Diocese of Lafayette
1408 Carmel Drive
Lafayette, LA 70501
337-261-5652
The History of the Diocese of Lafayette

The Diocese of Lafayette was established in Louisiana in 1918 in the southwest portion of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, between the Atchafalaya and the Sabine rivers. But the history of the Catholic Church in southwest Louisiana began in the mid 1750s when settlers came from France, Spain and Germany. Many were accompanied by priests to bring the sacraments and preach the word of God in the new land.

When England expelled the French colonists from eastern Canada, also in the middle of the 18th century, many of these came to south Louisiana where previous settlers had the same French language and Catholic faith of the exiles.

The first church parishes in what is now the Diocese of Lafayette were St. Martinville, established 1756; St. Landry, 1776, and later Grand Coteau, 1819, and Vermilionville (now Lafayette) 1821. 

All of southwest Louisiana then belonged to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The Diocese of Northern Louisiana, first known as the Diocese of Natchitoches, was erected in 1853. It became the Alexandria diocese in 1910.

In 1918, the civil parishes (counties) of southwest Louisiana carved from the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the new Diocese of Lafayette was formed. At the time of its erection, statistics indicated 48 church parishes with a Catholic population of 152,000.

Current Statistics (10-1-11)

  • Church Parishes: 121
  • Catholic Population: 304,921
  • Catholic Families: 103,293