Basilica of St. Stephen (New Orleans)

External media
External media
Media links for the Basilica of St. Stephen
Images
	Photograph of the interior of the Basilica of St. Stephen
Video
	Significance of the designation as a minor basilica, as explained by Father Nalty (YouTube)

The Basilica of St. Stephen
The Basilica of St. Stephen
	St. Stephen Church as seen in 2007
	29°55′20″N90°06′04″W / 29.9221°N 90.1010°W
Location	1025 Napoleon Avenue; New Orleans, Louisiana
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	goodshepherdparishnola.com
History
Status	Minor basilica
Consecrated	January 1, 1888
Architecture
Heritage designation	Historic landmark
Architect(s)	Thomas W. Carter
Style	Gothic revival
Years built	1871 - 1887
Completed	1887
Specifications
Capacity	2000
Nave length	216 feet (66 m)
Width across transepts	110 feet (34 m)
Spire height	200 feet (61 m)
Administration
Archdiocese	New Orleans
Parish	Good Shepherd
Clergy
Archbishop	Gregory Aymond
Pastor(s)	Christopher H. Nalty

Last updated November 14, 2023

The Basilica of St. Stephen is a church in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, that became a minor basilica in June 2022. It is also known as Saint Stephen Church. It is located in Uptown New Orleans. The Basilica of St. Stephen is part of Good Shepherd Parish and has a parochial school associated with it.^[1]

History

St. Stephen Church was founded in 1849 by priests from the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), the priests having acquired the land in 1848. Originally, it was a mission church in the municipality of Jefferson City, Louisiana, which was subsequently annexed by the city of New Orleans.^[3]

By the late 1850s, Father Anthony Verrina concluded that a large church was needed to serve the rapidly growing population of the locale at the time. Verrina was the third pastor of the parish, and he also led the fund-raising efforts. The parish hired Thomas W. Carter as architect for the new church and Thomas O'Neil as the builder. Construction commenced in November 1871.^[3]

The architectural design of St. Stephen Church is in a Gothic revival style, showing design influence from Minden Cathedral in Germany. It has a hallenkirche floor plan with light entering the church through windows and with naves and aisles of equal height. The church has a large rose window at the rear of the building. As of 1979, it was the second largest church in New Orleans, exceeded by St. Joseph Church.^[3] The stained glass windows, which are extensive in the church, were designed and manufactured by Franz Mayer of Munich.^[4]

Construction of the present St. Stephen Church commenced in 1871 and was completed in 1887.^[5] The first mass in the new church was held on December 26, 1887, the day being the Feast of St. Stephen.^[3] Its consecration was on January 1, 1888.^[1]

The spire of St. Stephen Church was added following construction of the church. The spire's design, by the architectural firm Favrot & Livaudais, is a steel frame that is wrapped in terracotta tiles. It is 200 feet in height and has 24 sides. The spire has windows with stained glass. Construction of the spire was carried out in 1905 and 1906.^[3] The pipe organ dates from 1939, making it one of the oldest in the city.

As a result of economic and demographic effects of Hurricane Katrina, in October 2008, the congregation of St. Stephen Church merged with the congregations of St. Henry’s Catholic Church and Our Lady of Good Counsel Church to form Good Shepherd Parish.^[4]

School

In 1852, the parish of St. Stephen Church opened a school to serve the children of its parishioners. Over the years of the school's existence it has offered education from kindergarten through secondary school, although the secondary school closed in 1966. As of 2022, St. Stephen School educates students up until the seventh grade.^[6]

Early in its history, the school was known as St. Vincent Academy. The faculty was staffed over the years by the Daughters of Charity, the Christian Brothers of Mary, and lay teachers.^[6]

The secondary school at St. Stephen Church was damaged in Hurricane Betsy, which was a contributing factor in its closure.^[6] The school of St. Stephen Church experienced significant damage during Hurricane Ida in August 2021.^[7]

Restoration

St. Stephen Church went through a major restoration in 2017 - 2018 at a cost of approximately USD 6.9 million. The restoration corrected water leakage problems, improved illumination, and wear over time. Original flooring was restored. No architectural elements or historical features were altered.^[8]

Basilica

The papal decree naming St. Stephen Church as a basilica was signed on May 12, 2022, after a lengthy nomination process, led by the pastor, the Very Reverend Monsignor Christopher H. Nalty, requiring approximately 19 months to complete. Nalty noted that the parochial school associated with the basilica was likely an important factor in gaining status as a basilica. A goal of pursuing status as a basilica was to strengthen evangelization efforts within the church membership.^[1]

