Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana Dioecesis Alexandrina in Louisiana |
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Location | |
Country | United States |
Territory | Parishes of Avoyelles, Rapides, Vernon, , Winn, Caldwell, Madison, Franklin, Tensas, Concordia, Catahoula Parish, Lasalle, Grant |
Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of New Orleans |
Statistics | |
Area | 28,780 sq mi (74,500 km2) |
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 |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Gregory Michael Aymond |
Coadjutor | David Talley |
Map | |
Website | |
diocesealex.org |
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. On September 21, 2016 Pope Francis named Atlanta Auxiliary Bishop David Talley as Coadjutor Bishop of Alexandria.
The corporate title of the diocese is The Diocese of Alexandria. The Latin title of the diocese is Dioecesis Alexandrina in Louisiana.
The diocese was founded in 1853 as the (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.
The list of the bishops of the diocese and their years of service:
Coordinates: 31°17′34″N 92°27′33″W / 31.29278°N 92.45917°W