Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Lake Charles, Louisiana) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 2023
Location	935 Bilbo Street Lake Charles, Louisiana
Country	United States
Denomination	Catholic Church
History
Status	Cathedral/Parish church
Founded	1869 (parish)
Dedication	Immaculate Conception
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Favrot & Livaudais
Style	Romanesque Revival Italianate
Completed	1913
Specifications
Number of spires	One
Materials	Brick
Administration
Diocese	Lake Charles

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic cathedral located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States. It is the main church for the Diocese of Lake Charles. The church parish started in 1869. It became a cathedral in 1980. The church building, its rectory (where the priest lives), and a garage are all listed together as important historical places.

Inside the cathedral, there is a very old statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is made of Carrara marble. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI gave special permission for this statue to be crowned. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò led the crowning ceremony on August 22, 2013. The whole church building was renovated and finished in 2019.

History of the Cathedral
Immaculate Conception Cathedral School
See also

History of the Cathedral

The grotto on the cathedral grounds.

The first Catholic church in Lake Charles was called St. Francis de Sales. It was built in 1858 as a small mission chapel. The church parish was officially started in 1869. It also received its first priest at that time.

Building a New Church

A hurricane damaged the church in 1879. Because of this, the parish decided to build a new church. The parish was renamed Immaculate Conception. The new church building was finished in 1881.

However, this church and other buildings nearby were destroyed in a big fire. This fire happened on April 23, 1910.

Designing the Current Cathedral

After the fire, plans for the current church began. A famous architectural company from New Orleans, Favrot & Livaudais, designed it. The church was completed in 1913. The rectory and garage, which are also historic, were finished the same year.

The buildings were designed in a style called Romanesque Revival. This style was common in a region of Italy called Lombardy.

Adding Beautiful Details

In 1923, three marble altars were added to the church. These altars were in the Gothic style. They originally came from a church in Salt Lake City. Immaculate Conception got them when the Utah church was remodeled.

Around 1950, marble was added to the lower parts of the side walls. The columns in the main part of the church were also covered in marble. A marble pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, was also added then.

Later Additions and Status

A stone grotto with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built on the church property in 1948. In 1973, a brick wing was added to the northeast side of the church. This wing has a small chapel and a parish center. It was designed to match the church's Romanesque style. There is a courtyard between this new addition and the church.

On January 29, 1980, Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Lake Charles. The Immaculate Conception church then became the main cathedral for this new diocese.

Historic Recognition and Hurricane Damage

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 7, 1994. It is important because of its unique architectural style. It is the only Romanesque Revival building in Lake Charles. It is also one of only ten important non-residential buildings left in the city after many older buildings were torn down between the 1950s and 1970s.

On August 27, 2020, Hurricane Laura hit Lake Charles. The cathedral and the nearby diocesan office building were damaged. The office building could not be used after the storm.

View up the nave toward the chancel.
View down the nave toward gallery.
Canonically crowned image of the Virgin Mary.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral School

Immaculate Conception Cathedral School is the parish's school for younger students. It opened on February 19, 1950. As of 2019, it has about 20 teachers and a principal. There are around 410 to 430 students.

In 2007, a new addition called the St. Charles Annex was built. It has four classrooms. It also includes a multipurpose room that serves as a library, an art room, and a computer lab.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Lake Charles, Louisiana) facts for kids

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