Historical look at the establishment of every parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans for the past 300 years

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04/12/201804/10/2018

Tricentennial Thursday: Tree of Catholicism has deep roots in New Orleans

Posted By: Jonelle Foltz

From the roots of the St. Louis Cathedral a thriving local church has grown. This tree showcases the church parishes that have ministered to the people of New Orleans. Some churches have closed, some have merged, but all have left a permanent mark on the souls who walked through their doors.

Each church is identified by name, the year it opened, and, if applicable, its date of closure or merger. Parish establishment dates can be confusing when considering the variety of primary and secondary sources. The establishment dates were selected based on the most reliable information available in archdiocesan archives. 

No period in Louisiana’s history matches the quarter century from 1835 to 1860 in parish expansion. Dozens of new churches were founded in New Orleans and rural areas. Some of these churches ministered to French- and German-speaking New Orleanians.

Throughout the centuries, the constant is St. Louis Cathedral, where people of all nationalities and races have worshiped together in what began as a tiny wooden structure and grew to become a cathedral and the center of Catholicism in New Orleans.

Establishment dates of parishes

1718

• St. Louis Cathedral

1723

• St. Charles Borromeo, Destrehan 

1772

•  St. John the Baptist, Edgard 

1787

• St. Bernard, St. Bernard 

1826

• St. Anthony of Padua Mortuary Chapel (renamed as Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in 1918)

1833

• St. Patrick, New Orleans

1838

• St. Vincent de Paul, New Orleans (merged in 2001 to form Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos)

1841

• St. Augustine, New Orleans (closed briefly in 2006; reopened later that year)

1843

• St. Peter, Covington

1844

• Annunciation, New Orleans (closed in 2001)
• St. Joseph, New Orleans

1845

• St. Mary, New Orleans (merged in 2008 with St. Louis Cathedral; open for weddings)
• St. Thomas, Pointe à la Hache

1847

• Holy Name of Mary, New Orleans
• Holy Trinity, New Orleans (closed in 1997)

1848

• Mater Dolorosa, New Orleans
• Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, New Orleans (merged in 1899 with Mater Dolorosa)
• St. Theresa of Avila, New Orleans
• Sts. Peter and Paul, New Orleans (merged in 2001 to form Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Parish)

1849

• St. Stephen, New Orleans (merged in 2008 with St. Henry and Our Lady of Good Counsel to form Good Shepherd)

1850

• Our Lady of the Lake, Mandeville
• St. Alphonsus, New Orleans (Mass celebrated at St. Mary’s Assumption

Read it all to see the parishes established from 1851 until 2014:

https://clarionherald.org/2018/04/12/tricentennial-thursday-tree-of-catholicism-has-deep-roots-in-new-orleans/