New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Louisianan brave men, this bell whose name is Victoire was molten in glorious memory of this day of January 8, 1815.
—Inscription in French on the cathedral’s bell
The Saint Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in continuous use in America, was built over the remains of churches dating back to 1727. Located in the heart of New Orleans, the cathedral holds the crypts of notables of the city, members of the clergy, and the Capuchin Père Antoine, who spent his life laboring on behalf of the people of New Orleans. Wives, husbands, and children of early Louisiana colonists, settlers, and slaves were married, baptized, and mourned in the cathedral. Today, Masses may be requested, reserved, and said for a loved one. See the website at www.stlouiscathedral.org.
If you would like to see this New Orleans landmark and honor the families who pioneered and built the great city, visit the Saint Louis Cathedral at 615 Père Antoine Alley. Located near famous Bourbon Street within the French Quarter, and facing Jackson Square, the cathedral is easily accessible using public transportation or rental car.
Attend a service in this lovely church with its gorgeous mosaics and other sacred art and let the holiness of the sanctuary speak directly to your spirit. Light a candle for the people of New Orleans.
When the cathedral collapsed around 1849 after a remodeling attempt, new construction began on the neo-Byzantine cathedral in 1907 using granite and marble as well as beautiful mosaics in the interior.