About St Mary (St. Alphonsus Parish) · New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Alphonsus Parish is a Redemptorist-staffed Roman Catholic parish in the Lower Garden District / Irish Channel of New Orleans, part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Originally founded by the Redemptorists who arrived at the invitation of Bishop Antoine Blanc in 1843, the parish once comprised three ethnically-specific churches — St. Alphonsus (Irish), St. Mary's Assumption (German) and Notre Dame de Bon Secours (French). Today St. Mary's Assumption Church serves as the active sacramental church, with the smaller St. Mary's Chapel at 1516 Jackson Avenue also used for daily Mass, and the parish is best known as the home of the National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, a Redemptorist who died of yellow fever in New Orleans in 1867 and was beatified by St. John Paul II in 2000.
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- St. Alphonsus Liguori (founder of the Redemptorists; parish patron); St. Mary's Assumption Church is also under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, taken up into Heaven (the Assumption)
- Rector
- Fr. Chung Tran, C.Ss.R.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of New Orleans
Why belong here
St. Alphonsus Parish offers a rare combination in New Orleans: deeply historic worship space (St. Mary's Assumption is a National Historic Landmark), intimate daily Mass in the original 1844 St. Mary's Chapel, Mass celebrated in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, and the spiritual treasury of the National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. It is a Redemptorist community of roughly 700 families that surrounds itself with a broad social ministry — an early-childhood school run by the Sisters of Mercy, outreach to the elderly (Mercy Endeavors), a food pantry and GED classes for the poor and homeless (Hope House), a free clinic (St. Thomas Community Health Center), a Catholic Worker house for homeless families, and elderly housing — making it an unusually concrete place to live one's faith in the Lower Garden District.
Mass times at St Mary (St. Alphonsus Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays, 3:15 PM – 3:55 PM at St. Mary's Assumption Church
- By appointment — call the parish office at (504) 522-6748
- After the weekday 11:30 AM Mass (Mon–Fri)
History of St. Alphonsus Parish
The Redemptorists, founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori in Italy in 1732 and known officially as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, came to the United States in 1832 and were invited to New Orleans by Bishop Antoine Blanc in 1843. They settled in what was then Lafayette, just upriver from the old city, and as immigrants from Ireland, Germany and France poured into the neighborhood, the Redemptorists organized the parish around three language-specific churches: St. Alphonsus for the Irish (1855–1857), St. Mary's Assumption for the Germans (1858–1860) and Notre Dame de Bon Secours for the French (1857, since demolished). The campus expanded to include two orphanages, three convents of religious sisters and five schools, an area remembered as 'ecclesiastical square.' Through waves of yellow fever, hurricanes and historic demographic shifts, the parish endured.
- Redemptorists invited by Bishop Antoine Blanc, 1843
- St. Alphonsus Church cornerstone laid April 27, 1855; first Mass August 25, 1857; dedicated April 25, 1858
- St. Mary's Assumption Church built 1858–1860 for the German community (National Historic Landmark)
- Notre Dame de Bon Secours (French) built 1857, now demolished
- St. Alphonsus Church individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, March 12, 1973
- St. Alphonsus Church closed for Mass in 1979; now used for cultural activities by the Friends of St. Alphonsus
Save St. Mary's Restoration Campaign
St. Mary's Assumption Church holds the final resting place of Blessed Francis Seelos and is a National Historic Landmark, but its interior plaster walls and ceiling have deteriorated significantly over more than 160 years due to New Orleans' humid climate and vulnerability to hurricanes (Hurricane Betsy in 1965 caused severe damage, and continued decay continues). The parish has launched the Save St. Mary's Campaign to restore the church's original beauty while fortifying its structure. Fr. Chung Tran, C.Ss.R., and the 'Save St. Mary's Campaign Committee' are leading the effort, which accepts donations through the parish website and a QR code.
National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
St. Alphonsus Parish has the singular honor of containing within St. Mary's Assumption Church the National Shrine holding the remains of Redemptorist Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. Born in Füssen, Bavaria in 1819, he came to the United States in 1843 and was ordained at the end of 1844. He served as assistant to St. John Neumann, then as superior and novice master before preaching in English and German throughout the Midwest and Middle Atlantic states. Assigned to St. Mary of the Assumption in New Orleans, he served the parish with great zeal until 1867, when he contracted yellow fever while visiting the sick and died of it. He was beatified by St. John Paul II in 2000 and remains on the path to canonization. The Seelos Welcome Center at 919 Josephine Street — Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM–3:30 PM, Sunday only before and immediately after the 10:30 AM Mass — highlights his life and ministry and is the primary voice for his canonization cause.
