Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles
{{Short description|Diocese of the Catholic Church}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction = Diocese
| name = Lake Charles
| latin = Dioecesis Lacus Carolini
| local =
| image = Immaculate Conception - Lake Charles 02.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| image_alt =
| caption = Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
| coat = Coat of arms of the Diocese of Lake Charles.svg
| coat_size = 150px
| coat_alt =
| country = {{flag|United States}}
| territory = The Civil Parishes of: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis
| province = Archdiocese of New Orleans
| deaneries = 4
| headquarters =
| coordinates =
| area_sqmi =
| area_footnotes =
| population =
| population_as_of =
| catholics = 80,519
| catholics_percent = 29
| parishes = 37
| churches =
| congregations =
| schools = 6
| members =
| denomination = Catholic
| sui_iuris_church = Latin Church
| rite = Roman Rite
| established = January 29, 1980
| dissolved =
| cathedral = Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
| cocathedral =
| patron = Mary Immaculate, Mother of Jesus
St. Peter Claver
| pope = {{Incumbent pope}}
| bishop = Glen John Provost
| bishop_title =
| metro_archbishop = Gregory Michael Aymond
| coadjutor =
| auxiliary_bishops =
| apostolic_admin =
| vicar_general =
| episcopal_vicar =
| judicial_vicar =
| emeritus_bishops =
| map = Diocese of Lake Charles.jpg
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| website = {{Official website|http://www.lcdiocese.org/|lcdiocese.org}}
| footnotes =
}}
The Diocese of Lake Charles (Latin: Dioecesis Lacus Carolini), is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in southwestern Louisiana in the United States. It is a suffragan see of the metropolitan Archdiocese of New Orleans.
The Diocese of Lake Charles includes the civil parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Lake Charles is its cathedral church, and Glen John Provost is the current bishop.
History
= 1793 to 1980 =
Pope Pius VI erected the Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas encompassing the pioneer parishes of New Orleans and Louisiana and both Florida colonies in 1793.{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: New Orleans |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11005b.htm |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.newadvent.org}} After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, all of present-day Louisiana became part of the United States. In 1825, the Vatican renamed the Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas as the Diocese of New Orleans.
During the 1850s, missionaries from Texas and Abbeville started visiting the Lake Charles area. The first Catholic chapel in the area, Saint Francis de Sales, was constructed in 1858. The first parish was organized in 1869.{{Cite web |title=Immaculate Conception Sesquicentennial Anniversary - Diocese of Lake Charles |url=http://www.lcdiocese.org/3-news/2716-cathedral-began-in-1869-under-name-of-st-francis-de-sales |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=www.lcdiocese.org}}
Pope Benedict XV erected the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana on January 11, 1918, with territory taken from the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The new diocese included the Lake Charles area for the next 62 years.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Lake Charles was built in 1913.
= 1980 to present =
Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Lake Charles on January 29, 1980, taking its territory from the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana.{{Cite web |title=Lake Charles (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dlake.html |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}} He named Reverend Jude Speyrer as the first bishop of Lake Charles.{{Cite web |title=Bishop Jude Speyrer [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bspeyrer.html |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}} Speyrer designated the Church of the Immaculate Conception as the diocesan cathedral. Speyrer retired in 2000 after 20 years as bishop.
The second bishop of Lake Charles was Auxiliary Bishop Edward Braxton of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, named by John Paul II in 2000.{{Cite web |last=Cheney |first=David M. |title=Lake Charles (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dlake.html |access-date=2018-11-03 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}} The same pope selected Braxton in 2005 to serve as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville.
The current bishop of the Diocese of Lake Charles is Glen Provost, from the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, two years after Braxton moved to Belleville.{{Cite web |title=Bishop Glen John Provost [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bprovo.html |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}
A number of churches and schools sustained substantial damages due to Hurricane Laura.[https://www.kplctv.com/2021/04/27/diocese-lake-charles-selects-architects-rebuild-schools-churches/ Deaville, Patrick. "Diocese of Lake Charles selects architects to rebuild schools and churches", KPLC, April 27, 2021]
=Sexual abuse=
Police arrested Reverend Mark Broussard in March 2012 on multiple charges of aggravated battery and sexual battery. He was accused of sexually abusing three boys as young as eight years old between 1986 and 1989 at Our Lady Queen of Heaven and St. Henry's Parishes in Lake Charles. Diocesan officials knew that he had had sexual contact with at least four other children, but never reported the crimes to law enforcement.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-29 |title=Former priest re-arrested, bond set at $3.42M |url=https://www.kplctv.com/story/18915087/former-priest-re-arrested-on-additional-sex-related-charges |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=kplctv.com |language=en}} Broussard left the priesthood in 1995.
Broussard was ultimately charged with ten counts of abuse.{{Cite web |title=Ex-Priest Charges on 10 Counts of Sex Abuse, San Antonio Express-News, August 12, 2012 |url=https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2012/07_08/2012_08_12_SanAntonio_ExPriestCharges.htm |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.bishop-accountability.org}} One of Broussard's victims sued the diocese in February 2013. Broussard was convicted in February 2016 of aggravated rape, molestation of a juvenile, and aggravated oral sexual battery.{{Cite web |title=Former Calcasieu Priest Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Altar Boys, The Advocate, February 5, 2016 |url=https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2016/01_02/2016_02_05_TheAdvocate_FormerCalcasieu.htm |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.bishop-accountability.org}} He was sentenced in March 2016 to 250 years in prison.{{Cite web |title=Former La. Priest Sentenced to 250 Years in Prison, KATC, March 11, 2016 |url=https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2016/03_04/2016_03_11_KATC_FormerLa.htm |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.bishop-accountability.org}}
In April 2019, the diocese released a list of 11 clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors.{{Cite web |last=Daigle |first=Hannah |last2=Schmidt |first2=Theresa |date=2019-04-12 |title=Diocese of Lake Charles releases list of credibly accused clergy |url=https://www.kplctv.com/2019/04/11/diocese-lake-charles-releases-list-credibly-accused-clergy/ |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=www.kplctv.com |language=en}}
Bishops
=Bishops of Lake Charles=
- Jude Speyrer (1980-2000)
- Edward Kenneth Braxton (2000-2005), appointed Bishop of Belleville
- Glen John Provost (2007–present)
=Other diocesan priest who became a bishop=
Sam Joseph Galip Jacobs, appointed Bishop of Alexandria in 1989
Schools
The Diocese of Lake Charles operates six schools, including a high school, St. Louis Catholic High School.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.lcdiocese.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles Official Site]
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles}}
{{Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of New Orleans}}
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{{authority control}}
Category:1980 establishments in Louisiana