Art & Culture

"A Quiet Moment" is the title of this sculpture by Timothy P. Schmalz of Ontario, Canada.elton.jpg

The first thing one notices as you view the piece is the warmth. Some notice the warmth of Saint Joseph as he cradles both the Blessed Mother and her Child in his arms. Others notice the care with which the Blessed Mother cradles her Child - and the peace of the Child Jesus in His mother's arms.

This statue is seen in Saint Paul Church in Elton, Louisiana.

At one time, the baptistry was located at the rear of the main aisle of church. This was not a good area for a baptistery, so the area was "condemned" and a piece of granite placed on the font. As it turns out, this served as a very nice pedestal for "A Quiet Moment". Parishioners, and in fact all who have seen the piece, remark about the simplicity and straightforward humanness of the statue.

The source of light above the statue has been modified. A soft pink spot light gives the piece a warm glow to the statue, which has been in place since late spring, 1997.

The Family -

When a person visits the grounds of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana, he or she would notice a variety of statues. There are statues of praying angels, of Jesus with little children, of a welcoming Jesus, of a crucified Jesus and of Jesus riding a donkey. There is even a depiction of the Good Samaritan. There is also a statue of "The Family".
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This life-size statue is cast in bronze and depicts "The Family". Not "The Holy Family", but "The Family". Queen of Heaven is a parish with 3,000 registered families. Thus, the statue is about "The Family".

No a family in particular. Just, "The Family".

Officially dedicated in May, 1997, it is the work of local artist, Elton Louviere. In fact, it was his first sculpture. Louviere, shown standing next to his work, is well known for his paintings, mainly of water fowl, other wildlife, and scenes representative of the Southwest Louisiana countryside.

The painter-turned-sculptor used his son and his son's girlfriend as the models. The child was a doll with a five pound bag of sugar wrapped in a blanket, to simulate the feel and weight of a six month old baby. As they walk across the desert, the mother protects the child and the father is there re-assuring the mother along the journey.


The Garden of the Pieta
Tabor Retreat House
The Garden of the Pieta memorializes the lives of the deceased priests and deacons of the Diocese of Lake Charles. It is located on the eastern side of Tabor Retreat House with access through the dining room of Brulet Hall. It was dedicated by the Most Reverend Jude Speyrer in November, 1996.

The beautiful bronze statue of the Virgin Mary and her crucified Son was produced by Franz Wiegand of Germany and is the 15th casting of a total of 99.

A wall plaque has been inscribed with the names of diocesan priests and deacons who have died since the establishment of the diocese. The Garden was made possible through contributions from priests, deacons and the families of deceased priests and deacons. As additional priests and deacons die their names will be added to the plaque memorializing the lifetime of work done for God here in the Diocese of Lake Charles.

Benches have been strategically placed near the statue to provide comfortable seating for those who wish to pray and meditate.

Priests and deacons whose names are inscribed on the plaque (and their date of death) are Aloysius Wilhelmus Van Buijtenen, 1983; Dudley Lawrence LeBert, 1983; Herman Oscar Sensat, 1985; Barry Michael Bordelon, 1987; Charles Eugene Levasseur, 1988; Armand Louis Perrault, 1988; Raymond John Gobeil, 1989; Anthony Peter Genna, 1991; Oscar Sigifredo Vasquez-Munoz, 1991; Clarence LeBlanc, 1992; Bede Lloyd Becnel, 1993; Paul Leland Perrin, 1993; Howard Wayne Coleman, 1994; Aurele Joseph Robichaud, 1994; Robert Lee Shreve, 1996; and Jules Oscar Daigle, 1998; Deacon John Segura 1999; Deacon Harry St. Mary 1999; Monsignor. Murphy Bernard 2000; Monsignor Curtis Vidrine 2000; Fr. Al Volpe 2003; Deacon Mark Benoit 2004; Monsignor Amos Vincent 2005; Fr. Oris Broussard 2006; Deacon Paul Thompson 2006; Monsignor Irving DeBlanc 2006; Fr. John Giles 2006; Fr. Maurice Martineau 2006.

Watch this site for other pieces of art within the Diocese of Lake Charles.

The Unborn, one of the thought-provoking works of art...

If you were to visit the grounds of Saint Charles Center and take the time to walk around, you would be impressed by the serenity, the abundance of nature, and the beauty of your surroundings. You would also discover a few items that may surprise you. As you walk along the main inner road leading to the Tabor Retreat Center, your eyes may catch an object at the trailhead of a nature walk.unborn.jpg

You would come across a small piece of what appears to be broken gray granite. This is indeed a piece of broken granite. The granite was part of a larger sculpture that was being formed by workers of the Solari family. At first, after the breakage, it was believed the granite was useless. However, viewed from a very different angle, it was seen as a piece of real art. After admiring the beauty of the stone itself, you may be saddened. Like the innocent unborn ripped from its mother's womb awaiting distruction, so was the stone. Yet, to millions of Christians and The Almighty, the unborn is viewed in a different light. Both the child and the stone are seen as works of art: precious.

The picture on the stone is of God's cupped hand, holding - ever so gently and lovingly - a small child. The quotation is from Isaiah 49:16: "Look, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."

Stained glass windows

The Diocese of Lake Charles has a rich and beautiful history.  Pieces of artwork from statues to stained glass windows have been donated and adorne almost every Parish facility.

Please enjoy looking through some of the more popular areas and works of art in our Diocese.