NEW ORLEANS — The newly elected Pope Leo XIV has ties to Louisiana from more than a century ago, a New Orleans historian and genealogist said Thursday.
The former Cardinal Robert Prevost, elevated to the papacy Thursday, has connections to the New Orleans Creole community, said historian Jari Christopher Honora. Honora posted a marriage certificate that says Prevost’s maternal grandparents Joseph Martínez and Louise Baquie married at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Annette Street in New Orleans in 1887.
Honora, who has written for the Historic New Orleans Connection, added that at the turn of the 20th century the couple lived on North Prieur Street in the Seventh Ward before it was overtaken by the Claiborne Avenue overpass. The family then moved to Chicago between 1910 and 1912.
“What a great connection for our local population!” Honora said in a Facebook post sharing Census and marriage records.
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According to AvoyollesToday.com, Joseph Martínez’ grandfather was an Italian immigrant — Jacques Martino — who married a woman from East Feliciana Parish. When he moved to New Orleans, Martino’s name was changed to Martínez.
Rep. Troy Carter celebrated the pontiff’s local ties, calling the occasion of an American Pope with Creole ancestry a testament to “the enduring strength and global reach of New Orleans’ diverse faith community.”
“The news that the first American Pope has roots here in New Orleans, with ancestral ties to our Creole and Haitian families, is nothing short of extraordinary. It reminds the world that greatness rises from every corner — including communities that history has too often overlooked or underestimated,” Carter said.
Honora has a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and his LinkedIn profile shows that he worked as a research intern at the Archdiocese of New Orleans while in college.
The 2025 Louisiana high school girls basketball season continued on Tuesday, and High School On SI has a list of all the final scores from tonight’s slate of action.
Abbeville 45, Westgate 42
Albany 56, Mandeville 49
Alexandria 45, Northwest 36
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Archbishop Chapelle 58, Thibodaux 36
Baker 41, Tara 35
Basile 50, Gueydan 32
Ben Franklin 40, Kenner Discovery Health Science 32
Benton 55, Woodlawn – Shrev. 24
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Berwick 50, Northside Christian 20
Bolton Academy 40, Westminster Christian – Lafayette 9
Bossier 59, Magnolia School of Excellence 22
Broadmoor 45, Central – B.R. 39
C.E. Byrd 30, Red River 28
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Caldwell Parish 41, Delta Charter 17
Calvary Baptist 53, Loyola Prep 33
Calvin 60, Doyline 6
Castor 64, Converse 45
Central Catholic 56, Comeaux 34
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Central Lafourche 51, Morgan City 15
Chalmette 44, St. Mary’s Academy 18
Choudrant 61, Weston 29
D’Arbonne Woods Charter 40, Lincoln Preparatory School 20
David Thibodaux 34, South Cameron 27
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Delhi Charter 57, Forest 40
Denham Springs 62, Edna Karr 26
Destrehan 67, McDonogh #35 32
Dodson 42, Grace Christian 9
Dominican 36, Archbishop Hannan 27
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Downsville 28, Georgetown 26
Doyle 71, Maurepas 22
Dunham 44, Central Private 31
Dutchtown 60, East Iberville 17
E.D. White 39, Acad. of Sacred Heart – N.O. 34
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East Ascension 41, East St. John 34
Eunice 40, Crowley 23
Evans 53, Pickering 41
Fairview 76, Glenmora 32
Florien 53, Hicks 47
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Fontainebleau 38, Loranger 26
Franklinton 42, Academy of Our Lady 5
Franklin Parish 54, Ferriday 32
GEO Next Generation 46, Glen Oaks 44
Grand Lake 44, Kaplan 27
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Green Oaks 43, Evangel Christian 21
Hackberry 59, DeQuincy 11
Hammond 60, Jewel Sumner 13
Hanson Memorial 47, Delcambre 33
Hathaway 79, Welsh 25
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Haynes Academy 66, Fisher 24
Hornbeck 51, Montgomery 14
Independence 47, Kentwood 27
Iota 51, Port Barre 11
John Curtis Christian 52, Natchitoches Central 42
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Johnson Bayou 38, Sabine Pass – TX – UIL 13
LaGrange 63, Beau Chene 18
Lake Charles College Prep 47, Port Allen 0
LaSalle 33, Monterey 24
Liberty 65, West Jefferson 4
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Live Oak 50, Plaquemine 47
Mangham 64, General Trass 11
McKinley 49, Collegiate Baton Rouge 33
Merryville 70, East Beauregard 33
Midland 84, Lacassine 50
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Minden 61, Lakeside 15
Mt. Hermon 55, Bogalusa 29
Negreet 51, Ebarb 33
Neville 67, Bastrop 40
North Vermilion 59, St. Thomas More 40
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Northshore 53, Belle Chasse 32
Northside 53, Jennings 42
Northwood – Shrev. 61, Many 38
Oak Grove 54, West Monroe 43
Oakdale 55, Leesville 27
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Opelousas Catholic 42, Ascension Episcopal 24
Ouachita Christian 61, Harrisonburg 11
Parkway 48, Carroll 29
Pine 58, Varnado 16
Pineville 48, DeRidder 27
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Pitkin 51, Claiborne Christian 9
Plain Dealing 44, North Caddo 39
Plainview 54, Elizabeth 40
Providence Classical Academy 50, Glenbrook 4
Quitman 48, Jonesboro-Hodge 46
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Rapides 40, North Central 31
