Red River Waterway Commission's Brouillette Recreation Area.
History
The church was founded on the banks of the Red River by French Creole families in the 1800s. Notable founding and patron families include Deville, Brevelle, Gaspard, Dupuy, Ponthier, Lacombe, Bordelon, Laborde, and Lachney, whose names appear prominently on the church's entrance. The parish church is 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 ...
and includes an iconic cemetery with above-ground tombs.
Notable People
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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, the first European settlement in the area. Father of the namesake of nearby
Isle Brevelle and ancestor of the founders of St. Genevieve Catholic Church.
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Anne des Cadeaux
Anne des Cadeaux (unknown1754), was a Native American active in early colonial Louisiana, and was from one of the early Louisiana Creole families. She was a devout Catholic, and was enslaved but later gained her freedom.
Early life and family
...
See also
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Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana
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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 ...
*
St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake)
The St. Anne Church (Spanish Lake) in the vicinity of Robeline, Louisiana is a historic church founded in the 1800s as a mission from the St. Augustine Parish Church of Isle Brevelle. The current building was built in 1916. It is located at ...
References
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Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana
Churches in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana
20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
Louisiana Creole culture