St.
Louis Cathedral
this magnificent cathedral is also known as the
Basilica of St. Louis, King of France and is the seat of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the oldest
continuously operating cathedral in the nation, with the
original church constructed in 1718, the third in 1789, which
would be raised to cathedral level in 1793, and it would be
rebuilt in 1850, with expansions and enlargements changing the
majority of the original third church from 1789. It is situated
in the French Quarter of the city, on the Place John Paul II and
faces the Mississippi River and is one of the few in the nation
that fronts a significant public square. Since it is such an old
church, it definitely has a long history, and in 1909, a
dynamite bomb would be set off in the interiors, that blew out
the windows and damaged many galleries; and before all could be
repaired, it would sustain more substantial damage in the New
Orleans Hurricane of 1915. Then, to make matters worse, part of
the foundation would fall, causing the church to be closed while
they repaired it, taking a year to do so, from Easter, 1916
until Easter, 1917. In 1964, Pope John Paul VI would visit and
make the church a minor basilica, coming again in 1987; with
more than 6000 members in the congregation. Hurricane Katrina,
that would devastate the entire city, would merely displace two
huge oak trees in the St. Anthony garden that is located behind
the cathedral, and tear away thirty feet of ornamental gates, as
well as the marble statue of Jesus losing a forefinger and
thumb. The worst damage would be to the roof, however, since
rain water would be able to seep in and severely damage the
Holtkamp pipe organ.
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