St. Mary's Assumption Catholic Church
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St. Mary's Assumption was built by German Catholics in 1858 in Baroque-style architecture. A room behind the High Altar contains the Seelos Museum, which includes a shrine dedicated to the saint-to-be Blessed Francis X. Seelos.
Blessed Seelos was a German-born priest who came to New Orleans in 1866 and served priestly duties to the sick during a yellow fever epidemic. He became infected by the disease and died in 1867. Many believe that blessed Francis X. Seelos performed a miracle and cured Mary Ellen Heibel of cancer after doctors said there was no hope for recovery.
Pope John Paul II proclaimed Father Seelos Blessed in St. Peter's Square on April 9, 2000. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s.
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Historic image of St. Mary's Sanctuary by photographer Edward Claudel.
The Church's interior and exterior ornamentation make it a striking example of German Baroque architecture. Courtesy of Father Byron Miller.
Blessed Francis X. Seelos, Redemptorist priest
Blessed Francis Seelos dedicated the last years of his life to bringing spiritual relief and administering the last sacraments to those dying of the yellow fever epidemic in the Irish Channel, New Orleans. "The assistance of power from above is plainly visible, so that we are often humbled at seeing the great mercy and goodness of God!" -- Father Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R. Courtesy of Father Byron Miller, Executive Director of seelos.org.
St. Mary's Assumption Church interior
The impressive baroque-style sanctuary was where best-selling novelist Anne Rice renewed her marriage vows with her husband Stan. She also included the church in her fictional work. Via her website, Rice continues to solicit donations in order to repair the damages caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Blessed Francis X. Shrine
In a room behind the High Altar of St. Mary's Assumption Church is the Seelos Museum. It contains a shrine dedicated to the saint-to-be-Blessed Francis X. Seelos.
St. Mary's Assumption Church is a National Historic Landmark in New Orleans.
Completed in1858, St. Mary's was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused water damage to the interior plaster and ceiling.
St. Mary's Assumption Church, side view
The large rectangular structure of brick construction was completed in 1860 for a growing German Catholic immigrant population in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans,
Interior of St. Mary's Assumption.
St. Mary's Assumption church is part of the catholic parish of St. Alphonsus.
Vintage Pendant of Blessed Francis X. Seelos
Blessed Francis X. Seelos has garnered the faith of many devouts in the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Louisiana. He worked as an itinerant missionary preaching in English and German in all of these states. | Source: Courtesy of Fr. Byron Miller.
Vintage Pendant of Blessed Francis X. Seelos
| Source: Courtesy of Fr. Byron Miller.Map
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