| St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
 View of the church from River Rd. | |
 St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church | |
| Location | Destrehan,Louisiana |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Website | scblittleredchurch |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1723 |
| Dedicated | January 25, 1922 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Spanish Colonial (Renaissance) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of New Orleans |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Gregory Aymond |
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church is aCatholicchurch and second-oldestecclesiastical parish in theArchdiocese of New Orleans.[1] The church and grounds are located at 13396River Road inDestrehan, Louisiana.
The ecclesiastical parish and chapel,La Paroisse de St. Jean des Allemands (The Parish of St. John, of the Germans), were founded in 1723 in Karlstein byCapuchin missionary priests.[3] The site was on the westbank of theMississippi River near present-dayTaft, Louisiana.[4][5]
In 1740, the ecclesiastical parish and chapel relocated to the present-day site of the church on the eastbank of the Mississippi River. Alog cabin structure was built and both the ecclesiastical parish and chapel were renamed St. Charles in honor ofSt. Charles Borromeo.[6]
The log cabin chapel built in 1740, burned in 1806 and was replaced by a wood-framed church painted red during that same year. The church became known as the "Little Red Church".[7] It was a famousriverboatlandmark whereboat captains traditionally paid off theircrews. In 1877, a fire destroyed therectory and left the church without apastor. Starting in 1890, the church entered a period ofinterdiction, losing the pastoral support ofArchbishopFrancis Janssens due to conflicts with the church charter and wardens.[7] In 1917, a parochial charter was adopted and St. Charles Borromeo ecclesiastical parish was reinstated to thediocese by ArchbishopJames Blenk.[8] In 1921, the "Little Red Church" burned and the current church was built on the property that same year.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church was dedicated on January 25, 1922.[9] It was constructed with a whitefaçade and a Spanish tile roof. Astatue of Saint Charles Borromeo is enshrined in front of the church. The altar stone of the church rests on awalnut treetrunk imported fromArona, Italy. The tree is estimated to be four-hundred years old and dates back to the time Charles Borromeo was in Arona, Italy (16th century).
In 1929, aconvent was built and the rectory was rebuilt by elevating the ground buildings and closing in the ground level.[9]
In November 2025, theArchdiocese of New Orleans placed over 150 parishes and charities inChapter 11 bankruptcy protection as part of a settlement plan to resolve hundreds of sex abuse lawsuits. This wave of bankruptcies included this church.[10]
A cemetery was established at the site as early as 1723.[11]
The St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church cemetery is today recognized as the South’s oldest German cemetery.[12]Charles Frederick d'Arensbourg, leader of theGerman Coast, is buried in the cemetery, but his grave was lost due to the shifting Mississippi River.[13]
The Destréhan Family tombs are located in the cemetery. Louisiana state senatorJean Noël Destréhan, who died in 1823, is buried in the cemetery, but his grave was also lost due to the shifting Mississippi River.[14] He is the namesake for the town, one-time owner ofDestrehan Plantation, and the firstU.S. Senator elected from Louisiana, along with Allan B. Magruder. Nicolas Noël Destréhan (d. 1848), fourth son of Jean Noël Destréhan, and another son René Noël Destréhan (1807–1836), are buried in the cemetery; as is their sister, Marie Eléonore "Zelia" Destréhan Henderson (1800–1830).[13]
The oldest remaining burial plot is of Elizabeth Dubord, who died in 1777. This plot also contains the remains of François Trepagnier, who died in the1811 German Coast uprising.[15]
In 1929, anelementary school was built on the grounds. It was the firstparochial school opened betweenNew Orleans andBaton Rouge. It is still located on the church grounds in Destrehan.[5]
In 1948, a parochial high school, St. Charles Borromeo High School, opened on the church grounds.[16] It was operated by theSisters of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception.[16]
In 1960, the Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament took over operation of the high school and in 1978 it moved to LaPlace, Louisiana becomingSt. Charles Catholic High School.[16]
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29°57′01″N90°22′31″W / 29.95039°N 90.37522°W /29.95039; -90.37522
