April 23, 2007 — April 23, 2026
Blessed 19th Episcopal Anniversary
to Bishop Glen John Provost
By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles
LAKE CHARLES — The Most Reverend Glen John Provost said that he receives “great joy and satisfaction” from visiting Catholic schools, celebrating Confirmations and participating in the Diocesan Youth Conference.
“I always allow the youth to ask me questions and find their inquiries fascinating. They show, for the most part, a great deal of thought and depth,” he remarked reflecting on his past 19 years as Bishop for the Diocese of Lake Charles. “I have concluded over the years that youth want more, not less. They look to the Church and its pastors to give them example, direction and instruction. They are the future of the Church.”
takes his seat for the first time in his new role as the
Third Bishop of the Diocese of Lake Charles on April 23,
2007, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Without fail, there is always one student who asks His Excellency how he was chosen to be a bishop. While the process can take months or even years, for Bishop Provost it can be summed up with one phone call from the Apostolic Nuncio who plays a decisive role in the selection process.
“I was quite surprised,” he recalled. “I was visiting some of my family living abroad. The call was quite unexpected.” At the time, then-Monsignor Provost was serving as Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Lafayette.
On April 23, 2026, Bishop Provost will mark 19 years as Bishop of Lake Charles. He still remembers what the Papal Nuncio told him in February 2007 when he was informed that he would be the third Bishop of Lake Charles. “Remember, it is His Church.”
His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Provost as Bishop on March 6, 2007. He was consecrated to the Episcopacy and installed on April 23, 2007, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception with Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes as principal celebrant.
at the Vatican in Rome during the Holy Father’s pontificate. Two years after
then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected the successor of Pope John Paul II
in 2005, he appointed then-Monsignor Provost from the Diocese of Lafayette
as the third bishop of Lake Charles in 2007.
Bishop Provost remembers receiving a personally signed letter when Pope Benedict appointed him as Bishop.
“Much to my surprise and unlike many of his predecessors, he personally signed letters of appointment for bishops,” he said. “Pope Benedict XVI took his vocation as Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Rome very seriously.”
Bishop Provost likened his role to a farmer or gardener who plants, and in so doing chose as his motto, “He plants for those to come” — Pro venturis serit.
“A bishop cooperates with the Lord in planting seeds of the kingdom, for indeed the Church is His,” Bishop Provost said. “The image of planting and growth is a rich symbol and has served as reminder to me throughout these years of the work required of a successor of the Apostles.”
Born to Cyrus and Sadie Blanchet Provost on August 9, 1949, in Lafayette, Bishop Provost said that he learned from his parents long ago to put everything in God’s hands.
“I began my life as a little kid in Lafayette and end it as a Catholic bishop in Lake Charles,” he noted.
Bishop Provost was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Lafayette by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on June 29, 1975, in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Because 1975 was a Holy Year, Pope Paul VI invited all eligible seminarians throughout the world to be ordained by him on the Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. At the age of 25, then-Deacon Glen John Provost was among 359 ordained to the Holy Priesthood by the Vicar of Christ.
His Excellency shared that he could remember wanting to be a doctor before he considered entering the seminary when he was in high school. He added that he thought about being an archaeologist, a musician, and a teacher. However, there were signs that led him to the path of priesthood.
“I knew a lot of dedicated priests and admired them. I read a lot of history. When you read history and you are honest, you become a Catholic,” he remarked. “It made sense for me to become a priest.”
Bishop Provost noted that daily prayer has helped “immensely” in learning more about himself, saying this is true for anyone who prays perseveringly.
“I have learned over the years that all things are possible with God. He does everything, if we let him and don’t get in the way,” he said. “Jesus taught us this in the Gospel, but we poor humans have a hard time learning that lesson.”
Bishop Provost stated that the Church needs priests, and it is the part of all to foster an environment for priestly vocations.
“Without priests there is no Eucharist, no celebration of Mass, no instruction, no guidance, no leadership,” he emphasized. “Lay ministry is extremely important and necessary, but it can never replace the need for ordained men, dedicated without exception to the proclamation of the message and the celebration of the Sacraments.”
In addition to his unwavering dedication to Catholic schools and our youth, Bishop Provost has been devoted to increasing vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese of Lake Charles with “40 Hours Devotion” in each church parish.
Other endeavors of particular importance include the restoration of the historic Cathedral, the construction of Camp Karol Catholic Youth Camp in Moss Bluff and expanding the work of Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana throughout the five civil parishes in the Diocese of Lake Charles.
A few things one might find interesting about Bishop Provost are:
- Since childhood, the bishop has studied music, first with the viola, then the piano, moving on to the cello and violin. He served as house organist at the seminaries where he attended.
- He loves books! At one time he had roughly 5,000 books in his library but has narrowed it down to approximately 3,000 books over the last 10 years or so.
- Every morning, he prays the “Prayer of St. Bernadette,” and before going to sleep, he says “good night” to St. Michael the Archangel, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross, to name a few.
- A favorite memory of his own Catholic education are the teachers who challenged him.
- One of his favorite Bible verses — emphasizing it is hard to choose just one — comes from the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own. (Matthew 6:34)
- He is fluent in French, English, and Italian, and has studied Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, and Latin.
- The Eucharistic Prayer is his favorite part of the Mass.
- A couple of his favorite scriptures are Psalm 23 and the beginning of St. Luke’s Gospel during Advent.
- One of his favorite movies is the 1942 film “Casablanca.”
- He does not eat fast food, and he likes oatmeal with blueberries and buttermilk.
Please join the Diocese of Lake Charles in congratulating His Excellency, The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, on 19 years as Bishop of Lake Charles. May God grant him many more years of good health and the graces he needs to lead us ever closer to Our Lord.
