Another Day, Another Tour

Outer Journey

Today was another day full of walking and exploring. We started off our day with going to the Old Ursuline Convent, then to the St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market, and then on a cuisine tour. The visit to the Convent was the most interesting to me. Our tour guide was the cutest old man who cracked jokes and loved talking about the history of the convent. I found this tour so interesting because he explained to us how for a long time it was illegal to practice any other religion other than Catholicism in New Orleans. People could practice other religions in their homes but they were not allowed to own a church. The nuns did a lot for the city of New Orleans. They were nurses, teachers, and ran an entire hospital. It is interesting how far New Orleans has come from being this reserved town that was set one way, to being one of the most accepting and open cities in America. I also found it interesting how the plate inside the Chapel of the convent was worth so much money. This gold plate is the center piece of the chapel and it so special to the people who practiced there, so they all donated their prized family jewels. It is worth so much money that it was kept under lock and key for many years, but now is kept under heavy surveillance. The church was also lined with beautiful stained glass windows that immediately caught your eye upon entering the room. The incredible history of this city shows through every single tour that we take and every building that we enter.

Gold plate in the Convent

Inner Journey 

As I have every day on this trip, my knowledge has grown about things I didn't even realize existed. Before this trip I was unaware of Catholicism being the only religion legal or about the Cathedral being rebuilt so many times. I also learned about why they created firewalls between each house in the French Quarter. The Cathedral has been rebuilt so many times that it only has one chunk of it that is of the original building. The first time it was burned down in the Great New Orleans fire.The Great Fire is also the reasoning behind the firewalls between each individual home. The second time the Cathedral was rebuild was because during a renovation of the building, the middle tower collapsed into the middle of the church causing almost the entire building to collapse. Now it has a fresh new face and some updates due to the tragedies. Learning about all of the religious history today has taught me how far this city has grown.


New Orleans started out as a divided city. It had one religion legal and the Spanish and French hated each other. I am sure that all of the citizens from back then could have never imagined how much this city would grow. Today New Orleans is a safe haven for people of the LGBTQ community and many other people who struggled to find their home. It also is home to so many people who grew up here and never wanted to leave due to the greatness of the city. I stated in my previous post about how proud this city is of their history, and I continue to see that every day that I am here. No matter any person's religious affiliation, color of their skin, age, or gender this city knows how to come together and create a welcoming environment for everyone.

Stained glass in the Convent