St. Augustine Church, Catholic church in Tremé, New Orleans, US.
St. Augustine Church is a Catholic church in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, built in the Gothic Revival style with pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and buttresses. Inside, stained glass windows with biblical scenes line the walls and fill the space with colored light.
The church was founded in 1842 by free Black residents who bought pews and formed one of the first integrated congregations in the country at a time when racial separation was the legal norm. The parish has remained active ever since, though it faced closure in the early 2000s before being restored by community efforts.
The parish holds Jazz Masses where gospel singing meets the sounds of New Orleans brass bands and jazz musicians. These services draw both regular churchgoers and visitors who want to experience worship in a form that feels rooted in the neighborhood's musical life.
Visitors can attend regular masses or check ahead to find out if a Jazz Mass falls during their stay. The church sits in Treme, within easy walking distance of the French Quarter.
On the church grounds stands a monument to the Unknown Slave, made of large chains arranged in the shape of a cross. It marks the memory of those who died in slavery and were buried without names or records.
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