Upcoming events around the Diocese of Lake Charles and beyond:
Center for Catholic Studies: Why This Cross?
LAKE CHARLES — The Center for Catholic Studies will offer a four-part series called Why This Cross? Finding Meaning in Redemptive Suffering. The theological presentation with instructor Paula Hunter will address topics that break our hearts and provoke our deepest questions about Faith. Why do bad things happen? How can we respond faithfully but authentically to life’s ongoing hardships?
Hunter is a seasoned Spiritual Director on staff at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Sulphur. The series will take place from 5:25 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, and February 6, 2025, at the Diocese of Lake Charles Chancery, 1201 Ryan Street. Cost is $35.
CLICK HERE to register online. For more information, contact the Office of Religious Education at 337-439-7400 x200 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
NOVEMBER 2024
CARLYSS — St. Theresa Catholic Church will host Maranatha Women’s Conference, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, November 23, featuring guest speaker, Emily Jaminet. The Anticipated Sunday Mass will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m. at the church, 4822 Carlyss Drive, Sulphur. The conference cost of $50 includes breakfast, lunch, and T-shirt.
Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children and Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network (www.welcomeHisHeart.com) and co-founder of www.InspiretheFaith.com.
For more information and to register for the conference, call the church office at 337-583-4800.
Sunday, Nov. 24: Christ the King Procession
LAKE CHARLES — Join the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in a Eucharistic Procession honoring Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, on Sunday, November 24, 2024. Holy Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., immediately followed by a Eucharistic Procession from Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church (2031 Opelousas Street) to Saint Martin de Porres Convent (1414 Martha Street). A reception will follow at the convent. If you choose not to walk, you are welcome to attend the reception between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. For questions and to RSVP, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 337-564-0030.
DECEMBER 2024
Dec. 2-4: Advent Mission at OLQH
LAKE CHARLES — Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, a Eucharistic Preacher for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will lead the Advent Mission at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in December. The mission is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. nightly Monday through Wednesday, December 2-4. The theme is “Hope Renewed: Living Advent with a Faithful Heart.”
Along with his Dominican brothers, Father Briscoe is host of the podcast “Godsplaining” and a co-author of “Saint Dominic's Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God.” He is also the author of the Our Sunday Visitor devotional, “My Daily Visitor.”
The topic of each night’s talk will be “Hope in God’s Mercy” on Monday, December 2; “Embracing Hope in Times of Struggle” on Tuesday, December 3; and “Our Lady, Mother of Hope” on the final night, Wednesday, December 4.
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church is located at 3939 Lake Street. For more information on the Advent Mission, please call the church office at 337-477-1236.
Dec. 6-7: Live Nativity at St. Joseph Parish
VINTON — St. Joseph Catholic Church will present a Live Nativity from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, December 6-7. A scripture will be read at 6:30 p.m. taking guests back to the night Jesus was born, followed by beautiful music to share and enjoy. Other highlights of the evening include blacksmiths, candle making, basket weaving, pottery, hot chocolate and cookies as you walk through Bethlehem. St. Joseph is located at 1502 Industrial Street.
LAKE CHARLES — Christ the King Catholic Church will host a Champagne Bingo and Dinner on Saturday, December 7, at the VFW Hall, 5676 Lake Street. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person, and the dinner includes smoked pork, mashed potatoes, green beans, cole slaw, roll and dessert. Cash prizes will be awarded.
LAKE CHARLES — The Lake Charles Messiah Chorus and Orchestra will present the 83rd performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8, in the historic F.G. Bulber Auditorium at McNeese State University. Admission is free.
LAKE CHARLES — St. Henry Catholic Church will host the annual celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day on Thursday, December 12. The celebration will begin at 4:45 p.m. with a bilingual rosary followed by Mass at 5:30 p.m. with His Excellency, the Most Reverend Glen John Provost, Bishop of Lake Charles. A dinner featuring Hispanic and American cuisine will follow the Mass at 6:30 p.m., with entertainment from 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. St. Henry Catholic Church is located at 1021 Eighth Avenue.
JANUARY 2025
Saturday, Jan. 4: Diocesan Epiphany Celebration
LAKE CHARLES — The Diocese of Lake Charles will host the third annual “Festival of Nations: Celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord” on Saturday, January 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and Founders Hall, 2031 Opelousas Street.
The event will offer families an opportunity to embrace traditions of other countries, but more importantly, to come together to adore the Lord. Highlights will include Eucharistic Procession, Adoration and Benediction, Confession, entertainment and food from a variety of countries, and gifts for the children from the Three Wise Men.
LAKE CHARLES — Theology of the Body Basic Training for Catechists in the Diocese of Lake Charles will be offered 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, January 11, at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School. Diocesan requirements are three hours of Basic Certification for teachers in Grades K-5. Cost is $5.00 payable to St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church. Questions may be directed to Becky Clements at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 337-274-6800 (text or voice). Registration deadline is one week prior to training.
FEBRUARY 2025
LAKE CHARLES — Theology of the Body Advanced Training for Catechists in the Diocese of Lake Charles will be offered 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 15, at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School. Diocesan requirements are 10 hours of Advanced Certification for teachers in Grades 6-12. Cost is $10.00 payable to St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church. Questions may be directed to Becky Clements at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 337-274-6800 (text or voice). Registration deadline is one week prior to training.
JENNINGS — The annual Altar Society Conference will be held on Tuesday, February 18, at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church, 710 North State Street, and St. Mary Center across the street. Jane Sneed, President of the Ladies Altar Society of OLHC, is requesting that church parishes across the Diocese of Lake Charles please provide the phone and email address of their Altar Society representative for future correspondence. For more information, contact Sneed at 337-329-0897 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
PILGRIMAGES
Marian Pilgrimage in 2025
Father Rommel Tolentino will lead a pilgrimage to the Marian shrines of Portugal, Spain and France, April 21-May 4, 2025. The theme for Jubilee Year 2025 is "Pilgrims of Hope." Our Lady's apparitions offer a message of hope and a testament of her motherly love. Learn about Our Blessed Mother's messages of love, hope, and warning in the various places she visited, such as Fatima, Garabandal, Lourdes, La Salette, Rue de Bac in Paris, plus a number of other holy sites — Santarem, Santiago de Compostela, Loyola, Ars, Paray-le-Monial, etc. For more information, call Sara Edwards at 504-258-7282 or visit www.trinitytourtravels.com/fr-rommel-tolentino
ONGOING
LAKE CHARLES — A Holy Hour of Reparation is held weekly on Thursday night, 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 2031 Opelousas Street. This is the hour in which Our Lord agonized over our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is the same hour prescribed by the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary: “Make reparation for the ingratitude of men. Spend an hour in prayer to appease divine justice, to implore mercy for sinners, to honor Me, to console Me for My bitter suffering when abandoned by My apostles, when they did not WATCH ONE HOUR WITH ME.”
MOSS BLUFF — Deacon Brian Soileau, director of Saint Charles Center, presides over Eucharistic Adoration and Divine Mercy at 7:00 p.m. every Tuesday in the Chapel of the Assumption. Saint Charles Center is located at 2151 Sam Houston Jones Parkway. Please check the Saint Charles Center website calendar, Facebook, or call the office at 337-855-1232 to check for change of venue due to retreats during the week or some unforeseen situations.