The Basilica of St. Stephen became the second basilica in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, the other one being St. Louis Cathedral. A third basilica in the state of Louisiana is the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Natchitoches, Louisiana.^[5]

Monsignor Nalty has publicly described his desire that the St. Stephen Basilica be open to worshipers at all times and that the basilica be part of a trail of significant Roman Catholic religious sites in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area.^[5]

Church symbols that are important to basilicas include the Umbraculum, the tintinnabulum (bells) and the symbol of tiara and keys that is on the Vatican flag. As of the time of elevation to basilica status, Nalty commissioned artists to design and produce the symbols to be used by the Basilica of St. Stephen.^[1]

Through its existence, St. Stephen Church was always multiethnic and was never associated with any particular ethnic group. This characteristic was unusual for churches in the United States in the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century.^[3] Due to its physical size, the church always had a prominence in Uptown New Orleans. Its architectural features and its history have been other characteristics important in achieving status as a basilica.^[1]^[3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans)</span> Basilica in New Orleans, Louisiana

The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States alongside the Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey, California. It is dedicated to Saint Louis, also known as King Louis IX of France. The first church on the site was built in 1718; the third, under the Spanish rule, built in 1789, was raised to cathedral rank in 1793. The second St. Louis Cathedral was burned during the great fire of 1788 and was expanded and largely rebuilt and completed in the 1850s, with little of the 1789 structure remaining.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans is a Latin Church ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church spanning Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, and Washington civil parishes of southeastern Louisiana. It is the second to the Archdiocese of Baltimore in age among the present dioceses in the United States, having been elevated to the rank of diocese on April 25, 1793, during Spanish colonial rule.

Saint Ignatius Church is on the campus of the University of San Francisco (USF) in San Francisco, California. The church serves a parish of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and is the university's chapel. Saint Ignatius Church is staffed by priests of the Society of Jesus and is dedicated to the Society's founder, Ignatius of Loyola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux</span> Latin Catholic jurisdiction in the United States

The Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Louisiana. It covers Terrebonne, Lafourche, and the eastern part of St. Mary parishes, Morgan City, and Grand Isle in Jefferson Parish. Although a small diocese in terms of area, it has a large Catholic population, with approximately 126,000 Catholics out of a total population of 202,000. The diocese includes part of Cajun Louisiana.

Saint Mary of the Angels is a historic church of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

St. Frances Cabrini Church was a Roman Catholic parish church in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 1963 until 2005, when it was extensively damaged by floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. The church was designed in the modernist style by New Orleans architectural firm Curtis and Davis. Their design was intended to facilitate parishioners' participation in religious ceremonies. The church building did not re-open after Hurricane Katrina and was demolished in 2007 amid controversy over architectural preservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Patrick's Church (New Orleans, Louisiana)</span> Historic church in Louisiana, United States

St. Patrick's Church is a Catholic church and parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The parish was founded in 1833, and the current structure was completed in 1840. It is the second-oldest parish in New Orleans, located upriver from the French Quarter at 724 Camp Street in what is now the Central Business District. The building, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the nation's earliest and finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture.

The Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church is located at 4440 Russell Street in Detroit, Michigan, in the Forest Park neighborhood on the city's central East side. The Gothic Revival cathedral styled church is the largest of the Roman Catholic churches in the City of Detroit. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It, along with St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church, 0.4 miles east on East Canfield Street, and St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church, 0.3 miles west at East Canfield Street and Chrysler Drive, served the large Polish community through most of the twentieth century. In a diocesan reorganization instituted by Archbishop Allen Vigneron in 2013, Sweetest Heart of Mary joined with St. Josephat to form Mother of Divine Mercy Parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church located at 715 East Canfield Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1985. Since 2013, it has been one of two churches that comprise Mother of Divine Mercy Parish.

Robert William Muench is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Muench served as bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge in Louisiana from 2002 to 2018. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Covington in Kentucky from 1996 to 2002 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in Louisiana from 1990 to 1996.

The Most Holy Redeemer Church is located at 1721 Junction Street in Southwest Detroit, Michigan, within the West Vernor–Junction Historic District. The church was once estimated as the largest Roman Catholic parish in North America. West Vernor–Junction Historic District is adjacent to Mexicantown and contains a growing Mexican community and resurgent neighborhood.

