The Diocese of Lake Charles, the sixth Catholic Diocese in Louisiana, was established by Pope John Paul II on January 29, 1980. The Most Reverend Jude Speyrer was appointed the first Bishop with his ordination and installation held April 25, 1980, in the Lake Charles Civic Center Coliseum in downtown Lake Charles.

The first priest ordained for the Diocese of Lake Charles was the Reverend Whitney Miller on June 6, 1980. A few months later, on September 8, the first class of deacons was ordained, and on September 9, St. Peter Claver was proclaimed the patron saint for the Diocese of Lake Charles. His feast is observed on the Sunday nearest to the actual feast day (September 9), allowing more of the faithful to participate.

The ecclesiastical administration of the five civil parishes of Southwest Louisiana — Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis — has been under the Diocese of Quebec, 1699-1762; the Diocese of Santiago de Cuba, 1762-1780; the Diocese of Havana, 1780-1793; the Diocese of Louisiana and East and West Florida; 1793-1803; the Diocese of Baltimore, 1803-1815; the Diocese of Louisiana, 1815-1826; the Diocese of New Orleans, 1826-1918; the Diocese of Lafayette, 1918-1980; and since 1980, the Diocese of Lake Charles.