St. Augustine Catholic Church

Located on Governor Nicholls Street in Tremé and set away from the French Quarter, this landmark is the oldest Black Catholic Church in America. Founded in 1841 by free African Americans, it stands as the home parish of Louis Armstrong and Blessed Henriette Delille, whose life aiding the sick and enslaved led to her path toward sainthood. Listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail, the church carries a history marked by the early Battle of the Pew, where people of color fought for and secured space alongside designated pews for the enslaved in the back. Along the side of the building rests the Tomb of the Unknown Slave. While the main auditorium remains closed for repairs following Hurricane Ida, the congregation holds services featuring a celebrated high-energy Jazz mass.