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Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel (New Orleans)
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel is a Roman Catholic church located on Rampart Street
in New Orleans, Louisiana
. The back of the church is bordered by Basin Street
.
The church was built in 1826 as the "Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua" (a.k.a. the Mortuary Chapel) to serve as a burial church for victims of yellow fever
. It was erected close to St. Louis Cemeteries #1 and #2, the primary Catholic cemeteries at the time (St. Louis Cemetery #1 is located directly behind the church, right across Basin Street).
The church building is the oldest surviving church building in New Orleans (all the older churches have since been rebuilt).
Since 1918, the church has been named Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel and has been staffed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
.
In the 1930s, parishioners praying to Saint Jude
had their prayers answered, which resulted in a tradition of regular novena
s to Saint Jude (that continues today) and the erection of a shrine
to Saint Jude (which is still maintained today).
The St. Jude Shrine is located in the area to the left of the altar, and it includes a relic
of St. Jude.
The church has hosted a series of "jazz
" Masses.
The statue of Saint Expedite is also visited by Catholics, as well as some local followers of Voodoo
.
The church grounds also feature a Marian grotto
, located between the church and the adjacent rectory.
Rampart Street
Rampart Street is a historic avenue located in New Orleans, Louisiana.The upper end of the street is in the New Orleans Central Business District...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The back of the church is bordered by Basin Street
Basin Street
Basin Street or Rue Basin in French, is a street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It parallels Rampart Street one block lakeside, or inland, from the boundary of the French Quarter, running from Canal Street down 5 blocks past Saint Louis Cemetery...
.
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
. It was erected close to St. Louis Cemeteries #1 and #2, the primary Catholic cemeteries at the time (St. Louis Cemetery #1 is located directly behind the church, right across Basin Street).
The church building is the oldest surviving church building in New Orleans (all the older churches have since been rebuilt).
Since 1918, the church has been named Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel and has been staffed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
.
In the 1930s, parishioners praying to Saint Jude
Saint Jude
Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is generally identified with Thaddeus, and is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus...
had their prayers answered, which resulted in a tradition of regular novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
s to Saint Jude (that continues today) and the erection of a shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
to Saint Jude (which is still maintained today).
The St. Jude Shrine is located in the area to the left of the altar, and it includes a relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
of St. Jude.
The church has hosted a series of "jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
" Masses.
The statue of Saint Expedite is also visited by Catholics, as well as some local followers of Voodoo
Louisiana Voodoo
Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of underground religious practices which originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions which developed within the French, Spanish, and Creole speaking African American...
.
The church grounds also feature a Marian grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
, located between the church and the adjacent rectory.