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Bishop Duca announces that The Diocese of Baton Rouge will join with other dioceses throughout the nation to offer assistance to the victims of Hurricane Helene.

After Hurricane Francine raked across Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 11, Ascension Catholic School in Donaldsonville quickly responded and continues to operate during its rebuilding phase through strategic planning and the support of students, teachers and Ascension Catholic community.

For the second time in the school’s history, St. Aloysius School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Liturgical ministers play a vital part in assuring that Mass flows smoothly and the congregation is connected to God through word, prayer, and sacraments.

On Aug. 24, 1924, families gathered in the St. Philip Church Hall in Vacherie toprepare for the St. Philip Church Fair. They were joyfully preoccupied with thedetails of the event and scarcely paid attention to the black, ominous clouds on the horizon.

Check this link often to learn more about closures and other impacts from Francine and to witness our diocesan response.

Approximately 300 Catechists in the Diocese of Baton Rouge spent a day being refreshed and learning how to spread the “holy fire” of knowledge and love of Christ to the people they serve in their parishes, schools, and homes at the Convocation of Catechists.

The Jesuit retreat and spiritual centers in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, have come together to create a new, high-capacity retreat facility named Grand Coteau Retreats: A Jesuit Mission Since 1837. The new retreat center will make use of the buildings housing both Our Lady of the Oaks and St. Charles College

Christopher Ragusa, professor of bioethics and moral theology at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, presented a workshop about the Catholic Church’s teachings on In Vitro fertilization (IVF), which are based on “seeking the truth in love” and “love in the truth.” The Office of Life, Peace and Justice of the Diocese of Baton Rouge sponsored the Aug. 8 event, which was held at the Catholic Life Center.

The Secular Discalced Carmelites of Baton Rouge held a profession ceremony at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Baton Rouge on Aug. 11. Father Joseph Bresowar, spiritual assistant, presided at the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. (Above, right photo) Pictured being clothed during a clothing ceremony are, from left, Greer Gordon, Russell and Janice Miller, and Theresa Davis, formation directress. (Left Photo) Pictured, from left, are Davis; Joe Marie Dizon, making Definitive Promise; and Rosa Lee Porche. making First Promise. Anyone who would like more information more about membership to the Secular Discalced Carmelites can email [email protected]. Photos provided by Frances Locker

A large crowd of people from across the state flocked to Baton Rouge on August 14 to celebrate the beginning of a 2-day Eucharistic celebration of faith, life, and culture along the Mississippi River during Fête-Dieu du Mississippi.

The campus of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Baton Rouge was an oasis providing spiritual rejuvenation for hundreds of women attending the Women in the New Evangelization (WINE) Conference in July. The theme of the event was “A Spiritual Spa: Come to the Living Waters.” Maria Vargo testified about how God’s merciful love led to a powerful conversion and gave her new career dedicated to God in her talk, “Heavenly Hydrotherapy: Opening the Gates of Heaven.”

This year’s Louisiana Pro-Life Summit explored the next steps in saving babies and helping moms, confronting the mail order abortion pill crisis, and cutting through the controversy in pro-life conversations.

On Aug. 1, hundreds of Catholic educators throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge converged on Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church campus in Baton Rouge, exuding an eager anticipation in welcoming students in their classroom at the beginning of the school year. The theme of the 2024 Catholic Educators Gathering, hosted by The Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, was “We Are Welcome.”

For its tenth anniversary the annual Fête-Dieu du Têche will make history by charting a two-day course on the Mississippi River instead of the usual bayou in Lafayette on August 14-15.

Schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge are welcoming students back into the classroom for the 2024–2025 school year. On August 7, students, administration, and staff at St. Alphonsus School in Greenwell Springs bubbled with enthusiasm as the school and parish community welcomes its new pastor, Father Jason Palermo (pictured blessing backpacks at an opening assembly), and new principal, Kristy Monsour (pictured welcoming students) New students, such as kindergarten students Kevin Johnson III and Anna Blanton, got acquainted with their classmates and school.

High school juniors and seniors enthusiastically confirmed they had a calling to the medical profession after spending a week shadowing nurses at FranU’s Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Camp July 15–19.

Bishop Michael G. Duca found his experiences of coming together with people from across the nation, other countries, and his own flock of the Diocese of Baton Rouge at the National Eucharistic Congress July 17–21 in Indianapolis to be one of the joys of being a bishop, priest, and faithful Catholic.

Michael Acaldo, the CEO of the Diocesan Council of Baton Rouge, is the new CEO of the National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Families from the Diocese of Baton Rouge who traveled to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17 – 21 said their intent was not to experience the event as a vacation, but rather as a pilgrimage of faith together. Even through their sacrifices they were filled with the ultimate joy of experiencing the Congress with the universal church family.