New beginning for youngest parish
in Diocese of Lake Charles

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

RAGLEY — The little Catholic church on Highway 171 will soon be the big Catholic church on the hill.

The much-anticipated groundbreaking for St. Pius X Catholic Church took place at 6:00 p.m. Friday, August 21, 2026, as several hundred people gathered for a new beginning, despite the triple-digit temperatures. It was the largest single crowd on record at St. Pius and the largest crowd the architect and contractor had ever seen at a groundbreaking.

LAKE CHARLES — The People of Hope Museum is coming to the Diocese of Lake Charles.

This free, immersive experience will be hosted by Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana on Monday and Tuesday, October 19-20, 2026, at the Lake Charles Event Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive. The traveling exhibition is sponsored by Catholic Charities USA.

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

TEAM SEMINARIANS held on to their championship title for the fourth year in a row claiming a 23-12 victory over TEAM PRIESTS during the 2026 Bishop’s Invitational Wiffle Ball Classic.

LAKE CHARLES — Several clergy and parishioners from the dioceses of Lake Charles and Lafayette were among those honored during the Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church Founders Hall. The special event was sponsored by the Tolton Ambassadors & Associates – Louisiana.

WASHINGTON – Marking the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, Pope Leo XIV addressed a letter to the American people on July 3, 2026. The U.S. bishops are grateful to the Holy Father for his inspiring message, and for his prayers as we commemorate this milestone anniversary of our nation. All are invited to read Pope Leo XIV’s message which may be found here.