What if these walls could talk? Grace Episcopal Church has a long history in New Orleans. It sustained serious damage during Hurricane Katrina. But it is ready to come back to life.
This was the former Grace Church on Canal Street. It is in the Mid-City neighborhood. Soon it will become the new home of the Diocesan Center. We look forward to bringing the building back to life. We want to create an Episcopal presence once again in the neighborhood.
Grace Episcopal Church was constructed in 1953. August Perez Jr. designed it. It is a fine example of mid-century modern architecture in New Orleans. The naive features stained glass windows. The architect designed these. Payne and Company created them.
The murals were designed by John McCrady. McCrady painted the Communion Mural. It is behind the altar. He did this in the mid 1950s. The Ascension Mural was painted in 1973. Allen Flattman painted it. He was a student of McCrady. He used McCrady’s sketch.
Grace Parish was founded in 1886. Episcopalians in downtown New Orleans founded it. This happened after Christ Church moved. Christ Church is the oldest non-Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans. It moved from Canal Street to an uptown location.
Grace Parish had two earlier church buildings. One was on South Rampart Street. The other was at 1501 Canal Street. In 1915, Grace Church founded a parochial mission. It was in Mid City. It was named St. Matthias Mission. In the 1920s, property was purchased for St. Matthias. It was at 3700-3720 Canal Street. The mission congregation met in a large Victorian home there.
Our current buildings were dedicated fifty years ago. The date was 12-13 September 1954. The Rt. Rev’d Girault Jones, Bishop of Louisiana, did the dedication. Also The Rt. Rev’d Iveson Noland, Bishop Suffragan of Louisiana.
Grace Episcopal Church houses Austin Opus 928. This was previously installed in the old church. It is now housed in chambers. These are on either side of the altar. The Austin is currently undergoing restoration.
The tower at Grace Episcopal Church houses a 15 note tower chime.
Grace Episcopal Church officially closed on Canal Street. This was effective January 5, 2012. Bishop Morris Thompson announced the closing. The church sustained major damage. This was a result of the Hurricane Katrina flooding. Membership had severely decreased.
So as you stand before Grace Episcopal Church remember its resilience. Remember its art and architecture. It is a beacon of faith. It stands ready to serve the community once more.