Saint Augustine Catholic Church — Attraction in New Orleans

What an impressive church! I am not religious myself, but have a high regard for those who are. This is listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail because of it's historical beginnings. It is the oldest church in Louisiana, during a period when Catholicism was the only allowed religion in Louisiana. From the beginning, people of color had to fight for space in religion and a Battle of the Pew was started. In the end, people of color owned three pews per one white pew and there were pews designated for the enslaved in the back. The day I went, a person of color was leading the service. There was a nice mix of white and people of color in the audience. The auditorium is closed for repairs right now. Everyone seemed accepting. The Tomb of the Unknown Slave is along the side of this church. It isn't as fancy as St Louis Cathedral. It is in the Treme and set away from the Quarter. They do have a parking...

Oldest Black Catholic Church in America.

Home parish of Louis Armstrong.

Home parish of Blessed Henriette Delille, a free woman of color who devoted her life to aiding slaves, orphans, and the sick and elderly in New Orleans, and is currently on the path to sainthood in the Catholic Church.

We were blessed to attend St Augustine for mass on Sunday of the Satchmo Festival (Louis Armstrong festival). It was packed!!! What a great celebration of God's grace, and Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.

It was the Jazz mass and the energy was off the charts. Everyone was so welcoming! You could feel the love of the Treme community.

The church has been out of commission since Hurricane Ida. But with a little more money and time, they should be back in the church soon! 💙

You can donate on...

We made this stop from the hop on/hop off bus to see the church’s Tomb of the Unknown Slave, which is more of a memorial with a cross made of chains, with shackles hanging from it...although I don’t think any of the material used were actual artifacts from the period judging by the make of it all (i could be wrong). The memorial itself wasn’t that impressive, but the write-up on the plaque was very moving and poignant. The church was not impressive, either, but to be fair we only saw it from...