News - January 2026 RSS Feed

With temperatures in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas expected to plunge into the 20s and 30s this weekend, and due to the forecast possibility of winter precipitation, there will inevitably be impacts throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge. This post contains important information regarding parish and school closures and other information related to operations due to inclement weather.

Owen Tabor, 15, was popular, never bullied, good looking, fun loving, athletic, and came from a stable home with a family rooted in faith that loved and supported him. He was a graduate of St. Jean Vianney School and was a good student at St. Michael High School. When he took his life on April 29, 2023, two weeks from his 16th birthday, his family and friends were filled with heartache.

December’s stories invite us into hope, reflection, and faithful witness during the Advent season. In this issue of The Collect, explore how our diocese embraces the Jubilee Year’s message of hope, strengthens families as the domestic church, honors history with truth and dignity, and celebrates young people living out a life of service. Together, these stories remind us that even in waiting, the light of Christ is meant to be shared.

The Office of Evangelization & Catechesis and the Office of Hispanic Ministry welcomed a catechist’s mentor program, the Franciscan At Home Curriculum.

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University celebrated the completion of its newly renovated School of Health Professions Building with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 7 at the Health Professions Building on campus.

I once lived in community for several years with an Oblate brother who was wonderfully generous and pious to a fault. But he struggled to pick up symbol and metaphor. He took things literally. For him, what the words said is what they meant!

Kate Stapleton stood with her feet in the waters of the Great Lakes and peered out into the horizon. She searched for answers on how to provide the best life possible for the baby she conceived in an unplanned pregnancy.