Basilica of St. Stephen (Good Shepherd Parish)

History & Significance

Basilica · Est. Founded 1849; present church built 1871–1887; minor basilica since 2022

St. Stephen Church in Uptown New Orleans was founded in 1849 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) to serve the area's German Catholic community. The present Gothic Revival church was built between 1871 and 1887 under pastor Father Anthony Verrina, with architect Thomas W. Carter and builder Thomas O'Neil, and features stained glass by Franz Mayer of Munich. In October 2008, after Hurricane Katrina, St. Stephen merged with St. Henry and Our Lady of Good Counsel to form Good Shepherd Parish. In June 2022 the church was designated a minor basilica, the second in the Archdiocese of New Orleans after St. Louis Cathedral.

Gothic Revival (hallenkirche plan), influenced by Minden Cathedral, Germany

• •Founded 1849 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians)
• •Present church constructed 1871–1887; first Mass December 26, 1887
• •Designated a minor basilica in June 2022 (papal decree signed May 12, 2022)
• •Second basilica in the Archdiocese of New Orleans after St. Louis Cathedral
• •Part of Good Shepherd Parish, formed by a 2008 post-Katrina merger of three congregations