Diocese of Lafayette
7 reports indexed, newest first.
October 2026
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Vatican upholds Lafayette bishop's excommunication of deacon whose son was abused by a priest
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith rejected a former deacon's appeal of his excommunication, which followed his departure from the Church over the abuse of his son by Father Michael Guidry, who confessed and is serving a prison sentence. Critics note the bishop let Guidry remain a priest.
April 2008
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Ex-priest Gilbert Gauthe arrested in Texas on sex-offender registration charge
Texas police arrested Gauthe, convicted in 1985, for allegedly failing to give required advance notice before moving under the state's sex-offender registration law.
March 2002
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Boston crisis reopens old wounds in Louisiana, where the scandal first surfaced
As the Boston scandal spread nationally, the Times returned to the Lafayette diocese, where the Gauthe case had first exposed clergy abuse in 1984-85.
December 1987
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Report: Lafayette diocese has paid about $12 million in Gauthe-related cases, including $1.25M jury award
A review of the Gauthe case reported that a 1986 jury awarded one family $1.25 million after the diocese admitted liability, and that the diocese had paid an estimated $12 million across 16 cases.
October 1985
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Former Louisiana priest Gilbert Gauthe sentenced to 20 years in prison
Under a plea agreement, Gauthe pleaded guilty to charges including child pornography and crimes against nature and received a 20-year prison sentence.
June 1985
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Louisiana families sue diocese as priest Gilbert Gauthe faces dozens of molestation counts
Gauthe, who had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to 34 counts, was reported to have acknowledged abusing dozens of children, while families pursued suits against the Lafayette diocese, which had already paid $4.2 million to nine families.
May 1985
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Times of Acadiana investigation details how Lafayette diocese handled priest Gilbert Gauthe
Jason Berry's investigation reported that church leaders in the Diocese of Lafayette received warnings about Rev. Gilbert Gauthe for years before he was removed, and described criminal charges and confidential settlements with families.