Religion in New Orleans

The Saint Louis Cathedral, A Catholic
 house of worship overlooking the
 famous Jackson Square, courtesy of the
Church's website.

New Orleans has always been a place of inspiration to me, a place of excitement and cultural diversity.  It was a great contrast to my childhood, Where I grew up in a suburb in Maine (New England), a very placid experience.  There was little variety of types of people, religion and styles of life in Maine.  Often I would visit my grandparents and cousins in Metairie throughout my childhood.  I spent about a month every summer in Metairie with them for a decade.  I have memories of visiting the Audubon Zoo, the French Quarter, and many other tourist destinations.  The part I remember the clearest, however, was the view from the car and my visit to the French Market.  I remember looking out and realizing the different structures and colors of the buildings, of course many of these being churches.  This is where my fascination with New Orleans began.  There are so many beautiful, grand places of worship in New Orleans, from temples to churches to mosques to voodoo worship buildings and many more.  Back in my hometown in Maine there are two houses of worship, both churches.  New Orleans, however has many different religions and beliefs and buildings, each come with different and eclectic outlooks on life.  I would stare in awe as I saw these different houses of worship out of the window.  

A Voodoo Doll
similar to
the doll I got
 years ago,
 courtesy of
Planet Voodoo.

The diversity of the buildings and religions coupled with my memories of walking down the French Market for what felt like hours, marveling at the different types of things found there.  My favorite things were the voodoo dolls.  I still remember like it was yesterday begging my grandmother to buy me a purple voodoo doll, pins and all.  That same dark purple doll sits on my desk at home to remind me of all the wonders that the outside world holds.  While I now realize that voodoo has been glorified for tourist attraction purposes, one aspect of a religion very common in New Orleans became a symbol of all that is out there, of different cultures.  I think that religion is a major aspect of New Orleans’ culture.  It’s huge presence and diversity in the past made New Orleans what it is today: a lively place of variety, beauty and wonder.