“Determined faith” is the motto that springs to mind. It perfectly encapsulates the story of the Old Ursuline Convent Museum. This convent is the oldest building in the entire Mississippi River Valley. It stands as the only remaining example of French colonial architecture completed during the French regime.
The Old Ursuline Convent Museum has been a part of New Orleans history almost since its founding three centuries ago. French nuns arrived here in 1727. They brought their deep Catholic faith to share. They healed the sick and prayed for victory during the Battle of New Orleans.
Imagine the perilous journey these determined nuns undertook. They encountered pirates and ran aground. At the mouth of the Mississippi River, they transferred to smaller boats. It took them five days to travel upriver to New Orleans. The nuns insisted on a convent before running a hospital. For seven years, they held out until the French leadership completed the convent.
The building itself is a testament to its time. It features brick between posts construction. The exterior is covered in stucco. The interior has plaster walls. The first floor showcases original exposed cypress beams. When you visit the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, a guided tour is required. The tour explores three rooms on the first floor and the church. Photos are allowed so bring your camera.
After the tour, you can wander around the courtyard. Five rooms hold different displays. These displays feature the history of the Ursulines in New Orleans. Important sites of Catholicism are featured. You will also learn about Creole mourning practices and cemetery traditions. Relics are also on display.
The rooms explain how the Ursuline nuns came to New Orleans to educate young women. They also ran the hospital. Artifacts from this history are showcased. You might be impressed with the depth of history shared by the guide.
Inside the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, you’ll discover a statue of Our Lady of Victory. The nuns brought this statue with them from France in 1727. During the Battle of New Orleans, the Ursuline nuns along with women and children prayed to this statue. They could hear the rumble of cannons five miles away.
Also within the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, you can find the old Ursuline clock. The nuns brought a large pendulum clock from France. Later, the New Orleans nuns gifted the clock to nuns opening a convent in Galveston, Texas. The clock miraculously survived the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. It washed out to sea and came back. The cracked glass commemorates those who died during that hurricane.
Located on the grounds of the Old Ursuline Convent is St. Mary’s Church. It served as a place of worship for the bishops and archbishops of New Orleans. The church was dedicated as Our Lady of Victory Church in 1845. Bricks in the attic above the chapel date back to three different centuries. These bricks mark expansions of the Convent. The Convent Museum houses documents and artifacts. They span 300 years of Catholic Church history in New Orleans.
The Old Ursuline Convent Museum is more than just a building. It is a symbol of faith, resilience and community.