VATICAN CITY -- At a press conference, April 8, in the Holy See Press Office, the post-synodal apostolic exhortation "Amoris Laetitia: the joy of love", was released to the world. Here in the Diocese of Lake Charles, Bishop Glen John Provost, commented "Amoris Laetitia or The Joy of Love, the long-awaited apostolic exhortation on the family issued by Pope Francis, offers all of us much food for thought and reflection.  It reaffirms family life and encourages us to approach the difficulties of the marital vocation with patience, kindness, and understanding. In a world where we find very few, if any, institutions or authorities, except the Church, speaking up for marriage and family life, families and all people of good will should find the Pope’s words supportive and encouraging.”

LAKE CHARLES – The Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lake Charles, located in Calcasieu Parish will begin the 2016-2017 school term on Wednesday, August 17 while Our Lady Immaculate Catholic School in Jennings opens a week earlier on Wednesday, August 10, coinciding with the opening of Jefferson Davis Parish schools.

Statement of Bishop Glen John Provost on appointment of Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel as Bishop of Lafayette

WASHINGTON — Pope Francis has named Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel, 64, as bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana, and accepted the resignation of Bishop C. Michael Jarrell, 75, from pastoral governance of that diocese. Bishop Deshotel has served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Dallas since 2010.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, D.D., M.A., Bishop of Lake Charles, has made the following diocesan appointments.

Every Catholic, to enter more deeply into the life of Christ, is to participate in some way in the spiritual and penitential disciplines of Lent.  The regulations for the Catholic Church in the United States are as follows:  Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence.  The other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat.