Sunday December 12th

We woke up this morning to the sound of the wind whipping around the motorhome.  This was not going to be a good hair day.

Sunday morning...go to church!  Nothing different, right?  Wrong!

Mass was being celebrated at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. It was originally built as a mortuary chapel to bury yellow fever victims.  This Church dates back to 1826 and is also the site of the International Shrine of St. Jude.  As her namesake, Judy holds St. Jude in high esteem.
As we approached the church on the edge of the French Quarter, it was obvious that this was going to be a bit different experience for us.  You could tell by looking at those headed for the door that some were tourists, like us and others were regulars.  Many dressed in number 9 game jerseys to pray for blessed Drew and his Saints.  Others were dressed in jeans and sneakers.  Then there were those dressed in white silk suits, dripping in jewels and wrapped in full length fur.

As soon as the bell rang out to begin the procession to the altar, the entire Church was filled with the sounds of a truly joyful noise.  This was the way to do Mass...New Orleans jazz style!

The choir was 10 voices strong and accompanied by organ, piano, bass, guitar, saxophone and drums.  The choir director was a slight woman with a voice that reminded me of Whitney Houston.  No one slept during this Mass.  Toes were tapping, hands were clapping and hips were swaying.  No pun intended, this was a truly moving experience.


International Shrine of St. Jude



Following the service, which garnered a standing ovation for the choir, we stopped at the Shrine of St. Jude,  which is next to the main altar.  Judy lit a candle and had a moment of thought and prayer.

On the way out, next to the Church, we noticed a grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  Inside there were dozens of plaques offering thanks for prayers answered.

Behind the Church is St. Louis Cemetery #1, one of the oldest in the city.  This "City of the Dead" became famous, or infamous, for the scenes filmed there for the movie Easy Rider.  Ever since the movie's debut, there has been a ban, imposed by the Archdioceses, on filming anything inside it's walls.

Next, we headed to Mr. B's Bistro for the Sunday Jazz Brunch.  Champagne, wine and Bellini accompanied our meal.  As the 3 piece jazz combo provided the background music, we ordered an Andouille, red pepper, and mozzarella omelet, and Chicken Pontalba, a pan seared breast covered in hollandaise sauce, with a chopped mix of potato, prosciutto and green onion on the side.  Plenty to share and still have enough left over to take home and enjoy for dinner as well.

Another great day in the Big Easy.  For dessert...Steelers 23...Bungals 7

This evening's plans were for the Festival of the Bonfires in nearby Lutcher. Unfortunately, 30 MPH winds are not a good mix with raging fires.  We decided to stay home.