First established in 1718, the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France is the oldest cathedral in the United States. It dominates the center of New Orleans. The original building was a crude wooden structure replaced in 1727, which in turn was destroyed with much of the city in the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788. A large Spanish-colonial was built in its placed, but a botched enlargement effort pretty much destroyed all traces of it in 1850. Consequently most of the building seen today is (in the scheme of New Orleans), relatively recent. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was built immediately North of the French Quarter, soon to be followed by Cemetery No. 2 and No. 3 during the disease epidemics of the Antebellum Era. On April 25, 1909, the building was damaged by a dynamite bomb, likely from Anarchist groups. The cathedral was visited by Pope Paul IV in 1964, who elevated the church to a minor basilica, followed by Pope John Paul II in 1987. The church was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, including water damage to the pipe organ. It was restored in 2008.
A local legend states that the ghost of Father Antonio de Sedella, aka Père Antoine resides in and around the church. Father Antoine was a popular figure in New Orleans, who while rigid (some have blamed the devastation of the 1788 fire to his refusal to have the church bells rung on Good Friday), worked tirelessly for the city, helping the poor and slaves. He was a friend of voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, baptizing her and presiding over her wedding. He frequently clashed with authorities, both of his order and of the government, whether Spanish or French. Father Antoine is buried in the church.
In the 1930s, a new document came to light, adding some duality to the popularly regarded figure. The Spanish Gov Esteban Miró had ruled New Orleans from 1785-1791 (dealing with the Wilkinson-Burr Conspiracy among other things). Miró himself would become quickly popular after the Great Fire of 1788, when he promptly responded with tents for the homeless and personal funds for rebuilding. In 1785 however, he was first approached by a young monk, Antonio de Sedella, who claimed that he came under the orders of the Holy Inquisition to establish investigations according to the Spanish government (responding to the Napoleonic Wars), requesting soldiers for their support. That night, Gov Miró sent Father Antoine his troops, arresting the friar and shipping him back to Spain. The governor sent a letter to Spain, informing them of the action, and defending himself by stating that he had been appointed to encourage settlement and self-sufficiency for Louisiana, especially against American incursion. Consequently, an inquisition would undermine those objectives. Evidently the Spanish government agreed. It is not clear when Antoine returned to New Orleans, but he seemed chastened enough for the planned inquisition to not come to light for centuries.
French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana
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