Reeves 75, Kinder 59
Richwood 61, Delhi 24
Rosepine 57, Pleasant Hill 53
St. Amant 70, Assumption 20
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St. John 43, Capitol 17
St. Joseph’s – Plaucheville 40, Northwood – Lena 31
St. Joseph’s Academy 65, St. Michael the Archangel 31
St. Martinville 46, Jeanerette 39
St. Scholastica 31, Northlake Christian 27
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Salmen 57, Booker T. Washington – N.O. 20
Sam Houston 65, Lake Arthur 50
Scotlandville 47, Family Christian 12
Simpson 71, Oak Hill 62
Singer 40, Stanley 32
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Slaughter Community Charter 38, Belaire 10
Slidell 65, Terrebonne 54
South Lafourche 27, Mt. Carmel 22
Southern Lab 67, Ponchatoula 44
Southwood 57, Booker T. Washington – Shr. 52
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Sterlington 64, Haughton 49
Teurlings Catholic 47, Acadiana Renaissance Charter 13
Tioga 67, Avoyelles 35
University Lab 71, Brusly 19
Vandebilt Catholic 34, West St. Mary 18
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Vermilion Catholic 49, Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy 23
Cherokee author hopes her novels spark curiosity about Native history
Cherokee author Vanessa Lillie hopes her suspense novels inspire readers to explore and learn about Native American history.
In the U.S., there are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes and Alaska Native entities, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
As for Louisiana, the state is home to more federally recognized Indigenous tribes than any other state in the South.
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This isn’t including state recognized tribes, which Louisiana also has a significant number of.
Louisiana has the most federally recognized Native American tribes in the South
Louisiana has four federally recognized Native American tribes, including the Chitimacha, Coushatta, Jena Band of Choctaw Indians and the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana, according to the American Library Association.
In the case of federally recognized tribes, they have a sovereign, government-to-government relationship, which grants the tribes inherent rights, self-government, as well as eligibility for certain federal benefits and services, says the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Louisiana among states with the most state-recognized Native American tribes
The state of Louisiana recognizes 11 Indigenous tribes, in addition to the four federally recognized tribes. Louisiana’s state-recognized Indigenous tribes, not including the four federally recognized tribes, are:
Bayou Lafourche Band
Grand Caillou/Dulac Band
Jean Charles Choctaw Nation
Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe
United Houma Nation
Four Winds Cherokee
Clifton Choctaw
Louisiana Band of Choctaw
Addai Caddo
Choctaw-Apache
Natchitoches Tribe
When it comes to state-recognized Native American tribes, they lack a federal relationship with the U.S. government and its associated benefits. Therefore, state-level acknowledgement does not guarantee federal funding and the tribes remain subject to state law, according to Native Nations Institute.
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Why are there so many Indigenous tribes in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a number of recognized Native American tribes predominantly because of its historical background as a diverse ancestral homeland with an abundance of natural resources, which served as a refuge for various groups, including those that were displaced by European settlement, according to Louisiana State Museums.
Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A new law signed by President Donald Trump could make simple tax return mistakes easier to fix.
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy authored The IRS Math Act, aiming to clear up confusion around IRS error notices. Millions of Americans receive a letter from the IRS saying, “There’s a math error” on their federal return every year.
For many, the notices are hard to understand, and even harder to fix, but the new IRS Math Act aims to change that.
“For all of you who called our office, my office, you made an honest mistake on your tax return, and now you feel the whole weight of the IRS coming after you,” said Cassidy. “It says if you make an honest mistake, you confess, you pay the difference, and all is clear,” Senator Cassidy said.
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The bill requires the IRS to make the error notices on federal returns clearer and provide a path for correcting honest mistakes. It spells out how taxpayers can respond, what they owe, and how to resolve issues without escalation. The bill passed with bipartisan support.
Trump also signed another bill from Cassidy, the Support Act, which further targets the fentanyl crisis in the U.S.
“The Support Act is about preventing, treating, and delivering recovery services for Americans co-diagnosed with both addiction and mental illness,” said Cassidy. “One law enforcement officer I spoke to said, ‘You cannot arrest your way out of this epidemic of drug abuse.’ So, we’ve got to address two things at once in this bill — addiction and mental illnesses; they often go together. Now, I speak as a doctor, I know that giving the opportunity to be healed, to return to wholeness, is one of the ways we get out of this drug crisis.”
Implementation guidelines for the acts are expected from federal agencies in the coming months.
