city guide to sacred spaces – new orleans, la

City Guide to Sacred Spaces– New Orleans, LA

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Sacred Space International / Tour Sacred Spaces

CIT Y GUIDE TO SACRED SPACES

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LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

LAKE BORGNE

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Key Map

Sacred New Orleans: Introduction to finding sacred spaces in New Orleans

Individual Sacred Space Descriptions:

Map A

[NOLA 01] Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France

[NOLA 02] Voodoo Spiritual Temple

[NOLA 03] The Church of the Immaculate Conception

[NOLA 04] New Orleans Zen Temple

Map B

[NOLA 05] St. Charles Avenue Streetcar

[NOLA 06] Christ Church Cathedral

[NOLA 07] Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

[NOLA 08] Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church

[NOLA 09] Touro Synagogue

[NOLA 10] Temple Sinai

[NOLA 11] St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church

Map C

[NOLA 12] Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity

Bibliography and Acknowledgments

Credits

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Table of Contents


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SacredNew Orleans

Flying in over Lake Pontchartrain for the first time, I

thought it was a sea. From the air, and on our maps, the

landscape surrounding the city seems to dissolve. Land

blends with water – appearing as a tentative, almost

untenable habitation. Hardscape roadway surfaces

seem inconspicuous within the sponge-like swamps

and bayous.

The city of New Orleans is in a cycle of renewal.

During our time there we saw spaces full of grandeur

and decrepitude. Mansions and slums sit next door to

one another and infrastructures seem fragile. The city

is at once struggling and letting go of its hold on the

environment. Five years after Hurricane Katrina, there is

still a feeling of vulnerability and grief. We felt that the

people we met were engaged stewards of their sacred

places in this historic city.

During our visit to the Voodoo Spiritual Temple,

Priestess Miriam said to me, that like her – I too was a

“Floater.” We had come to America from faraway lands,

me from Ireland and she, via her ancestors in Africa. We

found commonality - what better city for a Floater to find

a home, than one who is awash in the waters of a great

Delta? The Voodoo Religion is strong in New Orleans

simply because – like the city, there is something for

everyone – all mixed together like sacred gumbo. No

matter what your background, we hope that you find

solace and peace in the spaces we suggest in our Guide.

Many of the spaces are linked together by one

of the main arteries defining the Crescent City: St.

Charles Avenue. Winding from the Central Business

District and Canal Street through the Garden District,

and Uptown, the avenue is lined with a stately parade

of sacred spaces. They are connected via our secular

selection – The St. Charles Avenue Streetcar. With the

spaces threaded together by the stops on this line, you

can use this mobile sacred space as a method to travel.

Relax, enjoy and watch out for your stop. This will be the

tour of a lifetime.

Deirdre Colgan

Executive Director, Sacred Space International

Chicago, 2010

INTRODUCTION TO FINDING SACRED SPACES IN THE CITY

Soft, spongy moss grows between worn paving bricks in the French Quarter, epitomizing the fragile balance in the city.

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[NOLA 01] Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France[NOLA 02] Voodoo Spiritual Temple[NOLA 03] The Church of the Immaculate Conception[NOLA 04] New Orleans Zen Temple

MORE TO SEE IN THIS AREA

SACRED SITES SELECTED

A. Marie Laveau’s House of VoodooB. Old Ursuline Convent C. St. Louis Cemetery No.1D. St. Joseph ChurchE. Masjid Ur-Rahim

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Map A

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LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

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“One day I took a hammer and broke through the wall and found the windows. They’re just too beautiful to not be seen.”

REV. MSGR. CROSY KERN, RECTOR


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CATHEDRAL-BASILICA OF ST. LOUIS KING OF FRANCE

VISITOR INFORMATIONCathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France

[NOLA 01] ROMAN CATHOLIC

Interior view, looking towards the altar.

01.1

ADDRESS 615 Père Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116-3291NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

French Quarter

Parking Lot in front of Jackson SquareCOORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.957943, -90.063613

Riverfront Streetcar Line – Exit at Toulouse

PHONE (504) 525-9585 Tours: (504) 525-9583

OPEN HOURS

SERVICE HOURS

TIPS & SUGGESTIONS FOR VISITORS

Daily 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m.Saturday 7:30 a.m., 4:00 p.m., 4:45 p.m.,

5:00 p.m. VigilSunday 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

For a self-guided tour, take a brochure at the church entrance. Visitors can get an impromptu tour from volunteer docents when available. Guided tours for groups are only available with prior reservations, call (504) 525-9583. The tour request form can be found on the Cathedral’s website.

WEBSITE www.stlouiscathedral.org


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ABOUT: HISTORY & ORIGINS

A recent archaeological study found remnants of

European style buildings dating back before the founding

of the city of New Orleans in 1718 by Jean Baptiste Le

Moyne de Bienville, a French Canadian. He came to this

spot probably because it had long been a trading post for

the French, so they already knew the area. Bienville laid

out the plan of the city which was mostly wilderness at

the time. There has been a place of worship here since

1718. By 1720, with more colonists arriving, the St. Louis

parish was established, dedicated to Saint Louis (Louis

IX), in honor of Louis XV, the king of France at the time.

The first parish church was completed around 1730, but

was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1788, after which the

first cathedral was built. The Church was consecrated

as a cathedral in 1793 when the Diocese of Louisiana

and the Florida was established. The French were here

until the French and Indian War when Louis XV gave

the colony to his cousin King Charles III of Spain. The

Spanish clergy took over and the French began to leave.

The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is

the oldest active Catholic cathedral in the United States

and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New

Orleans. In 1845, the buildings began to fall, due to New

Orleans’ low water table. A new and larger cathedral

was built and reopened in 1850. The elements of the

first cathedral that are present include: the façade,

two spires on the side, which were reconfigured and a

center spire added, the crucifix, a gift from the King of

Spain when it was made a cathedral in 1793, and the

baptismal font is from the first church. It was named

a Basilica in 1964 and designated a Catholic Cultural

Heritage Center along with the Old Ursuline Convent

in 2004. To receive the title of Basilica, a church must

apply to Rome proposing that the significance of its

architecture, history, and spiritual treasures are worthy

of the title.

Coronation of King Louis IX, later St. Louis (1215–1297). Stained glass windows by the Oidtmann Studios in Linnich, Germany from 1929.


01.2


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ARCHITECTURE DESCRIPTION

The physical structure of the cathedral is also an historical

record of the waves of colonization, starting with the

French in the late 17th Century, and subsequent transfer

to Spanish rule, a result of French defeat in the Seven

Years War. The present structure is the third to be built

at its Père Antoine Alley location. The original church

built in 1727 was perhaps New Orleans’ first “brick

between posts” structure, but the small stucco church

was destroyed by a hurricane in 1727 and replaced that

same year with a brick structure. After the Great Fire

in 1788, a new church was rebuilt as a cathedral and

completed in 1794 while the territory was still Spanish.

Within ten years France briefly reclaimed the Louisiana

Territory before the United States purchased it from

Napoleon in 1803.

In 1834, plans were made for renovations to the

Spanish-influenced structure in order to accommodate

a growing congregation. De Pouilly’s plans enlarged

and restored the cathedral as well as rebuilding the

façade with three hexagonal towers, resembling a

French chateau. In 1859, the original materials of wood

and iron were replaced with weatherproof slate and

the “metropolitan cross,” the sign of a metropolitan

cathedral and archbishop’s church were added to the

two smaller towers. The Fournier clock was kept part

of the façade in its position beneath the larger tower.

This clock was originally constructed by clockmaker

Jean Delachaux and dates back to 1819. It strikes every

quarter hour.

The interior cruciform plan has a center aisle with

a checkered marble floor. The main altar is majestic in

size, supported by six grooved Corinthian columns and

statues of St. Paul and St. Peter on either side. Above

the altar, three allegorical figures of faith, hope and

charity were erected to symbolize the community’s

faith. To the right of the sanctuary is Mary’s shrine, “Our

Lady of Prompt Succor,” was built in the Baroque style.

The life of St. Louis IX, King of France is illustrated

in the lower stained glass windows. These figurative

windows replaced earlier antique art glass windows

which had deteriorated. The upper gallery of stained

glass windows shows various archbishops and the

Stations of the Cross. Clerestory windows found above

the gallery are designed to allow light into the interior.

View of the Baroque interior from the balcony.

A statue of St. Louis the King flanked by icons of the Evangelists Paul and John.


