About Our Lady of Guadalupe - St. Jude · New Orleans, Louisiana
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church & International Shrine of St. Jude is a Roman Catholic parish on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, at 411 North Rampart Street. Housed in the oldest surviving church building in the city — the 1826 Mortuary Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua — it is staffed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and is the home of an internationally recognized shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus, patron of impossible causes, featuring a relic and (adjacent in a peace garden) what the parish describes as the world's largest statue of St. Jude. The parish is predominantly African-American, celebrates two Sunday Jazz Masses plus a Gospel-Choir evening Mass, a weekly Spanish Mass, and four seasonal St. Jude Novenas that draw pilgrims from across the region.
- Established
- 1826
- Patron
- St. Jude Thaddeus (Apostle and patron of impossible / lost causes); also Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Rector
- Fr. Tony (Oblate of Mary Immaculate)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
Parishioners and visitors are drawn here for several tangible reasons: four seasonal St. Jude Novenas each year (drawing regional pilgrims), a relic of St. Jude inside the shrine, two Sunday Jazz Masses plus a Gospel-Choir evening Mass, a weekly Spanish Mass for the Latino community, a Marian grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the courtyard, the statue of St. Expedite venerated for urgent favors, daily and weekly Mass/Adoration/Bible Study, and the St. Jude Community Center across Basin Street that serves the homeless and food-insecure. The parish is also the recognized official chapel of the New Orleans Police and Fire Departments, holds a Knights of Peter Claver chapter, runs a Legion of Mary praesidium, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, and ongoing religious education for grades 1 through 11 — all in what the parish calls 'a welcoming, diverse, inner-city community of believers united by a strong Catholic faith.'
Mass times at Our Lady of Guadalupe - St. Jude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (before the 4:00 PM Mass)
- Before every Sunday Mass (heard before each of the weekend Masses)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Adoration and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament)
Our History
The oldest surviving church building in New Orleans, Our Lady of Guadalupe was constructed in 1826 by French architects Gurlie and Guillot at a cost of $14,000 and dedicated on December 27, 1827, by Père Antoine as the Mortuary Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua — a place to hold funerals of yellow-fever victims apart from St. Louis Cathedral. After passing through Italian-immigrant, Confederate-era, and abandoned periods, it was revived in 1918 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate under Archbishop John W. Shaw's invitation and their first pastor, Fr. Jules Bornes, OMI, who renamed it Our Lady of Guadalupe and a few years later launched the St. Jude novena tradition whose relic shrine still stands inside the church. The 1950 collapse of the old roof timbers forced a major repair under Fr. Laux, OMI, and Fr. Peter Rogers, OMI expanded ministry into the Iberville Housing Project and broadened the radio reach of the novenas.
- 1826 construction begins at N. Rampart and Conti
- December 27, 1827: dedicated by Père Antoine
- 1841: chapel begins being used as an everyday parish church
- 1870: Bishop Perche reassigns it to the Italian immigrant community
- 1903: Dominican Fr. Lorente arrives; dies nine days later
- 1918: Oblates of Mary Immaculate arrive under Fr. Jules Bornes
- 1930s/1935: St. Jude novena tradition begins; shrine and relic installed
- 1950: roof collapse; new steel beams and Møller organ under Fr. Laux
- Late 20th c.: Fr. Peter Rogers extends ministry into Iberville and on radio
- November 2025: included in Archdiocese of New Orleans Chapter 11 filing
Architecture & Building
The 1826–1827 chapel was built of period-correct load-bearing masonry to last: 20-inch exterior brick walls, 12-inch interior walls, a brick floor, a trapezoidal foundation of brick and cypress, 20-foot-tall exterior walls, and a slate roof. Inside, the sanctuary holds the International Shrine of St. Jude (left of the altar, with its relic), the large painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe behind the main altar, the statue of St. Expedite near the entrance, a Marian grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes between church and rectory, and a Møller pipe organ installed in 1950. Adjacent to the church is a peace garden housing what the parish describes as the world's largest statue of St. Jude.
- Architects: Gurlie and Guillot
- Original cost: $14,000
- Walls: 20" exterior brick / 12" interior brick
- Foundation: trapezoidal, brick and cypress
- Floor: brick; Roof: slate
- Organ: M. P. Møller (installed c. 1950)
- Outdoor: Marian grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes; St. Jude peace garden with monumental statue
International Shrine of St. Jude
The Shrine of St. Jude, located to the left of the main altar, was erected in the 1930s after a parish prayer campaign to the patron saint of impossible and lost causes produced many reported answers to prayer and a growing public following. It houses a first-class relic of St. Jude Thaddeus and is the focal point of the parish's four annual nine-day novenas. Adjacent to the church is a peace garden with what NASPA describes as the world's largest statue of St. Jude, making the shrine a recognized pilgrimage destination in the U.S. Catholic landscape.
- St. Jude Novena – four times per year (one per season)
- First-class relic of St. Jude on the shrine
- Peace garden adjacent to the church with monumental St. Jude statue
- Member shrine of the National Association of Shrine Pilgrimages (NASPA)
- Designated Jubilee Church for the Holy Year 2025
St. Expedite & Marian Devotions
At the entrance of the church stands a venerated statue of St. Expedite — a Roman soldier figure holding a martyr's palm and a cross inscribed 'hodie' ('today'). According to local legend (recorded by nola.com's '300 for 300' series), the statue arrived at the parish around 1921 in a crate marked 'Expedite.' St. Expedite is invoked for urgent and speedy favors and is venerated not only by Catholics but also by some practitioners of Voodoo in New Orleans. Outside, between church and rectory, the Marian grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes offers a place for outdoor prayer and reflection.
- Statue of St. Expedite venerated for urgent causes
- Marian grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes in the courtyard
- Large painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe behind the main altar
Music Ministry
Our Lady of Guadalupe is recognized as one of New Orleans' signature settings for the 'Jazz Mass' and 'Gospel Mass.' Sunday's two Jazz Masses are held at 9:30 AM (livestreamed) and 11:30 AM, and a Gospel Choir leads music at the 6:00 PM Sunday Mass. Music is provided at every Mass, blending traditional Catholic hymnody with brass, drums, choir and gospel texture — a style the parish describes as 'spirit-filled worship.'
- Sunday 9:30 AM Jazz Mass (livestreamed)
- Sunday 11:30 AM Jazz Mass
- Sunday 6:00 PM Mass with Gospel Choir
- Music at every daily and weekend liturgy
Faith Formation, Bible Study & Devotional Groups
The parish's Religious Education program provides ongoing formation for students in grades 1 through 11 and prepares them for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Adults are served by a weekly Wednesday Bible Study (Estudio Bíblico) held after the 7:00 AM Mass in St. Jude Hall, ending around 8:30 AM with coffee and donuts, conducted bilingually. The Legion of Mary praesidium meets Mondays at 6:00 PM in St. Jude Hall (entering through the Basin Street door).
- Religious Education (grades 1–11): First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation prep
- RCIA for adults seeking initiation
- Wednesday Bible Study after 7:00 AM Mass in St. Jude Hall
- Legion of Mary — Mondays 6:00 PM in St. Jude Hall
- Catholic Counseling referral via the Archdiocese (504-861-6245)
Ministries, Service & Outreach
Our Lady of Guadalupe identifies itself in its mission statement as a parish committed to 'family centered and spirit-filled worship, education, outreach and generous service to the poor and homeless of our community.' The principal outreach arm is the St. Jude Community Center, located across Basin Street from the church — a shelter, food program, and social-services ministry serving the surrounding inner-city neighborhoods.
- St. Jude Community Center (across Basin St.) — serves homeless and food-insecure
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference
- Knights of Peter Claver
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors (Readers)
- Family-centered outreach to the poor and homeless
St. Jude Community Center
Located across the street (on Basin Street) from the church, the St. Jude Community Center is the parish's social-services outreach arm. Its mission is to provide food for the homeless and food-insecure, to house and feed working homeless women, to provide education and counseling to those in need, and to foster a sense of self-worth and dignity in every client. The Center serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays, partners with Second Harvest Food Bank for food distribution, collaborates with Responsibility House in serving addicts, and has historically hosted volunteers assisting in post-Katrina rebuilding efforts. A Monday-evening community night gathers residents and guests for a shared meal and seminars on topics such as Bible study, legal rights, parenting, and job searching.
- Weekday breakfast and lunch for the homeless and food-insecure
- Shelter for homeless working women (since 2006 under Sr. Beth)
- Adult basic education and counseling
- Partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank
- Collaboration with Responsibility House (serving addicts)
- Monday community night with shared meal and educational seminars
Clergy & Pastoral Team
The parish has been continuously staffed by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate since 1918. The current parish leadership is led by Pastor Fr. Tony, OMI, with Fr. Benny, OMI, as parochial vicar. The Oblates' first pastor here was Fr. Jules Bornes, OMI (1918). Notable historical pastors include Fr. Lorente, O.P. (Dominican, 1903), Père Turgis (1860), Fr. Laux, OMI (chaplain of NOFD/NOPD, 1950s), and Fr. Peter Rogers, OMI (expanded ministry into the Iberville Housing Project and on radio).
- Fr. Tony, OMI — Pastor
- Fr. Benny, OMI — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Jules Bornes, OMI — First Oblate pastor (1918)
- Fr. Laux, OMI — Chaplain of New Orleans Police and Fire
- Fr. Peter Rogers, OMI — Expanded Iberville Project and novena radio ministry
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jules Bornes, OMI1918–
First Oblate pastor; arrived 1918 at Archbishop Shaw's invitation; undertook renovation and revitalization of the old mortuary chapel and renamed it Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Fr. Lorente, O.P.1903
Dominican; sent to revive the Italian mission at the old St. Anthony chapel and founded the new St. Anthony parish on Canal Street; died only nine days later, after which the old chapel was again abandoned.
- Père Turgis1860–
Assigned to the chapel in 1860; ran services for the Confederate army from the nave.
- Fr. Laux, OMIc. 1950–
Oversaw replacement of collapsed roof timbers with steel and installation of a new Møller organ; concurrently served as chaplain of the New Orleans Police and Fire Departments.
- Fr. Peter Rogers, OMIafter Fr. Laux–
Expanded parish ministry into the nearby Iberville Housing Project and broadened radio coverage of the St. Jude Novenas; now deceased per parish materials.
- Fr. Tony, OMIpresent
Current pastor; mentioned in parish bulletins and news features.
- Fr. Benny, OMIpresent
Current parochial vicar; mentioned in parish communications alongside Fr. Tony.