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New Orleans, Orleans Parish / Religious sites

St. Alphonsus Church

A National Historic Landmark on Constance Street, this former Irish immigrant church is a dazzling example of Late Victorian Renaissance Revival architecture with a multicolored interior.

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What is St. Alphonsus Church known for?

It is a National Historic Landmark and a high-quality example of ecclesiastical Italianate and Late Victorian Renaissance Revival architecture. It is also known as the Saint Alphonsus Art & Cultural Center and holds the final resting place of Blessed Francis Seelos.

What is the history of the building?

Constructed between 1855 and 1857 by the Redemptorists, the church originally served a mostly Irish Catholic congregation. Religious services ceased in 1979, and the building reopened in 1990 as a non-sectarian neighborhood art and cultural center focusing on Irish history in New Orleans.

What does the interior look like?

The interior is described as dazzling and richly ornamented, featuring a coved plaster ceiling painted by Dominique Canova, mosaic tile floors, and Bavarian stained glass windows from F.X. Zettler.

Where is it located?

It is located on Constance Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, with addresses listed as 2029 and 2030 Constance Street.

What should I check before going?

Use Gyde for context, then check official sources for current hours, tickets, construction, and closures.

What to know

St. Alphonsus Church is a National Historic Landmark located at 2029 Constance Street in New Orleans. Constructed between 1855 and 1857, the building was designed by Baltimore architect Long and is believed to have been built by Irish immigrant brothers Thomas and Daniel Mulligan. The church originally served an English-speaking, mostly Irish Catholic congregation and was one of three immigrant churches built by the Redemptorists within a two-block radius. The building's exterior features a richly decorated symmetrical facade with a central entrance area flanked by two square towers topped by crosses. Its architectural classification is Late Victorian Renaissance Revival, also described as a high-quality example of ecclesiastical Italianate architecture. The spacious interior, measuring 72 by 154 feet, is capable of seating 2,500 persons. The interior is described as dazzling, with a richly ornamented nave and a coved plaster ceiling painted by Dominique Canova. The space is further enhanced by Bavarian stained glass windows from F.X. Zettler and mosaic tile floors. It is one of the few surviving national examples of a richly multicolored church interior predating the 1870s. After religious services ceased in 1979, the church reopened in 1990 as the Saint Alphonsus Art & Cultural Center, a non-sectarian neighborhood cultural center focused on the history of the Irish in New Orleans.

Visitor tips

  • Check for current exhibition hours as the building now serves as an Art & Cultural Center.
  • Look up at the coved plaster ceiling to see the artwork by Dominique Canova.
  • Allow time to examine the detailed Bavarian stained glass windows by F.X. Zettler.

Nearby context

Situated on Constance Street between St. Andrew and Josephine streets, the church is located in the Fourth District of New Orleans, just one square from a major streetcar line.

Sources

Evidence and links