Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana

Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana Dioecesis Alexandrina in Louisiana
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Parishes of Avoyelles, Rapides, Vernon, Natchitoches, Winn, Caldwell, Madison, Franklin, Tensas, Concordia, Catahoula Parish, Lasalle, Grant
Ecclesiastical province	Archdiocese of New Orleans
Statistics
Area
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2012) 395,000 44,600 (11.3%)
Parishes	50
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1853
Cathedral	St. Francis Xavier Cathedral
Patron saint	St. Francis Xavier
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Ronald Paul Herzog Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana
Metropolitan Archbishop	Gregory Michael Aymond Archbishop of New Orleans
Map
Website
diocesealex.org

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and Rectory in Alexandria

The Diocese of Alexandria is the Roman Catholic diocese for central Louisiana, based in Alexandria, with its see at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. It encompasses the parishes, or counties, of Avoyelles, Rapides, Vernon, Natchitoches, Winn, Caldwell, Madison, Franklin, Tensas, Concordia, Cathoula, Lasalle, and Grant.

The current Bishop of the Diocese is Ronald Paul Herzog, who was appointed to office on November 4, 2004 and formally installed on January 5, 2005. Prior to becoming Bishop, he had been a priest of the Biloxi, Mississippi diocese since 1977.

Sam Jacobs was Bishop from July 1, 1989 to August 1, 2003. In August 2003, he became the Bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana and from that date until November 2004, the diocese did not have a resident Bishop but was led by Bishop William Benedict Friend of the Diocese of Shreveport, who served as the Apostolic Administrator for the diocese.

The corporate title of the diocese is The Diocese of Alexandria. The Latin title of the diocese is Dioecesis Alexandrina in Louisiana.

History

The diocese was founded in 1853 as the Diocese of Natchitoches (Natchitochensis) and the first Bishop of was Augustus Marie Martin.

In 1910, the name of the Diocese changed to the Diocese of Alexandria (Alexandrinus).

In 1976, the name of the Diocese changed again to the Diocese of Alexandria-Shreveport (Alexandrinus-Shreveportuensis). It was known by this name until the summer of 1986, when the northern Louisiana portion of the territory was separated to form the new Diocese of Shreveport. Once again, the diocese was known as the Diocese of Alexandria.

Ordinaries of the Diocese

The list of the bishops of the diocese and their years of service:

1. Augustus Marie Martin (1853–1875), Deceased
2. Francis Xavier Leray (1876–1879), Reassigned as Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans
3. Anthony Durier (1884–1904), Deceased
4. Cornelius Van de Ven (1904–1932), Deceased
5. Daniel Francis Desmond (1932–1945),His Deceased
6. Charles Pasquale Greco (1946–1973), Retired
7. Lawrence Preston Joseph Graves (1973–1982), Resigned
8. William Benedict Friend (1982–1986), Reassigned as Bishop of Shreveport, Louisiana
9. John Clement Favalora (1986–1989), Reassigned as Bishop of Saint Petersburg
10. Sam Gallip Jacobs (1989–2003), Reassigned as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana
11. Ronald Paul Herzog (2004–Present)

High schools

• Holy Savior Menard Central High School, Alexandria
• St. Joseph High School, Plaucheville
• St. Mary's High School, Natchitoches

Arms

Arms of Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana

Notes Arms was designed and adopted when the diocese was erected. Adopted 1853 Escutcheon Gules, a cross throughout Argent between four bells of the last; overall, at the center point, a crescent checky Sable and Or. Symbolism The red background is used to signify the Red River that runs through the See City. The cross, of The Faith, divides the four bells that are taken from the arms of the Patriarchal See of Alexandria, in Egypt, for which the See City is named. Overall, at the center of the design is a black and gold (yellow) checky crescent, which is taken from the arms of the Spanish family “Xavier,” and this symbol is used throughout ecclesiastical heraldry as the classic charge for Saint Francis Xavier, titular of the cathedral-church in Alexandria.

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria Official Site