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Local Catholic Church History and Catholic Ancestors of Louisiana

Local Catholic Church & Family History Research Worldwide

Local Catholic Church and Family History of

Louisiana

      The geographic area of Louisiana is in the ecclesiastical province of New Orleans which includes the Archdiocese of New Orleans (Louisiana) and Dioceses of Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport (Louisiana).
For Eastern Rites see also: Byzantine Catholic

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Genealogical Research of Catholic Ancestors
Louisiana

Note: Louisiana is divided into civil Parishes rather than Counties.
Select from the following: Archdiocese of New Orleans (Louisiana) and Dioceses of Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport (Louisiana).  Byzantine Catholic.


   Chancery:  7887 Walmsley Ave. - New Orleans, LA  70125
   Archives: Archdiocese of New Orleans - 1100 Chartres Street - New Orleans, LA 70116-2596
                   Phone: (504) 529-2651     E-mail: archives@archdiocese-no.org
New Orleans Archdiocesan Archives for Genealogy
   The Archdiocese of New Orleans encompasses the area civil Parishes (Counties) of Orleans, Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, and Washington.  Records for parishes in all other Louisiana Parishes (Counties) should be requested from the respective dioceses.

History of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, by Charles E. Nolan, May 2001


      Chancery:  P.O. Box 7417 - Alexandria, LA  71306
   History of Catholic Church in Louisiana from 1662  &  Map
   The Diocese of Alexandria includes the north central civil parishes (counties) of Avoyelles, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, Franklin, Grant, Lasalle, Madison, Natchitoches, Rapides, Tensas, Vernon and Winn.


   Chancery: Catholic Life Center, 1600 S. Acadian Thruway - P.O. Box 2028 - Baton Rouge, LA  70821
History from 1722, when the first Eucharist was celebrated in Baton Rouge on New Year's Day.  & Map
   Established in 1961, the Diocese of Baton Rouge was originally included in the Diocese of New Orleans.  It encompasses the twelve civil parishes (Counties) in south central Louisiana:  Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupée, St. Helena, St. James, Tangipahoa, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.


   Chancery:  2779 Hwy. 311 - P.O. Box 505 - Schriever, LA 70395
                      Phone: (504) 868-7720
   Archives & Historical Research Center:
       205 Audubon Avenue - Thibodaux, LA 70301
       Phone: (504) 446-2383   Fax: (504) 449-0574
   Diocesan Offices
   The Diocese of Houma - Thibodaux encompasses the Civil Parishes (similar to counties) of Lafourche and Terrebonne and portions of St. Mary, Jefferson, St. Martin and Iberia Civil Parishes.


   949 Menard Street - Thibodaux, LA 70301   Phone: (504) 446-0280.


   Chancery: 1408 Carmel Ave. - Lafayette, LA  70501
 I believe this Diocese consists of the civil parishes (Counties) of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion.  Please let me know if you find I am in error.
   History of the Diocese of Lafayette from 1750 - In 1918, the civil parishes (counties) of southwest Louisiana carved from the Archdiocese of New Orleans...


   610 Raintree Trail - Lafayette, LA 70507   Phone:  (337) 235-1483.


   505 Broadmoor Boulevard - Lafayette, Louisiana 70503, USA


   708 East Main Street - Ville Platte, LA.

    • Diocese of Lake Charles  (Louisiana)  [est. 19801]


   Chancery:  P.O. Box 3223 - Lake Charles, LA  70602
   The Diocese of Lake Charles encompasses the civil parishes (counties) of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis in Louisiana.
 Southwest Catholic Monthly Newspaper for the Diocese of Lake Charles


   Chancery:  2500 Line Ave. - Shreveport, LA  71104
   Archives:
   The Diocese of Shreveport encompasses the following Northern Louisiana  civil parishes (counties): Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, East Carroll, West Carroll, De Soto, Jackson, Lincoln, Morehouse, Ouachita, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Union and  Webster.

For Byzantine Catholic Churches of Louisiana , refer to
 

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·  Historical Research of Catholic Churches & Ancestors

 
 
 
 

Louisiana

  • Catholic History of Cuba, by Ventura Fuentes, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV, 1908, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.


   In 1518 Leo X established the Diocese of all Cuba, which included also the Spanish possessions of Louisiana and Florida. The see was established at Baracoa in Santiago de Cuba, and in 1522, by a Bull of Adrian VI, it was transferred to the city of Santiago de Cuba...


