“Did you know that the oldest church building in New Orleans isn’t the iconic St. Louis Cathedral?” That’s a common misconception. We are standing before Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. It is the oldest church building in the city.
The St. Louis Cathedral is often mistakenly thought to be the original church. The Cathedral building was rebuilt during its lifetime. This building, known as The Mortuary Chapel of St. Anthony Of Padua, dates from 1826. That’s about 25 years before the present St. Louis Cathedral was constructed.
For almost two centuries, The Mortuary Chapel served many purposes. It was first built to hold funerals for Yellow Fever victims. Medical practitioners once believed Yellow Fever could be spread by exposure to the dead. They also thought it could spread by transporting the dead through city streets for burial. The Church banned burials from St. Louis Cathedral. So a mortuary chapel was established near St. Louis Cemetery. This was the main burial location for most New Orleans Catholic families.
French architects Gurlie and Guillot constructed the building. It cost $14,000. The Gurlie and Guillot firm was well known to the diocese. They had also built the Ursuline Convent and finished the Presbytere. The brick walls are 20 inches thick. They are supported by a trapezoidal foundation measuring twenty inches thick. The foundation is composed of brick and cypress. The brick floor and twelve-inch interior walls are typical of that era’s construction. The exterior walls rise twenty feet. The roof is made of slate installed on a wood structure.
In 1841, the chapel began serving as a church. It relieved the burden of baptisms at St. Louis Cathedral. In 1860, Pere Turgis was assigned to the church. He was heavily involved in the Confederacy. Turgis used the church to hold services for the army.
In 1870, Bishop Perche designated the church for the growing Italian immigrant community. Previously, the Italians used a small church on Esplanade Avenue across from the Mint. The church had become too small. The Rampart Street church was selected as the new church for Italians.
In 1903, the Dominicans came to St. Anthony’s. They revitalized the parish. Under Father Lorente, the Dominicans expanded their influence in Louisiana. He helped expand into Tangipahoa Parish. There he founded a Dominican seminary at Rosaryville. Father Lorente also founded the new St. Anthony’s church on Canal Street in 1915. He also founded St. Dominic’s Parish in Lakeview.
Only nine days after founding the new St. Anthony parish on Canal Street, Fr. Lorente died. With Father Lorente’s death, The Old Mortuary Chapel was again abandoned. In 1918, Archbishop Shaw requested the Oblates of Mary to send priests to New Orleans. That year, the fathers took up residence in New Orleans. They began ministering to the Cathedral, St. Mary’s Italian Church, and Our Lady of Guadelupe. Father Jules Bornes was the first Oblate pastor. He renovated and revitalized the old church.
In 1935, a group of parishioners began praying to St. Jude Thaddeus. Many prayer intentions were answered. A regular following of St. Jude began with novena services. Also in 1935, an order of nuns took up residence in one of the surrounding buildings.
A terrible fire struck the church and rectory in February 1944. This allowed for the building of a large rectory. The church was repaired.
In 1950, heavy rain caused the old roof timbers to give way. The church organ was destroyed. The wood beams were replaced with steel. A new Moller organ was constructed. During this era, Father Laux became the chaplain of the New Orleans Fire and Police Departments. He was succeeded by Father Peter Rogers. Father Rogers expanded the church’s ministry into the nearby Iberville Housing Project. He also expanded the radio coverage of the St. Jude Novenas.
Though Father Rogers has passed, the church continues to draw faithful Catholics. It stands as a testament to the city’s rich religious history. It remains a beacon of hope for the community.