In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? The prophet Isaiah responded, “Here I am. Send me.” I am humbled and grateful that God has sent me to Mary, Queen of Peace and St. George. Be assured that like Isaiah, I come to you with an open and willing heart. In the divine providence of God, I look forward to rekindling previous relationships and building new ones.
My full name is Fr. Karl Jay Daigle and I was born January 17, 1971, in the New Orleans area. My parents are Mary and Deacon Kelly “Sonny” Daigle. Unfortunately, my father passed away at the age of 66, from colon cancer. He was ordained a Deacon for the Diocese of Shreveport and briefly served at St. Jude Church. I had an older brother named Kevin. He died at the age of 28, from A.I.D.S., as a result of blood transfusion he received for a congenital birth defect in his stomach. He was married and worked as a Chemical Engineer in Lagrange, Georgia.
My life has prepared me well for the reality of the priesthood. I have moved often throughout my life, and have lived in the city, suburbs, and country. When my family moved to Bossier City, we attended St. Jude’s. I attended Loyola College Prep and graduated in 1989. I was accepted to Baylor University in Waco, Texas. It was during my freshman year that I discovered my call to the priesthood. Looking back with the gift of hindsight, the Lord had been preparing me for the priesthood my whole life. Ever since I was young boy, I had a natural interest in God, faith, and church. I loved to attend Mass, was an Altar Server, and used to play pretend Mass.
In August 1990, I was officially accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Shreveport. I finished my undergraduate work at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. I received a Master of Divinity at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. I was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Shreveport on May 31, 1997. My pastoral assignments have been: Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph Church in Shreveport; Pastor of a group of churches collectively known as the Communities of the Holy Spirit
(St. Paul in Minden; Sacred Heart in Springhill, Blessed Sacrament in Ringgold, St. Margaret’s in Homer, and David Wade Prison in Haynesville); Pastor of St. Joseph Church and School in Shreveport; Pastor of Christ the King Church in Bossier City & Pastor of St. Jude Catholic Church in Benton.
On the personal side, I am a diehard football fan, especially of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fightin Irish of Notre Dame, New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers. Other interests include: lifting weights, collecting & watching movies, rock & roll and country music concerts, reading Catholic spirituality and theology, and spending time with family, friends and parishioners.
I love my vocation to the priesthood, and find that my passion for it continues to grow and deepen with the passage of time. Even though there are many aspects of priesthood that I treasure, the areas of ministry that I find most fulfilling are: counseling, spiritual direction, celebrating the sacraments, visiting the sick, and socializing with families and the community.
I look forward to walking the journey of life and faith with you over the coming years, inspiring and helping each other to live more fully the richness of our Catholic Christian faith.
