Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles (Latin: Dioecesis Lacus Carolini), is a particular church
located in southwest Louisiana
(USA
). It is a fairly new diocese
of the Roman Catholic Church
, being founded on January 29, 1980. It is suffragan to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
The diocese is administered from the city of Lake Charles
. The patron saint of the diocese is St. Peter Claver
and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
serves as the Episcopal see
.
The Diocese
comprises five civil parishes: Allen
, Beauregard
, Calcasieu
, Cameron
, and Jefferson Davis
.
The statue of the Millennium Christ is located in Bilbo Cemetery in Lake Charles. The actual name of the statue is "Jesus Christ Our Citizen of the Centuries" and it stands atop an eight-foot Labrador green granite base. The statue was sculpted by Janie Stine LaCroix, a native of nearby Sulphur
and a descendant of John Jacob Ryan Jr., who is regarded as being the 'Father of Lake Charles'; Ryan is buried in the cemetery. The statue is regarded as being a symbol of peace and unity for all citizens and faiths of southwest Louisiana.
On 6 March 2007 Pope Benedict XVI
named Glen Provost
as the new bishop. On 23 April 2007, Bishop Provost was ordained to the episcopate, and formally installed by the Archbishop of New Orleans, Alfred C. Hughes.
reads as follows:
† = deceased
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
located in southwest Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It is a fairly new diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, being founded on January 29, 1980. It is suffragan to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
The diocese is administered from the city of Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
. The patron saint of the diocese is St. Peter Claver
Peter Claver
Peter Claver was a Jesuit who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, Colombia and African Americans...
and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
serves as the Episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
.
The Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
comprises five civil parishes: Allen
Allen Parish, Louisiana
Allen Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Oberlin. As of the 2000 census, the population was 25,440. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest of Alexandria....
, Beauregard
Beauregard Parish, Louisiana
Beauregard Parish [p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Beauregard Parish was formed on 1 January 1913. The parish seat is DeRidder. As of 2000, the population was 32,986. Beauregard Parish is part of the DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Fort Polk...
, Calcasieu
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish[p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Charles. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768...
, Cameron
Cameron Parish, Louisiana
Cameron Parish is the parish with the most land area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Cameron and as of 2010, the population was 6,839...
, and Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Davis Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Jennings. As of 2000, its population was 31,435. Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis. It is located in southwestern...
.
The statue of the Millennium Christ is located in Bilbo Cemetery in Lake Charles. The actual name of the statue is "Jesus Christ Our Citizen of the Centuries" and it stands atop an eight-foot Labrador green granite base. The statue was sculpted by Janie Stine LaCroix, a native of nearby Sulphur
Sulphur, Louisiana
Sulphur is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 22,512 at the 2000 census. Sulphur is a suburb of Lake Charles, and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and a descendant of John Jacob Ryan Jr., who is regarded as being the 'Father of Lake Charles'; Ryan is buried in the cemetery. The statue is regarded as being a symbol of peace and unity for all citizens and faiths of southwest Louisiana.
On 6 March 2007 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
named Glen Provost
Glen Provost
Glen John Provost is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 6 March 2007....
as the new bishop. On 23 April 2007, Bishop Provost was ordained to the episcopate, and formally installed by the Archbishop of New Orleans, Alfred C. Hughes.
Mission statement
The mission statement of the DioceseDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
reads as follows:
- We, the Roman Catholics of Southwest Louisiana, are a people called by God, to worship Him, to praise His great name and to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him through Jesus Christ. Chosen by God and made His own through Baptism, we seek to declare the wonderful deeds of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We, the faithful of the Diocese of Lake Charles, gathered with our bishop, pledge to carry on the work of Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit by promoting personal holiness for ourselves and increasing the flock under His care.
Ordinaries
- Jude SpeyrerJude SpeyrerJude Speyrer D.D., is an U.S Roman Catholic bishop. Born in Leonville, Louisiana, Speyrer was ordained to the priesthood on July 25, 1953 and appointed the first Bishop of Lake Charles on January 29, 1980 by Pope John Paul II; he was consecrated and installed on April 25, 1980...
(1980–2000) - Edward Kenneth Braxton (2000–2005) – Appointed bishop of BellevilleRoman Catholic Diocese of BellevilleThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern Illinois region of the United States. It comprises the southern counties of the state of Illinois and is administered from the City of Belleville. The prelate is a...
(Illinois) on March 15, 2005. - Glen ProvostGlen ProvostGlen John Provost is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 6 March 2007....
(2007–present)
† = deceased
High schools
- St. Louis Catholic High SchoolSt. Louis Catholic High School (Lake Charles, Louisiana)St. Louis Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It is the only Catholic high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles.-Notes and references:...
, Lake Charles
Ecclesiastical province of New Orleans
- See: List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Province of New Orleans