About Our Lady Star of the Sea · New Orleans, Louisiana
Our Lady Star of the Sea was a Roman Catholic parish in the St. Roch neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Founded in November 1911 by Archbishop James Hubert Blenk, it grew from a humble gathering in a house on St. Roch Avenue into a thriving multi-generational parish centered on its 1931 Greek cruciform-style red-brick church. Known for its long-standing fisherman's Mass tradition and the celebrated Vernon Dobard mural "The Dance of Holy Innocence," the parish merged with St. Mary of the Angels on July 1, 2024 to form the new St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, with the Our Lady Star of the Sea church building permanently closing the same month.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- Our Lady, Star of the Sea (Stella Maris) — the Blessed Virgin Mary under her ancient title as guide and protector of seafarers and fishermen
- Rector
- Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH (Franciscan Friars of the Holy Eucharist) — final pastor of the merged St. Mary of the Angels & Our Lady Star of the Sea communities; first pastor of the resulting St. Josephine Bakhita Parish effective July 1, 2024
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
Our Lady Star of the Sea was a beloved St. Roch neighborhood parish with deep roots — over a century of continuous Catholic worship in the same historic community. Parishioners were drawn to its warm liturgical life, including the long-running fisherman's Mass tradition that welcomed fishermen, students, late-night workers, and anyone seeking Mass at unconventional hours. The parish offered faith formation through Sunday School (which tripled in enrollment after 1999), RCIA, liturgical and social ministries, and a thriving evangelization effort that brought more than 250 new families into the community at the turn of the millennium.
Mass times at Our Lady Star of the Sea
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM (also available by appointment)
Parish History
Our Lady Star of the Sea traces its origins to November 1911, when Archbishop James Hubert Blenk established the parish in New Orleans' historic St. Roch neighborhood. On Christmas Day 1911, Father Alexander Charles celebrated the community's first Mass in a house at St. Roch Avenue and North Johnson Street. Within seven months, land was purchased for the first church — only for the Great Hurricane of September 29, 1915 to destroy it. A second church rose on the same land within six months, and by the late 1920s the parish had outgrown it. The present Greek cruciform-style church was dedicated in 1931, funded in full by parishioners at a cost of $150,000. On December 25, 2011, the parish proudly marked its 100th anniversary as a faith community.
- Founded November 1911 by Archbishop James Hubert Blenk
- First Mass: Christmas Day 1911, led by Father Alexander Charles
- Original church destroyed by the Great Hurricane of September 29, 1915
- Present church dedicated in 1931; built at a cost of $150,000
- 100th Anniversary celebrated December 25, 2011
Architecture & Sanctuary Art
The 1931 church is built in the Greek cruciform (cross) style, with a red-brick exterior accented by carved white stone. The sanctuary's defining artwork is "The Dance of Holy Innocence," a floor-to-ceiling mural by local artist Vernon Dobard, completed as the centerpiece of a $90,000 church restoration in 2001. Auxiliary Bishop Dominic Carmon, SVD, presided over the blessing of the restored church on July 7, 2001. The mural depicts eight angels flanking the young Mary on the apse wall; Dobard painted the angels to reflect the African, Creole, Latin, French, German, and Italian-descended parishioners of the parish.
- Greek cruciform (cross) style, red brick and carved white stone exterior
- Corner of St. Roch Avenue and North Prieur Street
- "The Dance of Holy Innocence" sanctuary mural by Vernon Dobard (2001)
- Bishop Dominic Carmon, SVD, presided over blessing of restored church on July 7, 2001
Restoration & Hurricane Recovery
The parish completed a $90,000 structural restoration in July 2001, headlined by Dobard's sanctuary mural. The Dobard mural itself was restored in 2022 by conservator Elise Grenier, whose work rebuilt the radiant blues and whites that had been damaged over time. Combined with stained-glass and other repairs, the 2022 restoration totaled roughly $122,000 — all raised by parishioners. The altar was rededicated on September 25, 2022, the parish's official feast day, in a ceremony attended by Archbishop Gregory Aymond. The building had also weathered significant damage from hurricanes Katrina and Ida in preceding years.
- $90,000 restoration completed July 2001
- Mural and stained-glass restoration completed 2022 by Elise Grenier (~$122,000 total)
- Altar rededicated September 25, 2022 by Archbishop Gregory Aymond
- Damage sustained from Hurricanes Katrina and Ida
Fisherman's Mass Tradition
Honoring the parish's patroness, Our Lady Star of the Sea (Stella Maris) — guide and protector of seafarers — the parish was well known for its early-morning fisherman's Mass. Originally intended for fishermen heading out to work, it was also popular with college students, late-night partiers, and people who worked unusual hours, and became a distinctive neighborhood tradition over many decades.
- Pre-dawn Mass welcoming fishermen before they boarded their boats
- Drew a diverse crowd including sportsmen, college students, and late-night workers
- Patroness venerated as guide and protector of seafarers
Faith Formation & RCIA
Our Lady Star of the Sea ran a Sunday School program (Parish Religious Education Program) that tripled in enrollment after the parish's 1999 evangelization push, alongside an Adult Faith Formation ministry that included the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church or complete their initiation. The parish also provided sacramental preparation for First Eucharist, Confirmation, and other sacraments.
- Sunday School / PREP for children
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Adult Faith Formation
- Sacramental preparation for First Eucharist and Confirmation
Evangelization & Growth
On December 25, 1999, the parish launched the "Star of the City: Evangelization Program" — a deliberate effort to restore parish facilities, energize ministries, and grow membership. The program bore substantial fruit: more than 250 new families joined between July 1999 and the early 2000s, Liturgical and Social Ministries gained new members, the Sunday School program tripled, and Mass attendance increased by 30–40%. The parish was described at that time as one of the fastest-growing congregations in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
- "Star of the City" Evangelization Program launched December 25, 1999
- 250+ new families joined since July 1999
- Sunday School enrollment tripled
- Mass attendance up 30–40%
- Liturgical and Social Ministries gained new members
Parish Merger (2024)
As part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans' 2023–2024 pastoral planning initiative announced by Archbishop Gregory Aymond in response to challenges including hurricane recovery, COVID, and rising insurance costs, Our Lady Star of the Sea was merged with St. Mary of the Angels effective July 1, 2024. The newly formed parish took the name St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, with worship centered at St. Mary of the Angels Church and Franciscan Father Francis Kamau, FMH, as its first pastor. The Our Lady Star of the Sea church building at 1835 St. Roch Avenue permanently closed in July 2024.
- Announced October 2023 by Archbishop Gregory Aymond
- Merger effective July 1, 2024
- Merged with St. Mary of the Angels to form St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
- First pastor: Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH (Franciscan Friars of the Holy Eucharist)
- Worship site: St. Mary of the Angels Church
- OLSS church building permanently closed July 2024
Visit & Contact
The parish's contact information — address, phone, and email — remained listed on the official site olss-no.com and directory listings through the period of the parish's operation. The building is no longer open for worship following the 2024 merger; parishioners were directed to St. Josephine Bakhita Parish at the St. Mary of the Angels worship site.
- Address: 1835 St. Roch Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70117
- Phone: (504) 944-0166
- Email: [email protected]
- Official website: http://olss-no.com/
- Successor parish: St. Josephine Bakhita (sjbnola.org)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Alexander Charles1911
Led the community's first Mass on Christmas Day 1911 in a house at St. Roch Avenue and North Johnson Street, establishing the parish.