Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana

Pope Benedict XV erected the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana on 11 January 1918, with territory taken from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of New Orleans, designating Saint John's Church in Lafayette as the cathedral of the new diocese and making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan see.

On 29 January 1980, Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Lake Charles, assigning approximately the western half of the original territory of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana to the new diocese[1] and making the new diocese also a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of New Orleans.[2]

In 1974, Bishop Gerard Frey assigned Rev. Gilbert Gauthe as a Boy Scout chaplain despite the fact that Gauthe had previously come to Frey's attention for having molested altar boys.[3] Gauthe was stripped of his priestly duties after more allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in 1983.[4] Bishop Frey was criticized for his handling of Gauthe's case, and in 1985 expressed his regret, saying, "I ask for the prayers and understanding of all our people and of all people of good will of every faith and belief. I deeply regret and am distressed by the suffering that has taken place because of the tragic events in the diocese over the past several years."

In total, the diocese settled for more than $20 million in lawsuits involving Gauthe. Gauthe was later jailed for violating the Texas sex offender registration law and released in April 2010.[5]

In 1986, Diocese priest Robert Lane Fontenot was convicted of sexually abusing three children and received a sentence of one year in prison and two years of probation and forced residence at Jemez Springs, New Mexico.[6]

In 2008, the Diocese agreed to pay a financial settlement to a former altar boy who claimed Diocese priest Valerie Pullman had sexually abused him in 1972.[6] Pullman later died in 2017 after being accused as early as 1966 of sexually abusing children at different parishes in the Diocese.[6]

In October 2018, former Acadiana priest Felix David Broussard received a five year prison sentence after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.[7]

On March 29, 2019, former Morrow priest Michael Guirdy plead to committing acts of child molestation while served in the Diocese of Lafayette.[8] He had surrendered to police in June 2018 after he was charged and began serving time in prison.[9] On April 30, 2019, Guidry received a seven-year prison sentence.[10]

In April 2019, the Diocese of Lafayette released a list of 33 clergy who were "credibly accused" of committing acts of sex abuse while serving in the Diocese.[11]

The diocese consists of four deaneries[13] containing eight civil parishes:

• North (St. Landry Parish and Evangeline Parish)
• Central (most of Lafayette Parish and a large part of St. Martin Parish)
• South (Iberia Parish and St. Mary Parish, as well as part of St. Martin Parish)
• West (Acadia Parish and Vermilion Parish, as well as a small part of Lafayette Parish)

The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1765.

• Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau
• Catholic High School, New Iberia
• Hanson Memorial High School, Franklin
• Notre Dame High School, Crowley
• Opelousas Catholic School, Opelousas
• Sacred Heart High School, Ville Platte
• St. Edmund High School, Eunice
• St. Thomas More High School, Lafayette
• Teurlings Catholic High School, Lafayette
• Vermilion Catholic High School, Abbeville

See: List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Province of New Orleans

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana Official Site
• Brief description of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
• Photos of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist