There is no entity in the City of New Orleans whose time has spanned the three centuries of existence except the Catholic Church. Catholic missionaries ministered to Native Americans and early settlers and traveled with explorers in the area even before the city was founded by Bienville in 1718. In celebration of the inseparable bond that exists between New Orleans and the Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of New Orleans will host several special events including a special Tricentennial Lecture Series to share its story of ministry. That series will kick-off January 16 as Archbishop-emeritus Alfred Hughes brings focus to “Ordinary People with Extraordinary Gifts” who walked the streets of New Orleans and whose legacy of love impacts the city still today.
All are welcome to come and learn more about the holy men and women on the “road to sainthood” whose ministry directly impacted the people of New Orleans. Archbishop Hughes will focus on the lives of St. Frances Cabrini, St. Katharine Drexel, Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Venerable Henriette Delille, and Margaret Haughery all of whom lived and worked in New Orleans in service to God’s people, particularly ministering to the city’s most vulnerable populations. Each responded to God’s call to love and serve his people in their time and in ways that are still prolific today: Xavier University of Louisiana, the Sisters of the Holy Family, Cabrini High School, and the Blessed Seelos Shrine to name just a few.
The lecture series will kick-off with
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Gifts on Tuesday, January 16 at 6:30 pm at
Notre Dame Seminary’s Schulte Hall. Light refreshments will be provided.
The Tricentennial Lecture Series will continue on Wednesday, February 28 with local architect Robbie Cangelosi presenting
Stones Made Sacred: The Sacred Art and Architecture of New Orleans. In the fall, Bishop Fernand Cheri will lead a panel discussion on the Black Catholic experience in New Orleans on Friday, September 7 titled
All Along this Pilgrim Journey, and the series will conclude with a multicultural panel presentation and celebration titled
Go and Baptize All Nations on Wednesday, October 3. All presentation will begin at 6:30 pm and be hosted at Notre Dame Seminary’s Schulte Hall.