Cornelius Van de Ven

Cornelius van de Ven (June 16, 1865 – May 8, 1932) served as the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana.

Biography

Born in Oirschot in the Netherlands, Van de Ven was ordained into the priesthood for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans on May 31, 1890.

Van de Ven served as the founding pastor of the parish of Our Lady Help of Christians, which was established on Dec. 7, 1891, in Jennings, Louisiana. He was also responsible for chapels or stations at Lake Arthur, Welsh, Mermentau and Point-aux-Loups (later to be known as Iota, La.), across southwest Louisiana. Father van de Ven’s pastorate in Jennings was brief. In 1892, he was called to Lake Charles, Louisiana, as pastor of the “mother parish,” Immaculate Conception, now the seat of the Diocese of Lake Charles, administering Catholic parishes in much of the southwestern part of the state.

On October 24, 1904, he was appointed bishop of the Natchitoches Diocese and was consecrated bishop on November 30, 1904. On August 6, 1910 the name of the Natichitoches Diocese was changed to the Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana.^[1] Bishop Van de Ven died in office.^[2]

Notes

Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana
Ordinaries	Bishops of Natchitoches Augustus Marie Martin Francis Xavier Leray Anthony Durier Cornelius Van de Ven Bishops of Alexandria in Louisiana Cornelius Van de Ven Daniel Francis Desmond Charles Pasquale Greco Lawrence Preston Joseph Graves William Benedict Friend John Clement Favalora Sam Gallip Jacobs Ronald Paul Herzog
Churches	Cathedral St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Alexandria Parishes Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Natchitoches
Education	High schools Holy Savior Menard Central High School, Alexandria St. Joseph High School, Plaucheville St. Mary's High School, Natchitoches
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