Our Lady of Prompt Succor Cemetery No. 1

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Our Lady of Prompt Succor Cemetery No. 1 Historical Marker

St. Joseph Parish in Westwego, located on the West Bank of New Orleans, was established in 1857. It was the main church for Jefferson Parish on this side of the river. The parish grew a few years later due to the dramatic growth of the population of Westwego after the hurricane of 1893. Before land was acquired, mass was often celebrated in residents’ homes.

On February 23, 1905, land was donated by 12 men known as “The 12 Apostles” to the St. Joseph Church in Gretna. The lot was located on Laroussini Street and was 100 feet by 320 feet.

On June 7, 1906, a new chapel known as the Church of Our Lady Prompt Succor was dedicated on the north side of the site. A cemetery was added to the south side of the lot and became known as Cemetery No. 1.

Historical Marker Inscription

The land for this cemetery was part of a parcel sold in 1902 by Alphonse A. Lelong to a group called “The 12 Apostles” of Catholic Life Westwego. They were Hypolite Eloi, Victorin A. Pitre, Ernest Lefort, Andre Curol, Leo Decuers, Adrien Ortiz, Adrien Curol, Victor Arnaudin, J. Dupre Terrebonne, Felicien Sandras, Leodgard Pitre, and Edouward PItre. They donated the land to St. Joseph’s Parish in Gretna for the first chapel and cemetery in Our Lady of Prompt Succor Parish, Westwego. Their heirs donated it to OLPS in 1932.

Location

Our Lady of Prompt Succor & Holy Guardian Angels Catholic Church, 146 Fourth Street, Westwego, LA, 70094

29.909547579819836, -90.14553436006213

Moran Site, Biloxi, Mississippi

Posted on by Misty
Moran Site, Biloxi, Mississippi

What was once a Colonial cemetery is now the French Colonial Memorial Garden, located at the Biloxi Visitors Center. The memorial park and garden commemorates the 1700s cemetery, which is the second oldest French Colonial cemetery in the United States.

The site dates back to the 1720s when Biloxi was a staging ground for European settlers and African slaves. From here, they would be relocated further into the French Louisiana Colony.

Found here were 32 graves of French Colonial settlers from the 1700s. The graves were mainly European men, and several artifacts were also discovered at this location. Remains were initially uncovered here in 1914, but it was unknown who they belong to. In 1969, Hurricane Camille unearthed more remains. A total of 12 burials were discovered at that time. Excavations post Hurricane Katrina in 2005 located an additional 20 graves.

The site is named after the Moran family who lived and worked at the site in 1952. The dedication of the memorial garden took place in 2017.

Historical Marker Inscription

Located here was a French Colonial cemetery, now known as the Moran Site. Based on archaeological investigations, the cemetery dates to the founding of “New Biloxi” between 1717 and 1722, and includes at least thirty burials, primarily male Europeans. Artifacts recovered from the site include ceramics, a French Colonial wine glass and a metal crucifix. The Moran Site is the oldest known French Colonial cemetery in the South and the second oldest in the United States.

Location

Biloxi Visitors Center, 1050 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530

30° 23.719′ N, 88° 54.101′ W