8th Annual Fête-Dieu du Teche Announces Date of Celebration

The Annual Fête-Dieu du Teche is coming up on Monday, August 15, 2022, from 8 am to 6 pm.

This procession happens every year on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, this date is also important since it also marks the anniversary of the French-Canadian immigrants who brought the Catholic faith to Acadiana. In a lot of ways this event mimics and helps us relive the original experience the Acadians had.

Fr. Jeremy Zipple, who traveled from New York to experience the Fête-Dieu du Teche in 2017 said this about his experience, “I found the whole thing incredibly moving. It was beautiful to see an entire town coming together for prayer. It’s a sense of communal identity we just don’t see much anymore in the Western world.”

This year’s celebration will take place on August 15, 2022, on the Bayou Teche.

Here is the schedule of events for Fête-Dieu du Teche:

• The day begins with French Mass by Bishop John Douglas Deshotel, Bishop of Lafayette, at St. Leo’s in Leonville at 8:00 am
• The procession will then head to the landing at 9:00 am and the boat procession will depart at 9:30 am
• The procession will make a stop at each church along the bayou for rosary and benediction. The church stops are:

St. Francis Regis Catholic Church in Arnaudville, La

St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Cecilia, La

St. Bernard Catholic Church in Breaux Bridge, La

St. Joesph Catholic Church in Parks, La

• The procession will continue and end up at Evangeline Oak Park in St. Martinville
• The procession will then disembark from the Bayou and process to Notre Dame du Perpétuel Secours for benediction
• The procession will then head to St. Martin de Tours in St. Martinville for benediction
• After, the procession will make their way down Main St. to Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel for vespers and benediction
• Confessions will be available at all stops along the Teche

For more information on the event and how you can participate, you can visit the Fête-Dieu du Teche website.