Our diocese consists of 54 worshiping congregations: 33 parishes, 13 missions — including three college chaplaincies — and five mission stations.

Louisiana is blessed with a richness of cultural and natural resources. Its abundance of cultures and ethnic diversity is known around the world. South Louisiana has a multicultural, multilingual heritage, so strongly influenced by a blend of 18th century European, Caribbean, African and Central American cultures that it is considered somewhat exceptional in the U.S. Our people can trace their heritage to more countries than many other regions of the United States.

The people of the Diocese of Louisiana resemble our tasty gumbos that are a staple menu item — we are a rich collective of flavors, colors, and consistency, each retaining a strong sense of our roots and origins, but coming together in a wonderful, flavorful mixture. Louisiana is also well known for its bountiful natural resources of forests, swamps, and the saltwater marshes that give way to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

South Louisiana boasts rich, delicious and exotic foods, zydeco music, Cajun and Creole cultures, rabid football fans and the most eclectic and gracious people you will ever meet. Baton Rouge, the state capital, is home to our flagship university, LSU; and Southern University, one of the premier historically black land grant colleges in the country. New Orleans, still recovering from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, is still the epicenter of all things fun and bizarre, and has a thriving film industry. In between our two largest cities you will find beautiful bayous and farms, antebellum homes and families that have been settled there for centuries.