Top 10 Catholic Cities, USA Ready for some Catholic sightseeing?


Based on culture, history, physical landscape and spirituality, the following list of Top 10 U.S. Catholic Cities — listed in no particular order — highlights American hubs with a Catholic pulse. Each location, whether it be large or small, east or west, contributes to the richness of Catholic life in America.
Should these locations be next door, across the state or across the country, OSV Newsweekly hopes this list will prove useful and inspiring when it comes to incorporating the Faith into your travel plans this summer.

New Orleans

From its earliest moments, when Robert Cavelier de la Salle arrived in the Mississippi Valley and claimed the land for God (and King Louis XIV), the area that would become the city of New Orleans had a Catholic heart. With its “parishes,” saint-named streets, more than 40 Catholic churches and rich Catholic culture, New Orleans is a quintessential U.S. Catholic city.
The roots of New Orleans Catholicism took hold in 1699, when Father Anastase Douay celebrated the first recorded Mass on Louisiana soil near the mouth of the Mississippi on Mardi Gras. Since then, worshippers have gathered regularly — most consistently and notably at the Cathedral of St. Louis in Jackson Square.
Originally built in 1789 but greatly rebuilt in 1850, this grand cathedral sits on the site where worshippers have gathered since the earliest colonial churches in 1727. The sacred space, considered the oldest continuously functioning cathedral in the United States, houses a monument honoring Venerable Henriette DeLille, known as the “servant of slaves,” who founded the Sisters of the Holy Family still present in New Orleans.
Three shrines are worth a look when visiting New Orleans. The National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos is located inside St. Mary’s Assumption Church, and it includes the tomb containing his relics, a museum and a gift shop. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, patroness of New Orleans who is believed to have helped the city defend itself against a British attack in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, is located on State Street, on the same grounds as the Ursuline Academy and residence of the Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union. Also noteworthy is the International Shrine of St. Jude.
In October 2004, New Orleans opened the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center, which includes a museum at the Old Ursuline Convent — built in 1752-53 and considered the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley still standing — and St. Louis Cathedral.
New Orleans also was home to the first Catholic hospital in the United States, Hotel Dieu, operated by the Daughters of Charity.
New Orleans facts
Founded: 1718
Population: 369,250 for city, 1.23 million for metro area
Did you know?: Although known as the birthplace of jazz and blues, New Orleans was also the site of the first opera performance in the United States back in 1796.




For the list of the others in the Top 10:   https://www.osv.com/Article/TabId/493/ArtMID/13569/ArticleID/9926/Top-10-Catholic-Cities-USA.aspx