   "...This city, while the chosen residence of the Cuban bishops on account of the means of communication afforded by the port and the protection afforded by its fortifications against pirates and sea-rovers, was not always the episcopal see. That honour belonged for a brief period to Baracoa (1518), and then to Santiago de Cuba (1522)..."
   In 1786, the Cuban diocese comprised the island itself and the territories of Louisiana and Florida.


   "...Erected 25 April, 1793, as the Diocese of Saint Louis of New Orleans; raised to its present rank and title 19 July, 1850. Its original territory comprised the ancient Louisiana purchase and East and West Florida, being bounded on the north by the Canadian line, on the west by the Rocky Mountains and the Rio Perdito, on the east by the Diocese of Baltimore [Maryland, U.S.A.], and on the south by the Diocese of Linares [Monterey / Nuevo Leon, Mexico] and the Archdiocese of Durango [Mexico]..."

  • Catholic History in Florida, by James Veale, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VI, 1908, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.


   "...St. Augustine began its existence as a regularly constituted parish of the Diocese of Santiago de Cuba. Its church records, dating from 1594, are preserved in the archives of the present cathedral...
   In 1787 Florida became subject to the newly constituted See of St. Christopher of Havana...
   In 1793 Pius VI established the Diocese of Louisiana and the Floridas, appointing the Right Rev. Luis Peñalver y Cardenas, with residence at New Orleans, as first bishop...

  • See:  Local Catholic History & Genealogy Guides for

 neighboring states of + Arkansas + Mississippi + Texas +
or related locations of + Georgia + Cuba + Spain + France +

Documents


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Catholic Biographies
If you know of a web site for a biography of a Catholic with a Louisiana   connection, please let me know.
Saint Peter Claver (1580-1654) patron saint of the Diocese of Lake Charles
A Cajun History on the site of A Catholic Cajun Family - Ville Platte, LA by Grace Soileau


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Louisiana History, Genealogy & Directory Links


For Birth records over 100 years old and death and marriage records over 50 years old write to:
   Louisiana State Archives
   P.O. Box 94125
   Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125


   Address: 701 North 4th Street - Baton Rouge, LA 70802    Phone: (225) 342-4923
   Mailing Address: P.O. Box 131 - Baton Rouge, LA 70821


     Louisiana Division
     New Orleans Public Library
     219 Loyola Ave.
     New Orleans, LA 70112-2044
     Phone: 504-596-2610


   Do not be confused by the term "parish" when researching in LA.

Contact:  Webmaster

I am creating this site as a helpful guide to researching the history of the local Catholic Churches, and to help genealogists who are researching Catholic ancestors in this geographic area.
Though links to this page for are encouraged, please do not download the page without requesting permission, since it contains copyright protected material.
If you have a suggestion, find an error, or a site that you believe will be helpful, please let me know.  --Ann Mensch

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Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007, by Ann Mensch.  All Rights Reserved.


References consulted include:

  • 111990 Catholic Almanac.  Felician A. Foy, O.F. M. (Editor), Rose M. Avato (Associate Editor).  Huntington: Our Sunday Visitory Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


and

  • 1998 Catholic Almanac.  Felician A. Foy, O.F. M. and Rose M. Avato (Editors and Compilers).  Huntington: Our Sunday Visitory Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
  • 2New Advent, Inc.  From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright © 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright © 1997 by New Advent, Inc.  (A Catholic Web Site transcribing The Catholic Encyclopedia: an International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline and History of the Catholic Church.  Herbermann, Pace, et al. (Editors). Imprint:  Appleton (New York) 1907-1912.)

Timeline:

1682: Robert Cavelier de la Salle planted the cross on Louisiana soil, claiming the area for France
1760s: Arrival of the Acadians 

List:

·  Archdiocese of New Orleans  (Louisiana) [est. 1739, Archdiocese, 18501]
   Diocese of Baton Rouge  (Louisiana) [est. 19611]
   Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux  (Louisiana) [est. 19771]
   Diocese of Lafayette  (Louisiana) [est. 19181]
   Diocese of Lake Charles  (Louisiana) [est. 19801]
   Diocese of Shreveport  (Louisiana) [est. 19861]
   Diocese of Alexandria (Louisiana)   [est. 18531]