About St. Mary of the Angels · New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Mary of the Angels is a Catholic parish in New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward, at 3501 N. Miro Street. It was established in 1925 by Archbishop John W. Shaw, who invited the Franciscan Friars from Cincinnati to staff it — a Franciscan presence that has now spanned nearly a century. The parish is known for its joyful, predominantly African-American Catholic community, a spirited Gospel Choir, and a deeply rooted tradition of lay leadership and neighborhood service, especially through the disasters of Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Ida (2021). Effective July 1, 2024, St. Mary of the Angels merged with nearby Our Lady Star of the Sea to form the new St. Josephine Bakhita Parish under Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH, with the parish now served by the Franciscan Missionaries of Hope (Lyke Community).
- Established
- 1925
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Angels (Mary, under the title of the Portiuncula)
- Rector
- Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Angels is a faithful, predominantly African-American Catholic community with nearly 100 years of continuous Franciscan service in New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward — one of the city's most historic but underserved neighborhoods. Parishioners and friars together live out a strong tradition of lay ministry, vibrant Gospel-Choir liturgy, and hands-on outreach (Catholic Charities senior food distribution, College Track for high-schoolers, Together New Orleans, ESL classes, and peace walks). Worshippers describe a powerful sense of family, deep spirituality, and pride in their church — and they show up for one another through every storm, just as they did during Katrina and Ida.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (listed on parish events)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (per parish calendar/schedule)
St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church — New Orleans, LA
St. Mary of the Angels is a Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of New Orleans located at 3501 N. Miro Street in the city's Upper Ninth Ward. The parish has been served by Franciscan friars continuously since 1925 and is today a worship site of the newly merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish (effective July 1, 2024). The parish identifies itself as 'a welcoming community of believers who worship God and serve others.' Its Sunday liturgy is celebrated in English and is led by the parish's Gospel Choir.
- Address: 3501 N. Miro Street, New Orleans, LA 70117
- Phone: (504) 945-3186
- Website: smaneworleans.org (now also accessible via sjbnola.org for the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish)
- Email: [email protected]
- Archdiocese: Archdiocese of New Orleans
Our History
The parish was established in 1925 at the invitation of Archbishop John W. Shaw, who brought the Franciscan Fathers from Cincinnati to New Orleans to assume care of a proposed parish behind Claiborne Avenue (along with the mission of Our Lady of Good Harbor in Buras, Louisiana). The first Mass was celebrated on August 2, 1925, in a three-room house serving as a temporary church. A permanent church building followed, and the present worship space was constructed in the late 1960s. Through cultural and economic changes in the surrounding neighborhood, the Franciscans' faithful presence has remained constant — what parishioners and friars describe as a 'beacon of hope and stability.'
- Founded August 2, 1925 — on the feast of Our Lady of the Angels
- First Mass celebrated in a three-room temporary church
- Current church building constructed in the late 1960s
- Staffed by Franciscan Friars (OFM, from Cincinnati) for nearly a century
Disasters and the Parish That Always Endures
Two defining moments in the parish's modern history are the responses to Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Ida (2021). During Katrina, then-pastor Fr. Bart Pax, OFM, and his fellow friars sheltered nearly 100 neighbors in the parish school building while floodwaters engulfed the Ninth Ward; Fr. Bart kept a one-man vigil at the parish for months afterward, quietly battling cancer while coordinating the rebuilding. Sixteen years later, in August 2021, pastor Fr. Joe Hund, OFM, and pastoral associates Br. Juniper Crouch and Br. Daniel Barrett chose to remain on site as Hurricane Ida approached. The parish school and parking lot became a shelter and distribution center for water, food, ice, tarps, cleaning supplies, and baby items. The motto that emerged from both storms — repeated by Fr. Joe — is simple: 'The parish always endures.'
- Hurricane Katrina (2005): ~100 neighbors sheltered in parish school
- Hurricane Ida (2021): school and parking lot served as relief distribution site
- Ongoing collaboration with Together New Orleans and Catholic Charities on disaster recovery
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
St. Mary of the Angels has been led by a succession of Franciscan friars since its founding. As of July 1, 2024, the parish is pastored by Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH (Franciscan Missionaries of Hope), as part of the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish. The previous pastor, Fr. Joe Hund, OFM, served for approximately six years and led the community through Hurricane Ida and its aftermath; he was assisted by associate pastor Fr. Mike Haney and pastoral associates Br. Juniper Crouch and Br. Daniel Barrett. Earlier, Fr. Bart Pax, OFM, shepherded the parish through Katrina and its long rebuilding. In recent summers, the parish has also hosted student friars such as Br. Joshua Richter, OFM, who shadowed the pastoral team and joined community outreach efforts.
- Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH — Pastor (since July 1, 2024; first pastor of merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish)
- Fr. Joe Hund, OFM — Pastor for ~6 years (through 2024)
- Fr. Mike Haney — Associate Pastor
- Fr. Bart Pax, OFM — Pastor during Hurricane Katrina
- Br. Juniper Crouch, OFM — Pastoral Associate
- Br. Daniel Barrett, OFM — Pastoral Associate
- Br. Joshua Richter, OFM — Summer pastoral intern
Music and Liturgy
The parish is well known for its joyful, Gospel-Choir-led liturgy. Choruses of 'Amen' and 'Hallelujah' ring out in response to stirring homilies, and members of the congregation raise their voices in praise under the direction of SMA's Gospel Choir. Visiting friars and reporters have described the African-American expression of liturgy at SMA as 'awesome' and a reflection of parishioners' deep spirituality and love for God.
- SMA Gospel Choir leads sung worship
- Strong African-American Catholic liturgical tradition
- Active lay participation and lay-led ministries
Devotions
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish maintains several longstanding devotional practices that shape community prayer throughout the week.
- St. Anthony Devotion — every Tuesday following the 8:00 AM Daily Mass
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. Mary of the Angels is known for its deeply Franciscan commitment to service in the Upper Ninth Ward, an underserved community that has the lowest average income in the City of New Orleans. The friars and parishioners collaborate with several community and social organizations, including Catholic Charities' Senior Food Distribution, the College Track program for high-school students, and Together New Orleans. The parish also hosts neighborhood peace walks in collaboration with the Diocese of New Orleans, ESL classes for immigrants through Catholic Charities, senior activities, food distribution for those in need, and outreach to the sick and homebound. Pastors have repeatedly emphasized that prior pastors' promotion of lay ministry and leadership is what makes the parish's ministry culture possible today.
- Catholic Charities Senior Food Distribution
- College Track Program (high-school students)
- Together New Orleans
- ESL classes for immigrants
- Neighborhood peace walks (Diocese of New Orleans)
- Senior activities and food distribution
- Outreach to the sick and homebound
- Lay-led altar server / sacristan ministry
Disaster Relief and Shelter Ministry
The parish school building and parking lot have served as a hurricane shelter and emergency distribution site multiple times in the parish's history — most notably during Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Ida (2021). After Ida, the parking lot hosted distribution of water, food, ice, blue tarps, cleaning supplies, and baby items; members of the New Orleans City Council and numerous volunteers rolled up their sleeves alongside the friars on September 5, 2021, and Second Harvest Food Bank followed up with additional assistance on September 14, 2021.
- School building used as shelter during Katrina (2005) and Ida (2021)
- Parking lot used as emergency distribution site
- Parishioner-driven debris clearing and neighbor-to-neighbor repair help
St. Josephine Bakhita Parish — Merger of St. Mary of the Angels and Our Lady Star of the Sea
As part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans' parish pastoral-planning process announced by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond in October 2023, St. Mary of the Angels was paired with nearby Our Lady Star of the Sea to form a new merged parish. Effective July 1, 2024, the new parish was named St. Josephine Bakhita, with Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH, appointed as its first pastor. The merged community worships at the St. Mary of the Angels campus at 3501 N. Miro Street, continuing the nearly century-long Franciscan witness in this part of New Orleans. Both the historical smaneworleans.org site and the new sjbnola.org site carry the merger announcement.
- Merger announced October 2023; effective July 1, 2024
- New name: St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
- First pastor: Fr. Francis Kamau, FMH
- Worship site: St. Mary of the Angels campus, 3501 N. Miro Street
- Served by Franciscan Missionaries of Hope (Lyke Community)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bart Pax, OFMthrough Hurricane Katrina (2005) and post-Katrina rebuilding
Sheltered nearly 100 neighbors in the parish school during Katrina; led the long rebuilding and reopening effort while quietly battling cancer.
- Fr. Joe Hund, OFMapproximately six years (through 2024)
Led the parish through Hurricane Ida in 2021, opening the school and parking lot as a shelter and relief-distribution site; oversaw parish preparations for the 2024 merger.
- Fr. Francis Kamau, FMHEffective July 1, 2024 — present
Appointed first pastor of the newly merged parish combining St. Mary of the Angels and Our Lady Star of the Sea, named St. Josephine Bakhita Parish.