Splendors of Faith: New Orleans Catholic Churches, 1727-1930 By Charles E. Nolan, Frank J. Methe
2010 | 134 Pages | ISBN: 0807136824 | PDF | 45 MB

The earliest of the thirteen, St. Louis Cathedral, traces its origin to 1727. The most recent, Immaculate Conception, was built in 1930 but modeled after its mid-nineteenth-century predecessor. The eleven other churches are Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Holy Name of Jesus, Mater Dolorosa, Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Joseph, St. Mary's Assumption, St. Patrick, St. Peter Claver, and St. Stephen.
In image and word, photographer Frank J. Methe and historian Charles E. Nolan capture the splendor of these places of worship. Methe provides sumptuously detailed color photographs of the churches and their interior decor. Nolan offers enlightening commentary about each edifice, its congregation, and the rich variety of art forms assembled over the years: architecture, stained glass, statuary, mosaics, paintings, and more.
New Orleans Catholics and their churches experienced dramatic change after Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaks. The buildings featured here, some of which suffered major damage in 2005, continue to serve as places of worship, bearing witness to a vibrant cultural component in one of the country's most beloved cities. Splendors of Faith takes readers inside these landmark churches and reveals their aesthetic and historical significance as never before.