a ST. MARTIN PARISH article

Cultures of Acadiana
a look at the French, Cajun, Creole, and Native American cultures of south Louisiana
(a project of Carencro High School (721 West Butcher Switch Road, Lafayette, LA  70507)

Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser, July 29, 1997

Father Barriere:"Apostle of the Bayou"

by Jim Bradshaw

It was on March 8, 1795, that Father Michael Bernard Barriers arrived at St. Martinville. He was among a number of people who found their way to the banks of Bayou Teche about that time, fleeing the terrors of Madame Guillotine and the French Revolution. Father Barriere would spend the next 30 years of ministering there.

He was one of the most noteworthy of the priests who came to Louisiana during colonial days, and is remembered as "The Apostle of the Teche Country" by one biographer.

Bits and pieces about his life in Louisiana and life then in Acadiana were part of a history some years ago in the St. Louis Catholic Historical Review, which said:

"Of any village then in existence, we do not hear a word--good evidence that there was as yet none at that time. The priest stopped at the houses of his parishioners. Usually, it seems, he crossed the bayou between Breaux Bridge and Carencro, then went south and recrossed the Vermilion about, or a little south of the present site of Lafayette, whence he reached home over the Cote Gelee. Sometimes for one reason or another, he changed his itinerary and we see him go by way of Cote Gelee to some habitation near the present site of Lafayette.

"The territory under his spiritual care was immense, and we see him once in a while saddle his horse for trips down the 'Baillou Tech', as he writes, the Prairie St. Jacques, la Cote des Anglais, la Prairie Salee, la Cote des Allemands, and returning by way of New Iberia ...."

Church historian Roger Gaudier tells us that Father Barriere "did not remain within sight of the chimneys of his rectory, but sallied forth to visit the most distant points of his vast parish on horseback, bringing the consolations and ministrations of the church to his widely scattered people on faraway plantations and settlements on the Teche at Carencro and on Bayou Vermilion.

Baudier says that "he took up residence about a mile from the village (St. Martinville) and walked to the church every morning for Mass."

It wasn't all that peaceful. The Review relates: "As he was traveling in the vicinity of Lake Chitimacha, now Grand Lake, he was surprised by a party of Indians who forthwith set about to put him to death in true Indian fashion. Already they had wrenched out the nails of (his) fingers and toes, when the head of the tribe appeared on the scene, stopped the tortures, extended his protection over the missionary, took care of him, and saw to his safe return home on the Teche."

Father Barriere remained in St. Martinville until 1822 when, in failing health, he was sent to Vermilionville as pastor. He sailed for his native Bordeaux, France, in 1824 and died only eight days after his return to his homeland.

This article is copyrighted © by the Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser and is used with permission.  This web site was originated through a grant awarded to Carencro High School (Joel Hilbun/Bobbi Marino, Grant Administrators) by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from the Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund - 8(g).