Napoléon-Joseph Perché (1805–1883) was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in Louisiana from 1870 to 1883.

St. Joseph Catholic Church is a former Catholic parish in the Diocese of Davenport. Its former parish church is located in the west end of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The church and the rectory were listed together on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1999. After serving as the location of a Reformed Baptist congregation and a private elementary school named Marquette Academy, the parish property now houses a fundamentalist Christian ministry named One Eighty.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic church located at 353 Peachtree Street NE in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The current building was completed in 1898. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was designated a minor basilica in 2010.

The Parish of Good Shepherd and St. Joseph is a parish under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located in Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, New York. The church address is Good Shepherd Church, 3 Mulberry Street, Rhinebeck, New York 12572

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church is located at 114 Louisiana Highway 403 in Paincourtville, Louisiana, in Assumption Parish. In 2000 the ecclesiastical parish of St. Elizabeth was clustered with St. Jules in Bell Rose, also in the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Saint Stephen Martyr Catholic Church is a Catholic parish church located at 2436 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. The parish was founded on August 4, 1867, and the first church building consecrated and used for worship on December 27, 1868. This brick structure closed on July 15, 1959, and the current new building was consecrated and first used for worship on June 11, 1961. The church was a favorite of President John F. Kennedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis of Assisi Parish (New Orleans, Louisiana)</span> Church in New Orleans, Louisiana

St. Francis of Assisi Parish is a Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The parish has existed since 1890.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marigny Opera House</span> Opera house and former Catholic church in New Orleans

Marigny Opera House, also known as the Church of the Arts, is an opera house and performing arts center in Faubourg Marigny, New Orleans, Louisiana. The Marigny was originally a Catholic parish church known as Holy Trinity Catholic Church. It was closed by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1997.

References

1 2 3 4 5 Finney, Jr., Peter (June 1, 2022). "Vatican Designates St. Stephen as a Minor Basilica". Archdiocese of New Orleans. Clarion Herald. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
↑ "New Orleans and CBD Nominated and Designated Landmarks". nola.gov. City of New Orleans. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pitts, William. "St. Stephen Church" (PDF). nola.gov. Historic District Landmark Commission of New Orleans. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
1 2 "Parish History". goodsheherdparishnola.com. Good Shepherd Parish. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
1 2 3 Fazio, Marie (June 20, 2022). "The Basilica of St. Stephen: Uptown New Orleans Church Joins Rare, Prestigious Group". The Advocate. NOLA.com. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
1 2 3 Schindler, Newell (May 26, 1966). "The Last Graduation". Archdiocese of New Orleans. The Clarion Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
↑ Rouselle, Christine. "'We'll get Through It': New Orleans Pastor Looks to Rebuild after Ida". catholicnewsagency.com. Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
↑ Adelson, Jeff (June 1, 2017). "St. Stephen Church on Napoleon Ave. to Begin Year-Long Restoration". The Advocate. NOLA.com. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Finney-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Finney, Jr., Peter (June 1, 2022). "Vatican Designates St. Stephen as a Minor Basilica". Archdiocese of New Orleans. Clarion Herald. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

[HDLC-2] "New Orleans and CBD Nominated and Designated Landmarks". nola.gov. City of New Orleans. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

[HDLC2-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pitts, William. "St. Stephen Church" (PDF). nola.gov. Historic District Landmark Commission of New Orleans. Retrieved 27 June 2022.

[ParishHistory-4] 1 2 "Parish History". goodsheherdparishnola.com. Good Shepherd Parish. Retrieved 28 June 2022.

[TP2022-5] 1 2 3 Fazio, Marie (June 20, 2022). "The Basilica of St. Stephen: Uptown New Orleans Church Joins Rare, Prestigious Group". The Advocate. NOLA.com. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

[ClarionHerald1966-6] 1 2 3 Schindler, Newell (May 26, 1966). "The Last Graduation". Archdiocese of New Orleans. The Clarion Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2022.

[CNA-7] Rouselle, Christine. "'We'll get Through It': New Orleans Pastor Looks to Rebuild after Ida". catholicnewsagency.com. Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 28 June 2022.

[TP2017-8] Adelson, Jeff (June 1, 2017). "St. Stephen Church on Napoleon Ave. to Begin Year-Long Restoration". The Advocate. NOLA.com. Retrieved 26 June 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]