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“I don’t take my life lightly, and God working in me. I don’t play with these ideas…It moves you, as an African priestess, it calls you to it. Voodoo calls you out, you don’t call it.”

PRIESTESS MIRIAM CHAMANI


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VOODOO SPIRITUAL TEMPLE

VISITOR INFORMATIONVoodoo Spiritual Temple

[NOLA 02] VOODOO SPIRITUALISM

Interior view: little altars are everywhere, layering symbols and totems from all religions and popular culture.

02.1

ADDRESS 828 N. Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA 70116NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

French Quarter

Street parking is availableCOORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.961544, -90.06738

Not available. Near Congo Square.

PHONE (504) 522-9627

OPEN HOURS


Daily 10:00 am. – 6:00 p.m. (hours are irregular)

All respectful, inquisitive visitors are welcome. Priestess Miriam’s services include consultations, bone readings, weddings, removal of curses, blessings, therapy and special rituals for healing and love. The Voodoo Spiritual Temple strives to dispel misinformation about Voodoo.

WEBSITE www.voodoospiritualtemple.org


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Priestess Miriam owns and operates the Voodoo

Spiritual Temple and Cultural Center, a branch of the

Spiritual Church. The first Spiritual Church was founded

in New Orleans around 1918 and has since grown into

a national organization. The Spiritual religion is similar

to mainstream spiritualism. In New Orleans, Voodoo

merges the rituals of Catholicism, West African spiritual

practices and elements of Native American spiritual

practices. “Gris-gris” resemble talismans and are

kept for good luck or to ward off evil. The origin of the

word is unclear but scholars trace it to “juju” the West

African word for “fetish” or sacred object. Most African

fetishes were shaped like dolls and early Europeans

may have translated the word either to “grou-grou”

(hence gris-gris) or the French word “joujou” meaning

doll or plaything. Today “gris-gris” are small cloth bags

containing herbs, oils and stones.

Priestess Miriam, a consecrated Bishop, came to

New Orleans in 1990 with her husband Priest Oswan

Chamani, who was born in Belize, to start the Voodoo

Spiritual Temple. Prior to this, she worked in the medical

field while she continued her spiritual development. She

joined the Whitley Memorial Temple in 1973, eventually

becoming a licensed missionary. In 1977 she moved

to Angel All Nations Spiritual Church to hone her skills

as a seer and healer. In 1990 she and her husband

Oswan established themselves as gifted spiritualists

in New Orleans in and opened their first temple a few

blocks from the present location. She believes the

purpose of the temple is to bring out everyone’s latent

spiritual power. Although her husband died in 1995,

she maintains the Temple which receives thousands of

visitors every year.

The center includes a gift shop and small

apothecary and botanica. The temple consists of an

eclectically decorated Altar room used for spiritual

work, prayers, meditations, readings, rituals, weddings,

and ceremonies. Every inch of the walls and space

are filled with objects; a constantly evolving collection

of sacred items. In addition, Priestess Miriam

offers blessings, baptism, removal of curses, and

empowerment consultations.

The veils between worlds seem drawn aside. Fabrics, lights, candles and offerings combine to create an organized chaos within the temple.

African Loas with offerings on one of the altars.


02.2


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Voodoo Spiritual Temple is located in a neighborhood

rich with Voodoo history, just two blocks from Congo

Square (renamed Beauregard Square.) Voodoo was

popularized in the mid-19th Century by Marie Laveau,

who performed rituals in Congo Square. Voodoo Spiritual

Temple is a small two story duplex house, whose two

sides are now connected together to form a space for

the apothecary and gift store and another for the Altar

Room. These are connected via an outdoor courtyard

at the back of the house. The veils between the visible

and invisible worlds are drawn aside in this space. For

this reason, it is an overwhelming liminal space. Beyond

the gift shop is the apothecary and shelves lined with

bottles of herbs.

Visitors need permission to enter the Altar Room.

Access to the sanctuary requires a walk through the

patio. A wall of books and a large Buddha welcome

you to the Spiritual Temple. It is a visually overloaded

experience, lined with tapestries and spiritual artifacts.

Offering altars are everywhere you look, heaped with

money, jewelry, and African figures representing Loas,

which were sent by fellow practitioners from their

respective countries or as thanks from people she has

helped. One woman sent a statue of Pope John. She

had two sick boys and the image of St. John came to

Priestess Miriam. In gratitude, the woman brought

a statue of Pope John to mark their spiritual healing.

Some of the more unusual items include a Ronald

McDonald doll and a bottle of whiskey. There’s also an

altar dedicated to Native American spirits – this one has

plenty of feathers and an altar dedicated to the spirits of

purity. This altar is draped in shimmering gold and cream

fabric with Christian symbols presented as offerings.

Voodoo saints often overlap with saints in the Catholic

Church. Another altar in the Spiritual Temple is dedicated

to ancestral spirits and has many African figures, dolls,

and candles. At the end of the sanctuary, the Priestess

has a seating area where she speaks with visitors.

Through the Temple’s exit, there is a private courtyard

where rituals are performed, accompanied by traditional

African drums.

Medusa and other totems of feminine empowerment connect the objects in this particular altar.

Interior view of the Altar Room, looking towards Priestess Miriam’s throne-like chair.


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“Everything in New Orleans is fleur-de-lis. The lily is Mary’s flower…so much of the Church has Marian themes.”

LINDA COOMBE, PARISHIONER & DOCENT


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THE CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

VISITOR INFORMATIONThe Church of the Immaculate Conception

[NOLA 03] ROMAN CATHOLIC

Motifs from Islamic and Jewish architecture are countered by the baptismal font, a symbol of Christianity.

03.1

ADDRESS 130 Baronne Street, New Orleans, LA 70112-2304NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Central Business District

Street parking / Pay parking lots nearbyCOORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.953782, -90.0714

Canal Line Streetcar. Exit at Canal and Dauphine.

PHONE (504) 529-1477

SERVICE HOURS

OPEN HOURS


Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. & 12.00 p.m.Saturday 8:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. Vigil Sunday 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m.,

11:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Free week day tours at 3:00 p.m. Free tour 4th Saturday of month at 3:00 p.m.Contact office for other visiting times.

There are free tours open to the public Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m. and on the fourth Saturday of the month. Tours last approximately 30 minutes. Masses occur frequently in the space and all are invited to light a candle for a small offering.

WEBSITE jesuitchurch.net


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The Kingdoms of France, Spain and Portugal resented

Rome’s authority over their churches. Because the

Jesuits, the Society of Jesus, were loyal to Rome, the

governor in New Orleans ordered all Jesuit property

seized, auctioned and sold off. After petitioning the

Bishop of New Orleans, eight Jesuits were allowed to

return to educate young men. The Ursuline nuns had

been educating young women and the Bishop wanted

the same for the men. The Jesuits came from Lyon,

France, lead by Father John Cambiaso. They established

a mission on the site of the present day church in 1846.

They purchased the land with plans to build a chapel,

residence and a college.

Fr. Cambiaso designed the church using Moorish

elements in Spanish architecture reminiscent of his

time studying in Spain. He was a great admirer of

this style evocative of a time in Spain known as “La

Convivencia” (the Coexistence) when Catholics,

Jews and Muslims lived in relative peace between

711–1492. His appreciation for this time period explains

his selection of Islamic-influenced architecture and

numerous Stars of David that appear on the interior of

the church. Construction of the church began in 1851

and it was dedicated in 1857. This church was one the

first to be named Immaculate Conception in honor of

the Virgin Mary and is indicative of the feminine as a

vital part of Catholicism. Jesuits are accepting of Marian

worship from the vision their founder Ignatius Loyola

had at La Storta.

In the 1920’s nearby construction damaged the

church’s structure causing it to become unsafe. Due

to the quality of the original materials, the church was

dissembled and rebuilt brick-by-brick. The present

structure is an exact replica of the first, dedicated in 1930.

In 1997, the church underwent major a restoration and is

a wonderful place to find peace and quiet Downtown.

Mass occurs frequently making the resident priests

some of the busiest in the city.

Intricate bronze doors integrate Islamic and Christian geometries. Weighing 3,000 pounds, they need to be slid open manually.


03.2

Layers of arcading recall mosques and synagogues from medieval Spain.


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Fr. John Cambiaso became the architect, builder and

designed this church using Moorish elements in Spanish

architecture reminiscent of his time studying in Spain.

Many design alterations occurred during construction.

The foundation was built upon rows of Western redcedar

layered with concrete embedded with oyster shells and

reinforced with iron bars but ended up being ill suited

for the soft soil and to Fr. Cambiaso’s chagrin, the bell

towers had to be eliminated.

