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CATHEDRAL OF ST. LOUIS

April 12, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

New Orleans, Louisiana

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

The Cathedral of St. Louis is the religious centerpiece of New Orleans.  Although not the oldest cathedral in the United States, it is the oldest not constructed by the Spanish and is also the oldest in continuous operation, having been active since the 18th century.  It is also one of the few Catholic churches in America to have been visited by a Pope, and also one of the few to be designated as a basilica.  Interestingly, one of the cathedral’s most famous parisheners, Marie Laveau, was a renowned practicer of voodoo.

History

New Orleans was among the very first Catholic settlements in the United States that was not originally established by the Spanish colonial empire.  It was founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company as a base to explore the Mississippi River.  The same year, the city’s first wooden church was constructed in what is now the center of New Orleans.  It was replaced by a more permanent structure in the 1720s.

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

For the next two centuries, the church, and later cathedral, had a turbulent history.  After New Orleans received swarms of refugees from French Canada after the Seven Years War, the church burned to the ground on Good Friday in 1788.  It was rebuilt in the 1790s when it was elevated to a full-fledged cathedral.

During the 18th century, the cathedral was rebuilt several times to accommodate the burgeoning population.  During one of the renovations in 1850, the main bell tower collapsed, necessitating a major reconstruction.  In 1901, the sanctuary was heavily damaged by a bomb.  A few years later, the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915 ripped through the place, forcing the cathedral to close for a year for repairs.  Finally, it suffered minor damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

Despite its many misfortunes, the Cathedral of St. Louis has come through and stands today as one of the most beauful legacies of the French colonial period.  In 1964, Pope Paul VI named it a minor basilica, one of the very few churches in the United States to be so designated.  In its greatest moment, the cathedral was visited by Pope John Paul II during his state visit in 1987.

Visiting

The Cathedral of St. Louis, while clearly a colonial-style church, bears the look of its French heritage.  Its massive, brilliant white façade dominates Jackson Square, one of the few cathedrals in America to overlook a major city square.  Its triple blue steeples look less like those of a church and more like those of a fairy-tale castle.  It completely stands out from the surrounding neighborhood, New Orleans’ world famous French Quarter.

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

The cathedral’s interior is huge and ornate, arguably the most magnificent Catholic Church in the American south outside of Florida and Texas.  The immense frescoes on the walls and ceilings are among the finest in the United States.  The highlight and centerpiece of the cathedral is the towering marble altar which would not be out of place in the great churches of Europe.

The Cathedral of St. Louis, the most iconic building in the city, dominates one side of Jackson Square in the heart of New Orleans by the French Quarter.  It is open every day (hours not available).  There is no cost of admission.  Web: www.stlouiscathedral.org (official website).

Other Sites

Immediately next door to the cathedral is The Presbytere, which was originally constructed as a monastic residence.  The city’s next most famous church is the Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception, which is one of the American South’s rare examples of a Moorish Revival structure.

Filed Under: Roman Catholic Tagged With: US-South

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About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

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Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

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Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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