- Relics enshrined in St. Mary's Assumption Church
- Welcome Center: 919 Josephine Street, 504-525-2495
- Beatified by St. John Paul II in 2000
St. Mary's Assumption Church & St. Mary's Chapel (Worship Sites)
The active sacramental church of the parish is St. Mary's Assumption Church at 2030 Constance Street, built in 1858 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The chapel at 1516 Jackson Avenue — St. Mary's Chapel — was the parish's original 1844 church and today seats about 65 people, offering an intimate setting for smaller weddings and more intimate baptisms, and hosts daily Mass. Mass and the sacraments are celebrated across the two sites six days a week.
- St. Mary's Assumption Church: 2030 Constance Street
- St. Mary's Chapel: 1516 Jackson Avenue (capacity ~65)
- Mass celebrated at both sites six days a week
Baptisms & Weddings
Baptisms require registration by the 25th of the month; baptism class is held the 1st Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM, and baptisms are celebrated the 1st Sunday at noon. Weddings are celebrated at St. Mary's Assumption Church and (for smaller, more intimate ceremonies) at St. Mary's Chapel. Couples and families should contact the parish office for preparation and scheduling.
Parish Staff & Redemptorists
The parish is staffed by the Redemptorists (C.Ss.R.) and lay staff at the Parish Office, 2030 Constance Street. The current pastor is Fr. Chung Tran, C.Ss.R., with Fr. Andy Thompson, C.Ss.R. as Associate Pastor. Redemptorists in residence include Fr. Steve Benden, C.Ss.R. (Chaplain of the Seelos Shrine, St. Alphonsus School and St. Michael's Special School) and Fr. Tim Watson, C.Ss.R. (Chaplain of the Seelos Shrine and Hispanic Ministry). Lay staff include parish secretary Susan Higginbotham, music director Robert Zanca, and vocalist Sheila McDermott.
- Fr. Chung Tran, C.Ss.R. — Pastor
- Fr. Andy Thompson, C.Ss.R. — Associate Pastor
- Fr. Steve Benden, C.Ss.R. — Redemptorist in residence
- Fr. Tim Watson, C.Ss.R. — Redemptorist in residence
- Susan Higginbotham — Secretary
- Robert Zanca — Music Director
- Sheila McDermott — Vocalist
Affiliated Ministries & Outreach
Anchoring 'ecclesiastical square,' the parish runs or houses a remarkable network of affiliated ministries: an early-childhood school, senior outreach, food pantry, free clinic, Catholic Worker house for homeless families, and low-income elderly housing. Since Hurricane Katrina, St. Alphonsus Parish has funneled more than $300,000 in donor-supported aid to needy neighbors through these ministries.
- Seelos Welcome Center (919 Josephine St.)
- Friends of St. Alphonsus (Stewards of the 1857 Irish church at 2030 Constance)
- St. Alphonsus School (Sisters of Mercy, preschool–7th grade)
- Hope House — food pantry, GED classes, Tuesday Catholic Worker meal for the homeless
- Mercy Endeavors — Sisters-of-Mercy senior outreach (companionship, faith sharing, meals)
- St. Thomas Community Health Center — clinic for the uninsured
- St. Thomas Catholic Worker House — hospitality for homeless families
- Redemptorist Elderly Apartments — low-income senior housing
- Hispanic Ministry and Vietnamese/Filipino Catholic communities
Friends of St. Alphonsus Church
St. Alphonsus Church (the 1857 Irish church at 2030 Constance Street) has been cared for over the last twenty-five years by the Friends of St. Alphonsus. While it is part of St. Alphonsus Parish, no Masses or sacraments are celebrated there; the building is used for meetings, the annual concert series, the December Christmas crèche display, and wedding receptions. The church is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Inquiries: 504-524-8116.
- Open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Hosts annual concert series and December Christmas crèche display
- Phone: 504-524-8116
Contact Information & Office Hours
Parish office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at 2030 Constance Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 (phone 504-522-6748; fax 504-523-3734). The St. Mary's Chapel is at 1516 Jackson Avenue, and the Seelos Welcome Center is at 919 Josephine Street (504-525-2495).
- Parish Office: 2030 Constance Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Phone: (504) 522-6748
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
The Redemptorists (C.Ss.R.)
The Redemptorists — officially the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer — trace their roots to 1732 and their founding by St. Alphonsus Liguori in Italy (hence the parish's name). Their Latin motto, 'Copiosa Apud Eum Redemptio' ('With Him is Plentiful Redemption,' Psalm 130), reflects their mission to proclaim the Good News of Redemption especially to the most abandoned and, in particular, the economically poor. The order spread from Mount Vesuvius across the Italian peninsula, into German-speaking lands and Poland in the late 18th century, and into the United States in 1832. Redemptorists are known as outstanding mission preachers, retreat masters and parish missionaries.
- Founded 1732 by St. Alphonsus Liguori
- United States mission since 1832
- Latin motto: Copiosa Apud Eum Redemptio