Rayne in Acadia Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)

St. Joseph's Catholic Church & Cemetery

Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, July 1, 2010

1. St. Joseph's Catholic Church & Cemetery Marker

Inscription. The site of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and Cemetery was determined after the new settlement of Rayne was established. Huge wooden wheels were made and the old church from the original Poupeville settlement was mounted on them and moved to this location in 1882. The cemetery, adjacent to the church, was the only known Christian cemetery for many years, where the graves were placed in a north-south position lengthwise. According to ancient Christian customs, graves are positioned east-west so the bodies of the dead lie facing the rising sun, the symbol of Christ's resurrection. Folklore about the cemetery's misalignment has been passed down over the years in stories, but no one knows for certain why this cemetery does not follow tradition.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.

Location. 30° 13.922′ N, 92° 16.119′ W. Marker is in Rayne, Louisiana, in Acadia Parish. It is at the intersection of South Adams Avenue (U.S. 90) and East Anding Street, on the right when traveling north on

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South Adams Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 S Adams Ave, Rayne LA 70578, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Louisiana’s Acadiana — Cajun Country.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

Acadia,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Louisiana Frog Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jacques Weil Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rayne Depot Square (approx. ¼ mile away); People's Drug Store (approx. ¼ mile away); Pouppeville (approx. half a mile away); The Bernard Bertrand Home (approx. 1.1 miles away); Crowley Louisiana Post Office 1913 (approx. 6.3 miles away); Senator John F. Kennedy Presidential Campaign Speech (approx.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church & Cemetery Marker with the cemetery in background image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, July 1, 2010

2. St. Joseph's Catholic Church & Cemetery Marker with the cemetery in background

6.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rayne.

Also see . . . A brief history of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. (Submitted on July 13, 2015.)

St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery image. Click for full size.

July 2, 2010

3. St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery

July 2, 2010

4. St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery

St. Joseph's Catholic Church image. Click for full size.

July 2, 2010

5. St. Joseph's Catholic Church

Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2015. This page has been viewed 1,338 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2015, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 11, 2015. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.