Some New Orleans Saints

Esplanade Avenue and Bayou Road

It seems we have a lot of people who are engaged that stay at our inn.  I don't ask, it's just that I've been reading our reviews on tripadvisor.  We host a lot of fiancees.  Either people are engaged when they get here, or they become engaged soon afterwards.  There must be something in the air.  Je n'est c'est quoi.  

One of us got a new scooter

I recently found out that an honest to goodness saint once lived on our street, and I don't mean Frau Schmitt.  It was Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.  She lived at 3400 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119-2911.  It's a fifteen minute walk away.

They still keep her bedroom the way it was.  It is part of the Cabrini High School campus now, a high school for girls.  It turns out you can take a tour.  We would like to thank Adam for his time.  It was a pleasure talking to him and learning from him about the history of the campus and about Mother Cabrini.

After making an appointment, we met Adam at the main entrance on Moss Street.  There are a lot of statues of Mother Cabrini around.

Mother Cabrini on the front lawn

Mother Cabrini in the lobby

Mother Cabrini in the chapel

Mother Cabrini on the landing

That isn't all of them either.  

The original building was an orphanage until 1959, when it was converted to a girls high school.  Mother Cabrini's bedroom is kept just the way she left it.  There is a statue of her there, too.  It is life-size.  

Mother Cabrini in her bedroom

She was quite beautiful.  Adam told us that she really did have blue eyes.  

We asked Adam if he gives a lot of tours.  "I really do," he said, then he clarified.  "I don't mean the tour buses stop by.  I mean that people come because they want to more about Mother Cabrini; school groups, people who are named Frances, pilgrims, people like that."

That makes sense.  It's the kind of place where you don't really want to intrude.  Both Adam and Sister Alice have other jobs to do beside conducting tours.  Their first responsibility is to their students.

If you are looking for a shrine to a local saint that is just as informative and more self guided, we recommend the Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Shrine on Josephine Street.  It is more of a museum than a working Catholic girls school.

Blessed Frances Xavier Seelos Shrine

We went there, too, but that is a story for another day.

A votre sante,
La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.