The Moorish Revival design incorporates geometric

designs on both the exterior and interior of the church.

Small exterior doors conceal the large interior, sliding

bronze doors carved with geometric designs, each

weighing 1,500 pounds. The atrium-like nave is one of

the tallest in New Orleans with layers of arcading and

triforium windows. Interior columns feature the same

geometric designs with carvings of the Archangel

Michael, and seven guardian angels on the bottom half.

The focal point of the interior is the Virgin Mary’s

niche above the altar. Created by French sculptor Denis

Foyatier, the white marble sculpture was carved for

Marie Amelie, the queen of Louis Philippe of France.

It was sold during French Revolution in 1848, and

eventually gifted to the Jesuits. Beneath the niche is the

altar, first constructed of bronze in 1867, it was designed

by New Orleans architect James Freret and made in

Lyon, France. It won first prize in the Paris Exposition

of 1867. In 1955, the altar was refurbished and all 600

pieces were plated in 24 karat gold.

In true New Orleans style, the columns and pews

are made of cast iron. The pews feature symbols and

spiritual references to the Virgin Mary, in addition to

the city emblem, the fleur-de-lys. The stained glass

windows on the first level of the church were all made

in France by a company established by Carmelite nuns.

They depict stories of Jesuit saints. Interestingly, the

church contains eighteen Stations of the Cross dating to

1850, depicted as stained glass windows, an uncommon

method for portraying Stations of the Cross. St. Peter’s

statue is a replica only smaller of the one in Rome. And

just like in Rome, the foot is worn down from people

wanting to touch the keeper of the keys.

Cast iron pews provide a cooling retreat from the humid summer heat. Fleur de Lys are ingrained within the finials and design, and were formerly used to identify the pews’ paying subscribers by number.


03.3

Designed by architect James Freret, the altar was made in Lyon, France and won first prize in the Paris Exposition of 1867.

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ROBERT LIVINGSTON, ROSHI


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NEW ORLEANS ZEN TEMPLE

“I’m very, shall we say, almost primitive here. So if you want the essence, you’ve come to the right place.”

VISITOR INFORMATION

ADDRESS 748 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130-3702

New Orleans Zen Temple

NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Central Business District

Metered street parking availableCOORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.945974, -90.069985

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Stop # 5. Walk 1 block east.

PHONE (504) 525-3533

OPEN HOURSSERVICE HOURS


Tuesdays & Thursdays Zazen 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday Zazen 6:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. Sunday Zazen 10:30 a.m. – noon

Call ahead to arrange. Closed Mondays.

When entering the altar room of the Zen Dojo, remove your shoes and enter the room with your left foot first, then your right.

WEBSITE www.nozt.org

[NOLA 04] ZEN BUDDHISM

Robert Livingston, Roshi, demonstrates the han. His former teacher Taisen Deshimaru looks on from the wall.

04.1


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The New Orleans Zen Temple began as the result of a

dying wish by the great Zen master Taisen Deshimaru

Roshi to bring Zen to the West. The New Orleans Zen

Temple, and the American Zen Association were founded

by current Abbot Robert Livingston, Roshi, in 1984. After

serving in the United States Army in the early 1950’s,

he traveled and studied in Europe. During his time in

Paris, he started his practice of Zen Buddhism with

Taisen Deshimaru Roshi and studied closely with him,

becoming one of his disciples. Deshimaru had studied

Soto Zen under Master Kodo Sawaki and devoted

himself to the practice of Shikantaza. On his deathbed,

Deshimaru asked Livingston to bring Zen to the United

States. Following his teacher’s request, Livingston

traveled back to the United States, after Deshimaru’s

death in 1982. He started the New Orleans Zen Temple

in 1984, turning an abandoned four story building into a

place for residents, Dojos and office space.

The temple is home to the American Zen

Association and also publishes Buddhist texts. Today,

Livingston teaches the practice of Zen Buddhism in the

Soto tradition to about twenty-five regular participants.

Zazen, which is seated meditation, is held at the center

eight times a week. Each month, meditation retreats,

or sesshins are offered to deepen one’s practice.

Practitioners may stay at the temple as an overnight

guest or as a resident. Residents pay to rent a room,

for meals and practice. All who stay at the temple are

responsible for maintaining it.

Zen is not a religion. Roshi Livingston believes

Zen is the essence of all religions and the origin of all

religion. He is a teacher but says there’s no such thing

as a teacher. Zazen is the teacher because you have to

experience it on our own to get to the heart, the essence.

This essence is epitomized in the Sutra chanted during

Zen service, the Heart Sutra, which says:

“…no form no feeling no thought no choice no

consciousness

no eye ear no nose tongue body mind

no form sound smell taste touch dharmas

no eye-area up to no mind-consciousness area…

There is just being here and now, and waking up to

this moment.”

Simple altar with drums and sounding bowl on the left with gong on the right. Roshi’s teacher Taisen Deshimaru is remembered by the image on the wall.

Interior stair dividing the space of the Dojo from Livingston’s personal living space. Commercial space is rented out on street level.


04.2


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Waking people up in New Orleans since 1984, the New

Orleans Zen Temple is located downtown in a former

old brick warehouse. After a series of renovations,

which are an ongoing process, the Temple today mainly

operates on the fourth floor. Initially, the Zen Temple

occupied all four stories with an art gallery on the first

floor; a Dojo, Haikido, a type of Korean martial art, Dojo

and Zen Dojo on the on the second, and residences on

the third and fourth. Though the main entrance is on

Camp St., with permission the side entrance and back

stairs provide for a scenic entry. Bamboo planted on the

east side of the stairs accompanies the visitor up to the

third floor garden. The landing has been remodeled as a

shaded patio and seating area. The Abbot tends an herb

garden here that provides a great view of the city of

New Orleans. Inside the space is composed of a main

common area, an open kitchen with dining space, and

the Zen Dojo, or meditation hall. The common area and

kitchen are characterized by skylights and solar tubes

that provide excellent natural light, as this top floor

doesn’t have windows.

Abbot Robert Livingston has found interesting

ways to renovate and recreate the space, using

elements from the old structure. For example, he

reused part of an old yellow pine beam to make the

temple’s han, a wooden board that is struck to announce

sunrise and sunset. The han is located at the threshold

to the Dojo. The Dojo itself is simply decorated with

an altar with Buddha at the center. All elements of the

Dojo are simple, but necessary. Upon entering the Dojo

it is customary to perform gassho, a bowing gesture,

with hands held facing one another at the heart level,

symbolizing greeting and gratitude. Traditionally, Dojos

are entered with one’s left foot first, going toward

the left side of the space, after performing gassho.

Zazen, or seated meditation occurs in the Dojo with

all participants sitting facing the wall. The back is held

straight and eyes lowered to about 45 degrees. The

space is largely unobstructed, except for the altar and

other items used during the service such as drums and

bells. Zafus, or round cushions and zabutans, square,

flatter cushions by each practitioner during meditation

to assist posture while sitting. Flat mats are used for

performing full prostrations before chanting and service.

Interior and exterior space blur in the upper courtyard. From the herb garden there is a view of the Central Business District.

Zafu cushions await the next zazen sitting in the Dojo.


04.3

St. Charles Ave St. Charles Ave

Napoleon Ave

Louisiana Ave

Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Jackson Ave

Laselle St

S Claiborne Ave

Toledano St

Felicity St

Pontchartrain Expy

Convention Center Blvd

Tchoupitoulas St

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Chestnut St

Constance St

Dryades St

Loyola Ave

Feret St

Clara St

S Prieur St

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Fountainbleau DrS Broad St

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Mississippi River

Tulane University

Loyola University

[NOLA 05] St. Charles Avenue Streetcar[NOLA 06] Christ Church Cathedral[NOLA 07] Lafayette Cemetery No.1[NOLA 08] Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church[NOLA 09] Touro Synagogue[NOLA 10] Temple Sinai[NOLA 11] St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church



F. Trinity Episcopal ChurchG. St. Alphonsus Catholic Church H. Covenant Presbyterian I. Audubon Park

Louisiana Superdome


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Map B

B

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

LAKE BORGNE

MISSISSIPPI RIVER


Napoleon Ave

Louisiana Ave


Jackson Ave

Laselle St

S Claiborne Ave

Toledano St

Felicity St

Pontchartrain Expy

Tchoupitoulas St

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Chestnut St

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Dryades St

Loyola Ave

Feret St

Clara St

S Prieur St

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Tulane University

Loyola University

Louisiana Superdome

“The St. Charles Avenue Streetcar may very well be the nation’s most pleasant form of public conveyance existing today”

JYL BENSON, NEW ORLEANS BASED WRITER


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ST. CHARLES AVENUESTREETCAR LINE

VISITOR INFORMATIONSt. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line

[NOLA 05] CULTURAL

Thousands of New Orleans residents ride the streetcar to work everyday.

