News and Press

'Circle of Friends' make most of local pilgrimages

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

LAKE CHARLES — His Excellency, Bishop Glen John Provost formally concluded the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Diocese of Lake Charles on Sunday, December 28, 2025. The Closing Mass at 9:30 a.m. coincided with the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

As the holy year drew to a close, Bishop Provost encouraged the faithful to follow the example of the Holy Family, fostering hope and prayer as they continue their own journeys as Pilgrims of Hope.

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

LAKE CHARLES — Almost 23 years to the day that Christ the King Catholic Church was established as a church parish (November 24, 2002), parishioners of the “little church by the airport” gathered to break ground on a new beginning. On November 22, the eve of the church’s patronal feast, the Solemnity of Christ the King, parishioners looked to the future in this Jubilee Year of Hope.

Christmas 2025

 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”  — Isaiah 9:1

If you would, please permit me to recount an amusing story from my early priesthood. 

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

LAKE CHARLES — It was an encounter with the Holy Father like no one has seen before, and students at St. Louis Catholic High School watched as history-in-the-making unfolded before their eyes.

A la Comunidad Hispana en la Diócesis de Lake Charles
En la Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Viernes, 12 de Diciembre de 2025
Del obispo de Lake Charles

Queridos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo,

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

FENTON –– After 11 months of extensive renovations, the Most Reverend Glen John Provost, Bishop of Lake Charles, dedicated St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church on Tuesday, November 4, the Feast day of the church’s patron saint.

As the congregation sang “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” during the entrance procession of the 5:30 p.m. Mass, they had much to be grateful for in this Jubilee Year of Hope as they gathered in their church for the first time in nearly a year.

LAKE CHARLES — Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana distributed more than 1,500 turkeys throughout the month of November to registered food distribution clients across the region. This annual effort ensured that area families facing food insecurity were able to enjoy a traditional holiday meal.

BALTIMORE — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is meeting in Baltimore November 10-13 for their plenary assembly. On Tuesday, November 11, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, was elected as Conference president, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville was elected as Conference vice president. They succeed Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who are concluding their terms as Conference president and vice president, respectively.

At the request of His Excellency, Bishop Glen John Provost, the Diocese of Lake Charles will join together in praying a Nine-Day Novena to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The purpose of the novena is to pray for the selection of our next bishop.

By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles

It was early on in the priesthood of Very Reverend Aubrey Guilbeau that he learned from the people what it means to be a priest.

“A priest needs not to be the one with all the answers, but rather one who will listen with compassion and allow the Holy Spirit to provide the answers,” he said, recalling the wise words of his first pastor, the late Monsignor Charles Dubois: “Always be present and available, and the Lord will take care of the rest.”

In recognition of his faithful presence and dedication as a priest for 43 years in the Diocese of Lake Charles, Pope Leo XIV has conferred a Papal Honor on Father Guilbeau.