Diocese of Alexandria 2020-2022 Directory TABLE OF CONTENTS A Brief History of the Diocese ............................................2 St. Francis of Assisi Church ............................................36 A Message from Bishop .....................................................3 St. Francis Xavier Cathedral ...........................................17 Deans and Deaneries .........................................................4 Sts. Francis and Anne Church ........................................29 Diocesan Staff and Ministries ..........................................5-8 St Genevieve Church ......................................................20 Clergy/Deacons/Religious .............................................9-15 St. James Church ...........................................................17 Parishes St. John the Baptist Church, Cloutierville .......................22 Christ the King Church ...................................................37 St. John the Baptist Church, Deville ...............................24 Church of the Little Flower ..............................................25 St. Joseph Church, Cheneyville ......................................22 Holy Cross Church .........................................................33 St. Joseph Church, Colfax ..............................................23 Holy Ghost Church .........................................................31 St. Joseph Church, Marksville ........................................32 Immaculate Conception Church, Dupont ........................24 St. Joseph Church, St. Joseph .......................................36 Immaculate Heart of Mary Church .................................38 St. Juliana Church ..........................................................18 Mary, Mother of Jesus Church ........................................40 St. Louis Church .............................................................27 Mater Dolorosa Church ..................................................35 St. Margaret Church .......................................................20 Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception ................34 St. Martin Church, Lecompte ..........................................29 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church ....................21 St. Martin of Tours Church, Belledeau ............................19 Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Fifth Ward ........................26 St. Mary Church, Jena ....................................................28 Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Vidalia ..............................38 St. Mary Church, Winnsboro ...........................................39 Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Winnfield..........................39 St. Mary’s Assumption Church .......................................23 Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church, Alexandria ............16 St. Michael Church, Bordelonville ...................................19 Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church, Mansura ...............30 St. Michael the Archangel Church, Leesville ..................30 Our Lady of Sorrows Church ..........................................32 St. Patrick Church ...........................................................26 Sacred Heart Church, Moreauville .................................33 St. Paul the Apostle Church ............................................31 Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Pineville ........................35 St. Peter Church .............................................................19 St. Alphonsus Church .....................................................27 St. Rita Church ...............................................................18 St. Anthony of Padua Church, Bunkie ............................21 Hispanic Mission ...............................................................40 St. Anthony of Padua Church, Natchitoches ...................34 Missions ............................................................................41 St. Augustine Church ......................................................28 Catholic Schools ..........................................................42-45 St. Edward the Confessor Church ..................................37 Catholic Ministries .......................................................46-47 St. Frances Cabrini Church.............................................16 Catholic Organizations .....................................................48 St. Francis de Sales Church ...........................................25 Mailing Address: P. O. Box 7417 • Alexandria, LA 71306-0417 Location: 4400 Coliseum Blvd • Alexandria, LA 71303-3597 Receptionist: (318) 445-2401 • Auto-attendant: (318) 445-6424 Toll Free: (866) 447-7088 • FAX: (318) 448-6121 Website: www.diocesealex.org 1 1 n A Brief History of the Diocese Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Natchitoches St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Alexandria On July 29, 1853, Pope Pius IX created a Schumpert Medical Center in Shreveport. the ministries of development and permanent diocese in the oldest settlement in the Louisiana The fifth Bishop and first American-born diaconate; communication apostolate in Purchase, Le Post de Natchitoches. It had only was Daniel Desmond, whose 12 years in office newspaper, radio and tv; and the Bishop’s five priests and five churches to serve 20,000 were marked by rapid growth in the diocese. He Stewardship Appeal. Catholics who were spread throughout the entire established 10 new schools, 22 parishes and 25 Bishop William B. Friend became the eighth northern half of Louisiana. new churches. bishop, but on July 29, 1986, he became the For 22 years, Bishop Auguste Marie Martin During the next 27 years, Bishop Charles head of the new Diocese of Shreveport. zealously recruited priests and religious from Pascal Greco led his generous and growing flock John C. Favalora was consecrated the ninth Europe. He established a seminary to train native in a phenomenal building program that included Bishop of the diocese. Six years later, Favalora clergy, started “priests schools,” and established the establishment of 33 new parishes and the became Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami. numerous missions. construction of more than 125 churches and Tenth bishop, Sam G. Jacobs, became a Bishop Francis Xavier Leray, after only two chapels, 100 convents and rectories, 50 schools, national icon for the Charismatic Movement in years as the second Bishop of Natchitoches, and 7 health care facilities. He also built St. the 90s. He combined his love for the youth was named coadjutor to the Archbishop of New Mary’s Residential Training School and Maryhill. with the movement and created Steubenville Orleans and attempted vigorously to fill both Bishop Lawrence P. Graves, 7th Bishop, South Youth Conference, and at the time was positions. A Frenchman by birth, he realized that was influential in establishing or improving one of the largest Catholic youth conferences in most of his flock were native English-speaking continuing education for priests; offices for the U.S. In 2003, he became the Bishop of the people, so he ordered his priests and religious to religious education and youth ministry; Maryhill; Diocese of Houma-Thibodeaux. pray, teach, and communicate in English. The eleventh bishop, Ronald P. Herzog, was The most notable contribution of the third ordained on Jan. 5, 2005. During his 11 years, he bishop, Antoine Durier, was in the field of Catholic established two new parishes and revitalized the education. His first pastoral letter ordered “the Permanent Diaconate program. establishment of a Catholic school near every On February 2, 2017, Bishop David P. Talley church” and organized a Catholic School Board (designated coadjutor in September 2016) in 1889. became the twelfth Bishop of Alexandria upon Bishop Cornelius Van de Ven had the Bishop Herzog’s retirement. In 2019 he became distinction of being both the fourth (and last) Bishop of Memphis in Tennessee. Bishop of Natchitoches and the first Bishop of The thirteenth Bishop of Alexandria, Robert Alexandria. In 1910, the See City was transferred W. Marshall, Jr., was appointed on April 21, to Alexandria and St. Francis Xavier Church was 2020. He was consecrated and installed on designated its Cathedral. Van de Ven established August 20, 2020. north Louisiana’s first Catholic hospital-- 2 Live Jesus in our hearts! Forever! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The prayer, “Live Jesus in our hearts,” is attributed to Saint The Lord Jesus is not just someone we are asked to visit John Baptist de La Salle, the patron saint of educators of weekly or from time to time – He must be as close as the air youth. I have chosen this simple prayer as my episcopal motto that we breathe and the light that guides our path. Yes, we – a reminder that Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives must welcome Jesus into our homes and into our hearts. Our and that everything we do should flow from His love. In my seventy-one church parishes and missions, our eight schools brief time here in Louisiana, I have learned that Christ’s love and our innumerable ministries, therefore, are where the faith beats in the hearts of many of the faithful people of the Church that dwells in our hearts is to be nourished, nurtured and of Alexandria. I am honored to be called to serve here. expressed. They are where we remember that God still calls us together in love and service as members of the Mystical For generations, the work of the Church in Central Louisiana Body of Christ. May our common experience of distance and has been carried out in church parishes,