St. Mary’s Church - New Orleans, LA - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

Excerpt from the New Orleans City Guide 1938: "St. Mary's Italian Church, joining the archibishopric on the downtown side, is one of the oldest Catholic churches in New Orleans. The building was ereted around 1846, one end of the old convent being torn away in order to join the two buildings. The small church, built of stuccoed brick, has a pointed gable surmounted by a small cross. Two angels in flight carry a chalice between them on the frieze surmounting the door frame. The papal coat of arms stands out in relief on the wall surface under the cross on the gable. The interior is an oblong room with a flat roof. The main altar is of marble carved in elaborate design, as are also the railing and altar steps. Eleven stained-glass windows depict the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary."

---

St. Mary’s Church was dedicated in 1845 as Our Lady of Victory Church and served as the place of worship for the bishops and archbishops of New Orleans when they were in residence at the Old Ursuline Convent.

St. Mary’s was known as “St. Mary’s Italian” in the 1900s because it served the large Italian population of the French Quarter. After Hurricane Katrina, the archdiocese decided not to celebrate regular weekend Masses there, but a few years later, it allowed the celebration of weddings. St. Mary’s normal seating capacity is about 250, with an upper limit of 300.

St. Mary’s Church is what is known as a “filial” church of the St. Louis Cathedral, and it is once again available as a sacred venue for Catholic weddings, with the additional benefit of having the attached Old Ursuline Convent, the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley, available as a stunning and historic reception site.

Source: (visit link)

Book: New Orleans Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 254 Year Originally Published: 1938

Visit Instructions:
To log a Visit, please supply an original image of the Waymark.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.