This is the story of Saint Augustine’s Catholic Church

The Saints are the Sinners who Keep on Trying - Robert Louis Stevenson

This is the story of Saint Augustine’s Catholic Church

Patron of the Treme
People of Color
1210 Governor Nicholls Street
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Saint Augustine Catholic Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, is located at 1210 Governor Nicholls Street, in the historic “Treme.” The Church was built in 1842, founded by free people of color, and white Creoles of French and Spanish descent. Saint Augustine has the distinction of being known as the oldest African American Catholic Parish in the United States. The Church welcomed slaves, and the free, to worship together. Its parishioners celebrate freedom from sin and oppression and their Church is a beacon of humanity. The free people of color purchased pews to allow a place of worship for slaves, and the pews remain in the Church today. Modern day artisans created a magnificent altar and pulpit consisting of tree trunks. The Church building also houses beautiful stained glass windows, celebrating the lives of the saints, and numerous paintings and photographs, reflecting the African American culture and storied life of one of our country’s most historic Churches.

© 2007

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Each SfS medal is imported from Italy,
painted by hand in
New Orleans, Louisiana,
and is a one-of-a-kind original.