05.1

ADDRESS Along St. Charles AvenueStop #0 at Corner of Carondelet and Canal. Terminus is S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenue

NEIGHBORHOOD

WEBSITE

Central Business District, Garden District, and Uptown

www.norta.com

COORDINATES

PHONE

N/A

(504) 248-3900 Regional Transit Authority (RTA)

OPEN HOURS


24 hour service. Runs frequently during the day and hourly from midnight to 6 a.m.

Fare is $1.25. Exact change is required. Pay as you board, unless you have purchased a VisiTour Pass. Stops are not called out, so you’ll need to watch for your stop. One-way trip along the Historic line takes about 45 minutes. If it is summer, note where the locals sit – it will be the shady side once the car turns to head Uptown.


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The only continuously operated line in New Orleans’

streetcar history is the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar. The

city has relied on streetcars since the first half of the

19th century. Tennessee Williams immortalized the line

that once ran through the French Quarter in his play, A

Streetcar Named Desire. Thought to embody the quaint

charm of New Orleans, streetcars have remained a

pleasant, popular and affordable means of transportation

since their inception. All the streetcar lines were

replaced by bus service from the late 1940’s to the early

1960’s except for the St. Charles Avenue line. In 1973 it

was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

as the oldest continuously operating street railway

system in the world. Today, thousands of New Orleans

residents still ride the streetcar to work each day. The

Historic St. Charles Avenue Line was originally called the

Carrollton Railroad and has been in operation along St.

Charles Avenue for more than 165 years.

Construction on the line began in 1833 after two

years of planning, and service began in 1835. Cars

full of passengers and freight were hauled by a steam

locomotive. However, the residents along the line were

not happy with the soot and noise from the locomotive.

In response to these complaints, the cars were switched

for ones drawn by horses and mules. Though this helped

with the pollution and noise, the transportation was far

from efficient. For decades, a search for a quicker and

stronger form of power ensued, and many experimental

systems were tried out. Overhead cables (used by San

Francisco cable cars) and cars with ammonia engines

(used by street railways of Paris) were all tested before

electric powered cars won out, although it took until

1893 for them to be perfected for widespread use.

Since then, there have been a few changes to the line;

in 1972 automatic fare boxes were installed, eliminating

the need for a separate conductor in each car.

In 2005, flood damage from Hurricane Katrina

halted service along the route, and service was

suspended until the line was restored. Since 2008 the

Streetcar has once again described the curve defining

this crescent within the City of New Orleans.

Two streetcars pass one another on the grassy median of St. Charles Avenue. Live oaks and mansions line both sides of the way.

People from all backgrounds and walks of life share the space within each car. The seats are designed so that they can flip around depending on which direction the streetcar is going.

ST. CHARLES AVENUE STREETCAR LINE

05.2


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The St. Charles Avenue Line forms a fifteen-mile

crescent from Carondelet at Canal Street to Carrollton

Avenue. Officially designated Route 12, this journey

takes the rider on a tour from the Central Business

District through the oldest section of Uptown New

Orleans, via St. Charles Avenue, which is lined with

majestic antebellum mansions and stately churches

and synagogues. Going a leisurely ten miles an hour,

a complete one-way trip takes 45 minutes through a

series of large, old live oak trees.

Because the driver does not call out the stops,

there is even more reason to look out the window. Each

of the seven stops has a designated number. There

are forty-six olive green electric streetcars used on the

line. One 1894 vintage Ford, Bacon & Davis car is still

in running condition but no longer used for passengers.

Instead, it is put to work maintaining the line. That’s not

to say the rest of the cars on the line aren’t antique – they

are mainly Perley Thomas cars from the 900-class dating

back to 1923 or 1924. They have pneumatic doors and

operable windows, through which the breeze can come

through. The Regional Transit Authority, who maintains

the line, decided against installing air conditioning,

to preserve the historic interior. Because of this, the

incoming breeze generated when the cars are moving is

necessary to offset the sometime oppressive heat of a

New Orleans day! The comfortable seats are made from

rich mahogany and a glance at the ceiling will reveal

exposed light bulbs, providing a glowing light at night.

In 1957, when Swiss photographer Robert Frank

photographed the streetcar for the cover of his book

“The Americans,” the segregated seating stood for

all that was wrong with the Jim Crow South. Today,

the car is more than fully integrated and people of all

backgrounds and skin tones sit side by side. For many

New Orleans residents the Streetcar is indicative of the

continuity of the historic tradition and infrastructure of

the city. Today it perseveres as a mobile sacred space,

travelling the rails along St. Charles Avenue.

Use it to connect between the spaces selected for

focus on our Garden District and Uptown tour.

Classical mansions line the leisurely route.

For the past 165 years the streetcar has described the crescent of St. Charles Avenue.

ST. CHARLES AVENUE STREETCAR LINE

05.3


Napoleon Ave

Louisiana Ave


Jackson Ave

Laselle St

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Felicity St


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Constance St

Dryades St

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“One of the greatest characteristics is the reversible seats. Because they could use that direction for teaching and this direction for worship.”

REV. DAVID DUPLANTIER, DEAN AND RECTOR


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CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

VISITOR INFORMATIONChrist Church Cathedral

[NOLA 06] EPISCOPAL

View of the Gothic Revival interior, now restored back to its original Arts and Crafts condition.

06.1

ADDRESS 2919 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70115NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Garden District

Street parking available.COORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.930168, -90.087719

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line Stop #17.

PHONE (504) 895-6602



Call office to schedule tour with one of many docents.Sunday Worship: 7:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.

The cloistered garden off St. Charles Avenue is a tranquil haven in which to rest and relax.

WEBSITE www.cccnola.org


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To distinguish themselves from the dominant Catholic

religious landscape of New Orleans, the founders of

Christ Church Cathedral began in the “Low Church”

liturgical tradition, with few elements of the “Smells

and Bells” epitomizing traditional Catholic worship. Prior

to 1803, Protestant churches had been forbidden in the

region because of the previous French and Spanish

regimes, which were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic.

After the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory,

the Episcopal Bishop sent Rev. Philander Chase to the

New Orleans Territory, marking the foundation of its first

Protestant congregation and church.

Rev. Chase arrived in 1805 and gave his first

service in Jackson Square. Services were held at various

locations during the early years of the congregation until

1816 when Christ Church’s first location was established

at Canal and Bourbon St. Designed by Henry Boneval

Latrobe, son of famous architect Benjamin Henry

Latrobe architect for the United States Capitol. The

original, octagonal building was made of brick with a

domed roof. This space became too small and a larger

church was built in 1837 on the same site in the Greek

Revival style. However, the congregation outgrew this

space, too, and the Pastor at the time wanted a more

traditional church design. Christ Church’s third church

was built on Canal and Dauphine in the Gothic style.

In 1886, the fourth and present site at St. Charles

Avenue and Sixth Street was chosen, largely because

most of the congregants resided in the Uptown area of

New Orleans.

As the Anglican Church in England saw a shift in

culture and tradition, some churches re-embraced the

original High Church traditions, which had existed prior

to their break with the Vatican. One example of this

was the designation of a church in every diocese as its

Cathedral. These trends spread to the United States and

the Episcopal Church. In 1892 the Louisiana Episcopal

Diocese designated Christ Church their Cathedral. Today

it has a membership of approximately 800, and is one

of the Garden District’s most popular landmarks. Now

more in line with that of a “High Church” tradition,

the architecture has been upgraded and improved to

reflect that liturgy.

Interior view of the nave, looking towards the entry.

View from the chapel into the main sanctuary. The original oak floors were recently restored.

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

06.2


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Christ Church Cathedral was designed in 1886 by New

York architect Lawrence B. Valk in the Gothic style. The

exterior features a bell tower with a pyramidal spire as

well as a smaller tower above the area where the nave

and the transepts of the cruciform layout intersect. The

church is brick in construction, covered with stucco to

mimic grey stone, with Indiana limestone trimmings.

The Gothic design is also emphasized on the interior,

with pointed arches and stained glass lancet windows.

