In 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the archdiocese of New Orleans made a move to close the wind-ravaged St. Augustine Church citing financial troubles and declining parishioner support. St. Augustine's was certainly not alone. Other churches found themselves on the chopping block. The decision to close St. Augustine's sparked national attention and parishioners, under the leadership of the beloved Father LeDoux, launched a wide-scale protest movement to keep the doors of the church open. Church members and community activists locked themselves in the rectory for what was to become a long standoff with the archdiocese of New Orleans and Archbishop Hughes. While similar scenes played out across the metro area, the closure of St. Augustine's church seemed particularly shocking given the church's historical significance. Founded in 1841, St. Augustine's is the oldest black Catholic Church in the nation. The land, located in the Treme and once part of a plantation owned by Claude Treme, was donated by the Ursuline nuns (a costly gift given that the women had paid approx. $10, 000 for the land) to a group of "free people of color" who had permission from Bishop Antoine Blanc to build their own church.
In preparation of the opening of the church, "free people of color" began purchasing pews for their families. However, many whites opposed the establishment of a black church and started buying the pews for themselves launching what is now known as the "War of the Pews." In the end, free people of color won the war, out purchasing their white counterparts 3 to 1. The extra pews were given to slaves. The commitment to provide a place of worship for black and enslaved New Orleanians was bolstered by the simultaneous pledge of Sister Henriette Delille, founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family (the second black order of religious women). Her mission to provide education for poor and orphaned children as well as assist the infirmed and elderly in the community ensured that the church became a crucial foundation of the Treme.
I think it is really interesting that many of the churches had to close. It just shows how strong St. Augustine and other church's had to be after the hurricane. I think that being able to hold the church together keeps the community together and strong. I love how determined the congregation was to be able to stay united.
ReplyDeleteAfter my 19 years of living in the city, I didn't know that Creole churches even exist. I would like to visit this church. It shows that New Orleans are coming back and coming back strong.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it doesn't suprise me that closure of the church would gain so much national attention. Being the "oldest black Catholic Church in the nation," saying it simply has historical significance is an understatement. This is a great blog about the church's origins. Now I'm just curious if anything else happened to the church. Did any famous people go there? Did it have problems during the Civil Rights movement?
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to see how strong of a church St. Augustine's truly is. It has withstood two major hardships: Katrina and it's victorious outcome concerning the issue of race. The strength of a community is a very powerful thing that no one should live without. Hearing the story of St. Augustine makes me wish that I belonged to more of a community. Maybe I'll find a church to start going to now that I am away from home.
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