History of the Church:

The first and only Catholic Church in Leesville was erected by Father Q. Vanderburg in 1913. It was blessed by the Right Reverend Bishop Cornelius Van De Ven on April 26th, 1914, and dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel. St. Michael's changed from a Mission to a Parish on October 18, 1946 by Most Rev. Bishop Charles P. Greco. The first administrator was Rev. Dennis Curran from Oct. 18, 1946 until May 1, 1947. At the time St. Michael's was made a Parish there were 29 families in Leesville. It has since grown into a parish of well over 400 families. In 1948 the property adjacent to the Church was purchased and served as a Convent for The Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 1951 the school and hall were begun and later the kindergarten was opened. St. Michael School was dedicated on Sunday, October 28, 1951. The frame of the church was extensively renovated in 1964 while Father Henry Beckers was Pastor. Several other small and large church renovations have been made since 1964, to include the the tearing down of the Convent in 1970 and putting in a parking lot.