A skylight was installed in the ceiling of the apse to

illuminate the altar area from above. The church’s original

oak pews still remain. The space was designed in the

Arts and Crafts Style, with original simple windows

depicting images from nature. Over the years the space

acquired more elaborate Victorian Style stained glass

windows, through donations from its members.

In the 1950’s the church underwent a renovation

when the ceiling was painted white, which put it into

stark contrast with the newer windows and with the rest

of the original interior. In 2003, the original were restored

with consultation from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

in New York. The red carpeting that lined the inside of

the cathedral was lifted and the oak flooring beneath

exposed and restored. This has greatly improved the

acoustic quality. Interesting to note is that there is no

narthex. This is in keeping with its original “Low Church”

beginnings, where the formality of a procession through

interim levels of space would interfere between the altar

and the worshipper.

Christ Church’s chapel, the Harris Memorial Chapel,

features carvings made by famous local craftsman

Enrique Alvarez who also designed the unique reversible

seats. The chapel’s seats were originally designed to be

able to flip to face the opposite direction; facing one way

for worship and the other for teaching. This mechanism

echoes that of the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar, also

described in our Guide.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the windows,

skylight and roof of the Cathedral were badly damaged

and the interior experienced some flooding. The space

has since been fully renovated and now the previously

restored Arts and Crafts colors once again fill the space.

Paintings in the Pre-Raphaelite style depict saints around the altar. The Arts and Crafts influence seen in the stained glass is indicative of the congregation’s English roots.

View of the Harris Memorial Chapel with unique reversible seats, similar to those seen in the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar, designed by Enrique Alvarez in 1888.

06.3CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

St. Charles Ave

Napoleon Ave

Louisiana Ave


Jackson Ave

Laselle St

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Felicity St


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Chestnut St

Constance St

Dryades St

Loyola Ave

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Pontchartrain ExpyS Prieur St

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“Like walking through the relics of an ancient civilization, the Lafayette Cemetery No.1 is a sacred space preserving the multiple layers of cultural history in the city.”

DEIRDRE COLGAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,SACRED SPACE INTERNATIONAL


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LAFAYETTE CEMETERY NO.1

VISITOR INFORMATIONLafayette Cemetery No.1

[NOLA 07] CULTURAL

Since 1833 Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 has been a resting place for prominent residents of the city.

07.1

ADDRESS On Washington Ave at Prytania St.Office and Information Gate:1427 Sixth St., New Orleans, LA 70115

NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Garden District

Street parkingCOORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.928643, -90.084286

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Stop #16 at Washington Avenue. Walk 1 block south toward river.

PHONE (504) 452-1088

OPEN HOURS


Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday: 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.Closed: Sunday and Holidays (except Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and All Saint’s Day)

No pets allowed. Please enter at Washington Avenue or Sixth St. gates.

There is also the wonderful Garden District Book Shop at the corner of Washington Avenue and Prytania Street.

WEBSITE www.lafayettecemetery.org


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Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is testament to the rich

and diverse history of New Orleans and those buried

there – spanning from the French and Spanish colonial

influences to those of European and North American

immigration and settlement. It is located on the site of a

former sugar plantation owned by a French family named

Livaudais in the old city of Lafayette. Madame Livaudais

sold her land in 1832 and it was divided into smaller

city squares. Cornelius Hurst purchased this piece

of the cemetery in 1833 and it was designed by city

surveyor, Benjamin Buisson. At the time of construction,

there were large numbers of Europeans settling here,

mainly German and Irish, and to a lesser extent, Dutch,

Scottish, English, Scandinavian and Italian immigrants.

The cemetery was intended to be, and remains, non-

denominational. It was only the second cemetery in the

area where Protestants could be buried. For this reason,

there are tombs of many Protestant citizens of Lafayette.

The city of New Orleans inherited the cemetery

when the City of Lafayette was annexed to New Orleans

in 1852. During the Civil War, New Orleans was captured

by the Union forces in 1862 and fortunately suffered

little architectural damage. There are several tombs

and headstones reflecting losses incurred during the

Civil War. Their inscriptions denote battle sites, places

of death, military unit identification and alliance giving

us the history about the city’s crucial role in the Civil

War as the largest Confederate city to be captured

by Union forces.

In the following decades, the cemetery fell

into great disrepair and various plants and trees

were growing over many of the tombs. In 1970,

citizens pushed for restoration and the cemetery was

refurbished, with new magnolia trees planted along the

main road. It was placed on the National Register of

Historic Places in 1972 and was most recently listed on

the World Monuments Fund’s 1996 Watch List to help

curb potentially harmful deterioration.

Nature reclaiming the built environment on the outside wall of the cemetery.

The cemetery resembles an urban environment in miniature scale – a “City of the Dead.”


07.2


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City surveyor Benjamin Buisson laid out two wide,

intersecting avenues for the design of Lafayette

Cemetery No. 1, which were intended to accommodate

funeral processions. The avenues intersect at a

90-degree angle and as a result divide the cemetery into

quadrants. This provides some regularity for the layout,

though there are several blind alleys. In 1858, a brick

wall was built to enclose the cemetery and wall vaults

were built to enclose freestanding tombs. The tombs

are of a variety of styles, mostly made of stone, though

there are some notable exceptions, such as the Gothic

Revival style cast iron tomb of the Karstendiek family

built in the 1860s.

Like many other cemeteries in New Orleans,

this one features above-ground, raised, tombs. This is

why New Orleans’ cemeteries are often referred to

as “Cities of the Dead,” because walking amongst the

raised tombs is like walking along rows of houses of the

deceased. Tombs are usually reused, so most feature

long lists of names of those buried within. Individual

coffins are placed in the tomb and the tombs are sealed

up (either with brick, mortar or soil). They remain sealed

for period of about a year for mourning depending on

specific religious or personal requirements. In Judeo-

Christian rituals, this minimum period is a year and a day.

The seals on the tombs are then broken, the remains

are removed from the coffin and respectfully placed in

the rear or bottom of the vault. This way, another coffin

can be placed here for its mourning period before the

remains are finally stored in the tomb as well. This

style of burial was brought over by French and Spanish

settlers to the region. It is common to the Latin or

Roman Catholic traditions and originated around the

Mediterranean where the rocky soil conditions often

made it difficult to bury the deceased underground.

The cemetery offers family tombs and society

tombs, for those who wish to be buried with groups or

organizations. Today, walking amongst the structures in

the lush setting of the garden-like grounds, the cemetery

is a peaceful place memorializing the people who have

inhabited and impacted the City of New Orleans.

Like a village within the City of the Dead, this family stayed together in death as in life.

Family tombs line the walkways.


07.3


Napoleon Ave

Louisiana Ave

Laselle St

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RAYNE MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

“The chandeliers were completely shattered and hanging by their wires. The steeple was across the room and huge wooden roof trusses had just snapped like toothpicks.”

VISITOR INFORMATION

ADDRESS 3900 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115

Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church

NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Garden District

Street Parking Available.COORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.926316, -90.096739

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Stop #21 or #22

PHONE (504) 899-3431

OPEN HOURS

SERVICE HOURS


Contact Church office for tour

Sunday 8:45 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m.

Be sure to visit the community space which served as the sanctuary during the Katrina reconstruction. The cross was salvaged from the wreckage of the original steeple. Look up as you enter through the front door to see the memorial plaque dedicated to William, the son of Rev. Robert W. Rayne.

WEBSITE www.rayneumc.org

[NOLA 08] UNITED METHODIST

08.1

REV. CAROL WINN CRAWFORD

The interior seen from the mezzanine level. It has been beautifully restored after sustaining much damage during Katrina.


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During the Civil War, Rev. Robert W. Rayne lost his son,

William Rayne. In 1875, he donated the property for the

church and in 1887 the church was named in honor of

he and his son. Though Methodists actually came to

New Orleans in 1805, 70 years before this church was

founded, they were always in the religious minority.

Rev. Rayne, also a local merchant of shoes and ties,

permanently deeded the property to the Trustees of the

church after his death.

In 1915, the church was damaged by weather

for the first time. The original stained glass windows

were destroyed and replaced with nine beautiful new

ones created in Germany. The pulpit and organ loft had

to be replaced and improved and a system of indirect

electric lighting replaced the old glass gas light fixtures,

which had never really lit the space very well. In 1924,

the Westerfield building was completed to house the

Fellowship Hall, kitchen, offices, choir and youth rooms.

