On the Avenue – Holy Ghost Church, Uptown New Orleans

Holy Ghost Church, 1926-Present, Louisiana Avenue

The picture above shows the many happy faces exiting the Holy Ghost Church not long after the impressive Romanesque edifice was constructed on Louisiana Avenue in 1926. The congregation had worshipped for ten years in a combination church-school on Toledano Street, shown below (which still stands). Holy Ghost drew a large population of both old New Orleans families and migrants from the rural parishes of Louisiana who lived in the Uptown section. It was the fourth parish erected for colored communicants, following Saint Katherine’s on Tulane Avenue in 1895; Saint Dominic (Saint Joan of Arc) in Carrollton in 1909; and Blessed Sacrament in 1915. Holy Ghost Parish was home to many well-known families: Labat, Rousseve, Haydel, Dejoie, Bajoie, Geddes, Holtry, Frederick, Brossett, Richards, Roudeze, Augustine, Randolph, Cooper, Thomas, Fassett, Dedeaux, Dusuau, Rainey, Braud, Willard, Moore, and scores of others.

[Click to Enlarge Photo]

Holy Ghost Church & School, 1916-1926, Toledano Street 

Photograph Source: Personal Collection; Holy Ghost Fathers Archives.

J.C.L.H.

Share this...
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on email
Email
Share on print
Print

2 thoughts on “On the Avenue – Holy Ghost Church, Uptown New Orleans

  1. This is a great site for geneology searches. I would never have found a picture of Holly Ghost Church and School if I hadn’t stumbled on this site. Glad to know I can find more about Creole geneology here as well.

    Thank you
    Brenda

  2. Xavier Prep’s Class of ’57 recently celebrated its “57at 57” reunion from May 16-18, 2014. Class members attended Mass at Holy Ghost Church (now St. Katharine Drexel Church)–beautiful church, excellent ministerial messages, and fantastic choir. Xavier Prep is now known as St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *