OUR STORY

Archangel Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church grew out of the efforts of faithful Orthodox Christians who wanted to bring the ancient faith of Orthodox Christianity to Acadiana. Led by the experience and wisdom of Fr. John Badeen, a “retired” priest from Beaumont, TX, the community that would become Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church met in various locations around Lafayette, Louisiana. Liturgy was served in restaurants, hotels, the homes of parishioners, a gym, a Roman Catholic monastery, and even an art gallery.

In spite of the setbacks of mission life, Fr. John, along with the late Fr. Bernard West du Val, continued to work and inspire the parish to move forward. The faithful of Lafayette continued to pray and wait for the right moment when the Lord would provide a permanent location.After years of faithfulness, a permanent location was established in 2004. In May of 2007, Father John Badeen was able to retire and pass on pastoral leadership to another priest. Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church welcomed her first full-time pastor, Father Philip Rogers.

After almost nine years of faithful service, Father Philip received a transfer to Memphis, TN. On July 1, 2017, Archangel Gabriel welcomed a new pastor in her midst, Fr. Stephen De Young.

Today, Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church is a growing community with people from all walks of life, ages, and many ethnic backgrounds. This community shares a love for Christ and a desire to see Orthodoxy flourish in Acadiana. God has blessed our community, allowing us to faithfully minister through education programs, a local chapter of Orthodox Christian Fellowship at the University of Louisana-Lafayette, a continuous food pantry open to those in need, and fellowship to enable us to grow in our life in Christ.

More Detailed History