The Bynum Children’s Building was opened for the

Rayne Early Childhood Program Sunday School in 1952.

The Hannah Chapel is adjacent to the main church on St.

Charles Avenue, and was dedicated in 1968. Wonderful

abstract colored glass fill the windows and rose above

the loft in this smaller modern space.

The church has always prided itself on its inviting

and open atmosphere, symbolized by their illuminated

steeple on St. Charles Avenue. Lit from the inside

out, it serves as beacon of hope and peace earning it

the nickname of “The Church of the Lighted Steeple.”

Hurricane Katrina tore through the neighborhood in

2005, badly damaging the brick structure of the bell

tower spire of the church. This steeple and roof took

three years to repair and during this time the surrounding

neighbors sorely missed its light and bell. Today the

sounding of the bell marks the end of a transformational

process for the congregation and announces their

healing and return.

Even in the steamy summer heat, the Memorial Prayer Garden located to the right of the church as you enter from the front, is a peaceful refuge on St. Charles Avenue.

Curved cypress trusses recycled from a barge form the roof structure of the sanctuary.

RAYNE MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

08.2


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Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church is a uniquely

crafted masonry church built in the Gothic Revival Style.

The tall, graceful thirteen story steeple reaches high

into the sky over the Gothic arched entrance way and

is lit from within at nighttime. The ceiling and roof were

made from has curved cypress beams recycled from a

canal barge. The main church has a magnificent Aeolian-

Skinner Organ, located in the choir loft above the altar.

The church seats 300 people in the main sanctuary and

mezzanine above the entry.

The overall sense of the church interior is one of

feminine Wisdom, with Christ portrayed as a gentle

presence throughout the space. These principles are

repeated in the stories depicted in the stained glass

windows and in the soft surrounding forms of the

ceiling and altar.

During Hurricane Katrina, the spire, which gave

the church its nickname “The Church of the Lighted

Steeple,” came down and pierced the roof of the church.

Senior Minister Rev. Carol Winn Crawford fished two

long pieces of wood from a splintered roof truss out of

the post-hurricane rubble. She hung them on the wall of

the community gathering space adjacent to the church

where they took the form of a cross. This is where

the congregation held temporary services while their

main sanctuary was being restored. During the storm

strangely enough, the bronze bell fell from the tower

landing in the sanctuary, unharmed.

It was only during the reconstruction of the

steeple that leaders and congregants realized the level

of craftsmanship that was embodied in this structure.

Master masons, whose skills are now extremely hard to

replicate, created the whole building over the summer

and fall of 1875 – in less than two seasons, a task which

is almost incomprehensible today. The most recent

repair took over three years to complete, but now the

roof and steeple are reinforced with steel. Waggonner

& Ball Architects completed the award-winning

restoration. Rededicated in August 2008, the steeple

and bell remain a beacon along the avenue.

View of the German stained glass windows from the mezzanine over the entry to the church.

German stained glass windows replaced the simpler originals that were damaged in a 1915 hurricane.

08.3RAYNE MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH


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“I was blown away by the forward thinking, the innovation of the culture of the congregation.”

RABBI ALEXIS BERK


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TOURO SYNAGOGUE

VISITOR INFORMATIONTouro Synagogue

[NOLA 09] REFORM JUDAISM

The synagogue interior, constructed in the Byzantine Style, with an all-encompassing central dome.

09.1

ADDRESS 4238 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115 NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Garden District

Street parking available COORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.926500, -90.100462

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Stop #23 or #24

PHONE (504) 895-4843



Call ahead for appointment.Friday 6:00 p.m. ShabbatSaturday 10:30 a.m. Torah Worship

Friday evening Shabbat service is open to the public during New Orleans Jazz Fest, holding a dinner following.

WEBSITE www.tourosynagogue.com


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Touro Synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues

in the United States. Founded in 1828, 25 years after

the Louisiana Purchase, it was the first synagogue

outside the original thirteen colonies. The Code

Noir (1724), a French law governing the practice of

slavery, and forbidding any worship other than that

of Roman Catholicism, also excluded Jews from

the French territories, but the business acumen of

Jewish merchants proved more important, so it was

inconsistently enforced in the Louisiana Territory. Code

Noir was abolished when Thomas Jefferson negotiated

the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

Founded when two Orthodox congregations

merged, one a group of Ashkenazic German Jewish

settlers, the other being Spanish-Portuguese Sephardic

immigrants who arrived from South American and the

Caribbean. The new congregation, Shanari-Chasset was

founded because Jacob Solis, a visitor to New Orleans,

was appalled by the lack of a synagogue for worship on

the High Holy Days. They soon separated over conflicts

between the preference between Ashkenazic and

Sephardic traditions and rituals. However, in 1881 they

reunited and eventually took the name Touro Synagogue

after benefactor and philanthropist, Judah Touro, and in

1891 they joined the burgeoning Reform movement.

The congregation quickly outgrew the Carondelet Street

location and in 1908 decided to build a new building

farther Uptown on St. Charles Avenue.

Touro Synagogue is noted for its long tenure of

Rabbis, having only four in its history. As a vital and

progressive center of Jewish life, the first female rabbi

accepted her position in 2008.Rabbi Alexis Berk shows the Torah scrolls inside the ark. The mechanism was designed so that the ark doors open in the same manner as a dumbwaiter, vertically.

TOURO SYNAGOGUE

09.2


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Touro Synagogue has a monumental presence on the

historic oak-lined St. Charles Avenue amongst some of

the greatest mansions in the south. Designed by Emile

Weil, and dedicated on January 1, 1909, the present

sanctuary is built in the Byzantine style and made from

pale, gray-yellow brick with terracotta ornamentation.

The domed sanctuary is an enveloping, platonic space.

It features a blue oculus, representing heaven, and the

dome itself is lined with countless lights, providing

hours of fun for children (and adults!) who attempt

to count them. Stained glass windows surround the

space, bathing the room in a soft light. The oak bimah

is movable, allowing the rabbi to create a more intimate

service when the 800-seat main sanctuary is not full.

The namesake of the synagogue, Judah Touro, donated

the pulpit and ark, each made from Lebanon cedar.

In 1929, a Religious Education wing was built, and in

1989 the Norman Synagogue House was added, which

contains the Forgotston Chapel. This addition allows a

place to hold smaller services, accommodating up to

150 people and was designed by Lyons & Hudson. This

addition is contemporary, yet complementary to the old

synagogue building. It features an abstract stained glass

window designed by Ida Kohlmeyer, which window

looks onto St. Charles Avenue. In 1999, the synagogue

was modernized and the Grant Meyer Garden Pavilion

and Jacobs Social hall were built. The main sanctuary

was renovated in 2003 after having been untouched for

90 years. The brickwork was tuckpointed, the roof was

replaced and the door and window frames and stained

glass were repaired.

Simple stained glass allows abundant light to illuminate the interior of the synagogue.

Interior is within a vast dome. Repeating arches, Magen Davids and dark, richly-carved woodwork stand out against the simple, white, curving walls.

09.3TOURO SYNAGOGUE

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“The decision not to sell the building and remain in the city was priceless.”

RABBI EDWARD COHEN


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TEMPLE SINAI

VISITOR INFORMATIONTemple Sinai

[NOLA 10] REFORM JUDAISM

Priceless Tiffany pendants hang within the soaring Art Deco interior of the temple.

10.1

ADDRESS 6227 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70118NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

University

Temple has drop-off lane with a few spots. Street parking is available in the neighborhood.

COORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.932979, -90.120006

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Stop #34

PHONE (504) 861-3693

SERVICE HOURS


Friday Shabbat 6:15 p.m.Saturday Shabbat 10:15 a.m.

If you’re driving to the Temple, don’t miss the turn! The one-way streets mean you will have to drive all the way around Tulane University to get back to this space.

WEBSITE www.templesinaino.org


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Temple Sinai is the first Reform congregation in New

Orleans. Their tradition is in keeping with the principles

put forth into the American Jewry by Rabbi Isaac Wise. In

the Letter entitled “To the friends of Religious Reform,”

the thirteen founding members of the congregation

invited other “Israelites” to consider membership in

the forming congregation. The letter explains: “It is

not our purpose to subvert the time honored customs

of our ancestors, … but as much as we revere those

sacred rituals, we yet deem them far too orthodox for

the present day…” By 1870 there were thirty-seven

members meeting in what would become Sinai Temple.

