St. Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Church, Catholic church in Bywater, New Orleans, US.
St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic parish church in Bywater constructed of red brick with a basilica-style floor plan. The structure features a prominent clock tower that rises above the main building and defines its silhouette along the neighborhood streets.
Founded in 1838 as New Orleans' third parish, it served the French community; sermons were not given in English until the 1880s. A wooden church of 1838 was replaced in 1866 by the red brick basilica-plan building, and the old frame structure became a school. A clock tower was added in 1924. In 2001 five parishes merged as Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, based here.
The parish was founded in 1838 to serve New Orleans' French community, and French tradition ran so deep that sermons were not preached in English until the 1880s. Its boundaries later overlapped those of Holy Trinity Church, which served German residents. Since the 2001 merger of five parishes, the building has housed Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Parish.
The church stands at the corner of Dauphine and Verret streets in Bywater, a short walk from the Mississippi riverfront. Enter from Dauphine Street; the clock tower marks the main facade. The building is an active parish, so visits are best timed outside Mass and parish events.
The building survived a severe fire in 2003 that demanded major restoration work throughout the interior. During reconstruction, altars and furnishings from other New Orleans parishes were brought in, shaping the church's appearance today.
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