By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles
LAKE CHARLES — On the first of his visits for the 2026-2027 school year, His Excellency, Bishop Glen John Provost celebrated Mass on Tuesday, August 25, at St. Louis Catholic High School. The annual visit coincided with the Feast Day of Saint Louis IX, King of France, patron of the school.
When asked by a student what message he had for everyone in the room, the bishop answered, without hesitation, “Love God, practice virtue. You cannot go wrong. Everything else is complicated.”
Someone who knew this all too well was St. Louis. Bishop Provost emphasized how the King of France, a devout Catholic, took his Christian responsibility to heart.
In a moving letter that he wrote to his son, Phillip III, he stressed the importance of following the example of Jesus Christ in order to be a moral leader.
“Fix your whole heart upon God and love him with all your strength, for without this, no one can be saved or be of any worth,” the letter conveyed.
His Excellency reminded the students that many are mistaken if they think that religion is reduced to only following rules.
“There are rules, yes, and we call them the Ten Commandments,” he remarked. “They only make sense and stand the test of time when seen as coming from the love of God and our neighbor.”
Noting that St. Louis IX is a fitting patron for a Catholic high school, Bishop Provost said, “If the love of God, first, and love of neighbor, second, are not our goals, then indeed the school has no purpose. It is the love God and love of neighbor that give this school meaning.”
Following the Mass, Bishop Provost interacted in what has become a favorite tradition between himself and students, opening up the floor for questions.
Before the bishop departed, students learned:
- He values the virtue of humility in his role as our diocesan shepherd.
- Leading the pack of his favorite Saints (besides the Blessed Mother) is St. Thomas Aquinas. Others who are special to him are St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John Vianney.
- Our Lady of Lourdes tops his list of favorite Marian apparitions.
- While he has yet to meet Pope Leo XIV, he was ordained by Pope Paul VI and has met several other popes.
Concelebrating the back-to-school Mass were Rev. Michael Caraway, St. Louis Chaplain, and Rev. Whitney Miller. Very Rev. Joseph Caraway, Chancellor, served as Master of Ceremonies, assisted by Deacon Stephen Starr.
The following students assisting at the Mass were Kolby Brown as lector; and Dean Wyninger, Owen Findley, and Jace Pharis as altar servers.
Leading everyone in song were Emma Foret, Elizabeth Ward, and Emme Hobgood.
A total of 2,248 students are enrolled in Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Lake Charles. In addition to St. Louis, other schools are Immaculate Conception Cathedral School, St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic School, and Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School, all in Lake Charles; Our Lady’s Catholic School in Sulphur; and Our Lady Immaculate Catholic School in Jennings.
Please remember all our students, teachers, staff and clergy as they come together for a new school year to grow in faith, knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
Contact the Office of Catholic Schools at 337-433-9640, ext. 400, for more information on any of the schools in the Diocese of Lake Charles.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: Kristine Alcantara / St. Louis Catholic High School