The Reform Movement began in Europe in the 1800’s

as a way for Jews to bridge the demands of following

an ancient Covenant, with the emerging realities of the

modern world. Rabbi Gutheim who helped to create the

Hebrew Union College, helped guide the newly forming

congregation through their adoption of Reform principles

in Judaism. In 1870, they selected architect Charles

Lewis Hilger, also the architect of Rayne Memorial

Church just down the road on St. Charles Avenue and

contractor Peter R. Middlemiss to design a new space

for worship on Carondelet Street. The Moorish Style

building, a popular form for 19th Century synagogues,

quickly became a New Orleans landmark.

Just fifty years later, the congregation had

outgrown the space and deciding that it was better to

build a new space than restore their old one - besides

many members were unable to climb the forty steps to

the old sanctuary. Rabbi Heller had a vision for a new

domed space and commissioned architects Weiss,

Dreyfus and Seifert to design the current building on

St. Charles Avenue. Larger and more accessible, this

Art Deco structure is on St. Charles Avenue at Calhoun

Street, close to Tulane, Loyola and Audubon Park – and

is where most of the members had moved.

The congregation’s spiritual leader in the mid-

twentieth Century, Rabbi Feibelman lead this community

in the early days of integration and his leadership on anti-

Semitism would influence the second Vatican Council.

He is the first Rabbi to be present at the Coronation

of a Pope. Today, the main sanctuary is used for large

ceremonies and celebrations. Friday Shabbat services

are held in the smaller chapel added in 1970.

View of the main sanctuary from the narthex. The mezuzah is visible on the right – placed at the entry according to Jewish law.

Rabbi Cohen shows Deirdre Colgan the smaller chapel where Shabbat services are held on Fridays. Stained glass windows from the former building Downtown are visible on the right.

TEMPLE SINAI10.2


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Envisioned as a domed structure, the current building

never received its crown. The synagogue, intended to

be a testament that American Jews are here to stay

and to blend both American and Jewish elements,

was designed in 1927. This imposing building meshes

many styles, while it is constructed primarily in the Art

Deco style; the architecture of Temple Sinai borrows

Byzantine and Classical arches. Bronze entrance doors

depict biblical scenes.

Little if anything has changed in the main sanctuary

since it was built. The sanctuary seats approximately

1,200 and has an Italian marble ark that faces east,

respecting sacred geometry. The coffered ceiling is

made of plaster bound with horsehair, and contrasts with

the painted wood and Art Deco pilasters, screens and

chandeliers. The parquet floor is still intact and original,

as are the leather seat backs. The individual seats are

joined together to resemble pews, and there are still hat

hooks below the seats, a reflection of the fashionable

Roaring Twenties. The synagogue was enlarged again

in 1950 for the installation of air conditioning, the first

synagogue to have this feature. It was accomplished

by placing huge blocks of ice in the ventilation system

and having fans blow over them to distribute the cooled

air. In 1970, a chapel was added to provide a smaller

more intimate space for weekly Friday and Saturday

Shabbat services.

The two stained glass windows on either side of

the ark were designed by Rabbi Heller using mystical

Hebrew symbols which remain obscure. They describe

the biblical scenes pictured on the bronze exterior

doors. These windows were part of the first synagogue.

Tiffany made the chandeliers and the ner tamid or

“eternal light,” the only ever designed by the firm.

The chandeliers depict various scenes in the forest.

The Torah scrolls traveled from the former synagogue.

One dates back before 1898, thought to be brought

from Germany. Another Torah, recently restored, is a

Holocaust memorial scroll. After World War II ended,

the Allies found about 11,000 scrolls and sent them to

Westminster, England where many were repaired and

distributed to international synagogues where they are

now on permanent loan.

The ark is made from Italian marble and the ner tamid or “eternal light” was designed and fabricated by Tiffany, the only one ever made by the studio.

Stained glass windows in the arch behind the balcony.

TEMPLE SINAI10.3

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“We were intentional about making a statement about how we are going to be different. Our philosophy has always been left of center.”

REV. G. TRAVIS NORVELL


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ST. CHARLES AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH

VISITOR INFORMATIONSt. Charles Avenue Baptist Church

[NOLA 11] BAPTIST

The baptistery is the center of the sanctuary design and the most important element.

11.1

ADDRESS 7100 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70118NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Uptown

Street parking available.COORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

29.936593, -90.126740

St. Charles Ave Streetcar line stop #39

PHONE (504) 861-9514

OPEN HOURS

SERVICE HOURS


Attend during service time or contact office for a tour.

Sundays 11:00 a.m. Worship 5:30 p.m. Grace Gathering

Look up at the terracotta ornamentation on the exterior of the eclectic, Spanish Revival Style structure. Notice how the building line is not parallel to the street – this shift remains a mystery to the congregation today.

WEBSITE www.scabc.org


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Unused servants’ quarters served as a mission of

Coliseum Baptist Church until 1898 when twenty-six

charter members created the Carrollton Baptist church.

The city of Carrollton was annexed by New Orleans

in 1901. The church decided to change their name to

Saint Charles Avenue Baptist Church because they had

just purchased property for their small congregation

on St. Charles Avenue and Hillary Street. They soon

outgrew that church and in 1924 purchased the current

site, and constructed their current church, which was

completed in 1926.

It was originally designed for three purposes: a

worship house, as a music and public venue for Tulane

University and auditorium for the Baptist Seminary.

According to the pastor, this church is considered a

High Church Baptist because it was formed primarily

by a group of English settlers in Boston who moved to

Maine and then Charleston SC, founding the Charleston

tradition (or southern tradition) of Liturgical Baptist

worship. In Baptist churches, typically there is no center

aisle, as this is not a ‘go to the altar’ type of worship,

a rejection of traditional protestant practice. During the

service people do not stand or kneel – they just sit.

Music is an important element of the service.

The Bible is the key focus and that is why there is a

center pulpit. The baptistery is the most important

aspect and the center of the church. Baptists make a

decision to join the church as adults, no infant baptism.

As a congregational practice, wearing a white gown and

in the tradition of St. John the Baptist, they experience

a full immersion with the pastor in the pool too. The

baptistery is the most sacred place, replacing an altar

and everything else. Communion takes place in front of

the pulpit, making it different than other traditions. There

are kneelers for communion used only three times a

year with a robed minister (from the New England style).

Currently, the church has about 600 members. They

are proud of their attitude of openness and acceptance

and the church’s diverse membership. In 1950 they

embraced integration allowing black members, support

the gay and lesbian community, and have always allowed

women to hold leadership positions. In 1971, Saint

Charles ordained the first woman minister in Louisiana.

Interior view from the entry, under the cantilevered balcony. Green carpet covers the poured concrete floor.

Monolithic pews prevent the distraction of a central aisle and allow congregants to focus on Scripture.


11.2


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Built in 1926, the architects chose the Spanish Eclectic

Style for this church, made popular during the 1915

Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. The style of

the church is appropriate in keeping with the Spanish

Colonial influence on the city after France relinquished

control of the Louisiana Territory in the mid-18th Century.

Common to this style is the use of ornate, terracotta

materials, a central design, side entries and bell tower.

The exterior of this church is made of light brick with

two main doors. Both the interior and exterior are lightly

colored. The main focus of the front facade is the large

centrally placed window framed by the two columns

and flanked by symmetrical wood doors. Twenty-five

steps lead to the church’s entry, making for a pilgrimage

to get to the church. The roof is characterized by the red

tiles imported from Spain and installed after it had been

damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Inside, the sanctuary seems inspired by the

liturgy of the First Baptist Church in the United States,

in Rhode Island. Inside, there is a simple beauty with

only eighteen rows of pews. The walls are white, the

arched windows stretch from floor to ceiling are clear

glass. Pews and pulpit are made from cypress and

the dark tones are in contrast to the walls. There is no

stained glass or any iconography. A curved cantilevered

balcony and decorative plaster friezes add detail.

The friezes depict scenes from the 23rd Psalm. Over

the doors and windows, the friezes contain dragons,

fleurs-de-lys and dolphins, a bit unusual and without

any known explanation. Art Deco pendant lights hang

from the ceiling.

The structure originally designed for three

purposes: a worship house, as a music and public

venue for Tulane University and an auditorium for the

Baptist Seminary located, at the time, nearby. Because

of these grand ambitions, the Church is far larger than

the modest congregation requires. The Church can seat

1,200 and the attendance for Sunday worship averages

130. The intimate nature of the church is also due to the

center pulpit, made of cypress wood and an estimated

700 lbs. The baptistery takes the place of the altar and a

central element for this faith tradition.

