Sacred Monstrance back home in New Orleans

Former Fair Grounds owner buys monstrance, gives it to archbishop

 

By John Pope, The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune Former Fair Grounds owner Louie Roussel III paid $62,000 for a 19th-century altarpiece associated with Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos and presented it to Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Friday. Aymond, who said he was "very excited" that Roussel bought the monstrance before it was to be sold at a New York City auction, said he will offer it to Notre Dame Seminary for its chapel.

Enlarge Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune CHRIS GRANGER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond, right, reaches up to touch the golden monstrance that was bought and returned to New Orleans by Louie Roussel, III, far left, and his wife, Sally. The historic piece was unveiled on Friday, January 6, 2012. Golden monstrance returned to New Orleans gallery (5 photos)

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It had been sold to a local antiques dealer in 1990, in apparent violation of chuch law. The dealer then consigned it to Sotheby's because he neded money to pay off a loan.
Aymond said that the piece was withdrawn from the November sale after he called the auction house. Had the monstrance gone on the block, Roussel said Friday that he would have been the highest bidder.
Before the sale, a Sotheby's representative said the piece was expected to fetch as much as $80,000.
The ornate altarpiece, which is made of gold-plated silver, contains a glass case in which the consecrated host is displayed. Catholics believe that, upon consecration, the host becomes the body of Jesus Christ.

Historic monstrance returns to New Orleans A piece of New Orleans Catholic history returns to the city thanks to a donation by a local family. Watch video

 

The monstrance, whose name comes from the Latin word monstrare (to show), was made in France in 1857 and had been used in St. Alphonsus Church in the Irish Channel. It is depicted in the church's ceiling fresco.
The monstrance has a tangential connection to Seelos because he occasionally celebrated sacraments there.
However, the Bavarian-born priest had been assigned to St. Mary's Assumption Church, across Constance Street from St. Alphonsus, because many German-speaking Catholics worshipped there.
Seelos, who died of yellow fever in 1867, has been beatified because a miraculous cure has been attributed to his intervention. As a result, "blessed" precedes his iname.
He is one miracle away from sainthood.