This design in the muntins integrates the primacy of the cross to the Baptist tradition. It also could be a reference to the church’s site at the intersection of the orthogonal and diagonal grids.

Doors to the Sunday School at the back of the balcony are visible. All are inscribed with the same cross/intersection motif.


11.3

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Robert E Lee Blvd

University of New Orleans


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Dillard University

Delgado Community

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Lakefront Airport

Polk Ave

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[NOLA 12] Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity



J. Lake Vista United Methodist Church K. St. Louis Cemetery No.3L. Metairie Cemetery


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Map C

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LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

LAKE BORGNE

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“Some churches had ten to twelve feet of water…during Katrina, but if you look at the buildings, there’s about a four foot foundation to keep it level so that helped raise the level of the buildings – which means that we had three to four feet of water as opposed to seven or eight.”

REV. FR. ANTHONY STRATIS, DEAN


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HELLENIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY

VISITOR INFORMATIONHoly Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

[NOLA 12] GREEK ORTHODOX

Interior view of the main Sanctuary from the balcony, with octagonal lantern above and iconostasis protecting the altar

12.1

ADDRESS 1200 Robert E Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70122NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKING

Lakefront Area

Plentiful parking available in lot.COORDINATES

NEAREST TRANSIT

30.020224, -90.082526

None nearby.

PHONE (504) 282-0259

SERVICE HOURS


Sundays 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. Weekdays 9:00 a.m. (when scheduled)Evening Services 7:00 p.m. (when scheduled)

If you look carefully at the altar steps you will see a marked line. The congregation preserved the flood line which came to the top stair as a memory of their trauma during the flood. Miraculously, the space was preserved.The sacred altar area behind the icon screen is off-limits to all but those blessed by bishops.

WEBSITE www.holytrinitycathedral.org


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The Holy Trinity Church in New Orleans was the

first Greek Orthodox church founded in the Western

Hemisphere and United States. Orthodoxy is in America

primarily because of immigration, not missionaries. The

first recorded Orthodox settlers arrived in the Americas

in the 1700s and as the population grew, there was a

need for a church. After several failed attempts, Nicolas

Benachi, a businessman and the Consul of the Royal

Government of Greece helped establish Holy Trinity

Church. In 1860, the original plan to secure space and

construction for the church were unsuccessful and

instead Nicolas Benachi offered his personal property

as a place for worship. It was used until 1866 when he

sold some of his property to the Orthodox community

and through various donations, helped establish the

first building of the Holy Trinity Church Downtown. This

original structure was later replaced by a larger church

to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1960,

Holy Trinity Church was consecrated as a Cathedral,

the See of the Diocese. The third, and present, location

for Holy Trinity Cathedral was constructed in 1985. In

2001, the cathedral was consecrated with six holy relics

entombed in the altar. Today, Holy Trinity Cathedral has

350 families throughout southern Louisiana.

One of the issues that brought about the Schism

between Rome and Constantinople was using leavened

or unleavened bread during the worship service. In

the Orthodox Church, leavened bread is used. What

isn’t used during the service is cut up and given after

services and called Endithenol or “Blessed Bread.”

Those not part of the congregation may attend a

service but the Orthodox church is sacramentally still

a closed church, if one is not Orthodox they cannot

receive communion. However, they can receive the

“Blessed Bread” at the end of the service. Greek

Orthodox churches feature an iconostasis, a wall of

religious carvings and imagery between the nave and

the sanctuary. The iconostasis was carved by New York

based Konstantinos Pylarinos in 1985. Because of the

strong Western influence in American culture, you will

see some differences here from Orthodox churches

outside the United States. These include the inclusion

of pews, stained glass windows and organs, are not

traditional to Orthodox churches.

Looking up at the apex of the lantern with the icon of Christ as the Pantokrator, the “Ruler of All.”

View of the clearly defined Narthex, a smaller area with icons and candles which help the worshipper prepare for entry into the Nave.

HELLENIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINIITY

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The congregation originally began Downtown by Greek

immigrants to New Orleans, and moved to their current

location next to the Bayou St. John on Robert E. Lee

Boulevard in 1985. It was designed by New Orleans

based NY Associates and completed in 1985. Five

years prior to construction of their church, the adjacent

Hellenic Cultural Center was built and used in the interim

for services and community programs.

Constructed from brick, the layout is a cruciform

design in plan. The curve of the apse can be seen from

the exterior. Like most Orthodox Churches, the structure

features a lantern, symbolizing the sky above.

The layout is divided into the Narthex or front

vestibule, the Nave and the Sanctuary with the

iconostasis and altar. Holy Trinity Church features a

solea, a part of the Nave in front of the iconostasis

that is slightly elevated, symbolizing stepping up from

earthly existence for the Sacraments. The iconostasis at

Holy Trinity is relatively transparent with a large opening

in the middle through which the altar area can actually

be seen by those that approach this sacred area.

Holy Trinity is reflective of traditional Orthodox

culture and architecture, as it is practiced and

appropriated in the West. On the interior, Western

features and influence are present amongst the

traditional Orthodox elements and decor. The church

has an organ and features a choir loft, which is generally

uncommon for Orthodox churches. The stained glass

windows in this contemporary Orthodox offer modern

depictions using an ancient, sacred art form. Amazingly,

the windows were unharmed by Hurricane Katrina.

Details of the stained glass windows by Conrad Schmidt, 1985.

Looking back from the Nave to the Narthex.

HELLENIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY

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Brock, Eric J. New Orleans Cemeteries (Charleston, Arcadia Publishing, 1999)

Deshimaru, Taisen. The Way of True Zen compiled by Evelyn de Smedt and Dominique Dussaussoy.

Florence, Robert. City of the Dead (Lafayette, The Center for Louisiana Studies, 1996)

Huber, Leonard V. and others, ed. New Orleans Architecture Volume III The Cemeteries (Gretna, Pelican Publishing Company, 1997)

Lee, Avery G. Our Name Is Baptist (New Orleans, St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church, 1998)

Lee, Avery G. Where Christian Ideas Take Shape In People (New Orleans, St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church, 1973)

Livingston, Robert. Kusen Oral Teaching: Number 1 (New Orleans, The New Orleans Zen Temple, 1997)

Livingston, Robert. Kusen Oral Teaching: Number 2 (New Orleans, The New Orleans Zen Temple, 1997)

Nolan, Charles E. Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (Strasbourg, Éditions du Signe, 2009)

Russ, Fannie Rayne and Georgia Russ Ross. One Hundred Years of Rayne Memorial (New Orleans, Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church, 1975)

Temple Sinai The Centennial Committee. Temple Sinai The First 100 Years (New Orleans, Temple Sinai, 1970)

Wilson, Jr., Samuel. The Buildings of Christ Church (New Orleans, Laborde Printing Company, 1997)

•Touro Synagogue Rabbi Alexis Berk,* Arlene Fermanis

•Cathedral of St. Louis King of France Msgr. Crosby Kern,* Stephen Swain,* Rosalie Serio

•Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church Rev. Carol Winn Crawford*

• Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Fr. Stephen J. Sauer, Linda Coombe*

•Voodoo Spiritual Temple Priestess Miriam Chamani*

•New Orleans Zen Temple Robert Livingston, Roshi*

•St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church Rev. G. Travis Norvell*

•Temple Sinai Dr. Edward Paul Cohen*

•Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Fr. Anthony Stratis*

Additional thanks to:

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Rev. Donald J. Ours C.M., Pastor, Katy Heeren-Mueller, Carol Monahan, Regina Fulton.

St. Patrick’s Church, Essie Brupbacher, Andrew Mills.

Old Ursuline Convent, Michelle Braxton.

* Interview served as primary source material for Sacred Space International.

Cast iron pews in the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


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Credits PROJECT TEAM: SACRED SPACE INTERNATIONAL STAFF & CONSULTANTS

Deirdre Colgan Creative Director & Writer

H47 INC Design Director & Research

Fran Hoerrmann Project Coordinator & Writer

Tidza Causevic Design Assistant

Alex Ratliff Designer & Research Assistant

Muamera Hadzic Writing Assistant

Sophie Posnock Writing Assistant

Pablo Jones Designer & Writing Assistant

Pete Stam Design Assistant

PHOTO CREDITS NEW ORLEANS

Pierina Benvenuto (all photos except otherwise noted)

Deirdre Colgan (St. Charles Avenue Streetcar)

Alex Ratliff (St. Charles Avenue Streetcar)

city guide to sacred spaces – new orleans, la

Documents