St. Roch Chapel: A Shrine Of Life On A Cemetery
ID 190133110 ©
Zatletic | Dreamstime.com
Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, St. Roch cemetery doesn’t look like anything out of the ordinary, at first. However, this quiet spot is home to one of the most peculiar settings: the shrine of St. Roch.
The neighborhood previously known as Faubourg Franklin, became St. Roch in 1867. In the times of yellow fever epidemic, the pastor of Holy Trinity Church, priest Peter Leonard Thevis prayed to Saint Roch, for his parishioners health. St. Roch was believed to be a healer and protector of health. Thevis promised, that he would build a chapel in honour of St. Roch, if no one died from epidemic in his parish. Sure enough, no one in the community died from the epidemic in over a decade. This meant, that it was time to go through with his part of the deal. So, soon a shrine and a chapel was built.
The shrine lies in a two-room building, one of which contains an altar and a statue of Saint Roth and his beloved dog. The other room is filled with body part replicas.as expressing a gratitude to St. Roch for healing. To this day, dozens of body parts are hanging on the walls of the shrine; from leg braces, arm, glass eyes or dental plates.
Whether the story behind the place is true or not, St. Roch’s chapel is a must see in New Orleans.
Location: 1725 St Roch Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117
United States
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- St. Roch Chapel, St. Roch Cemetery No. 1, 1725 St. Roch Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Coordinates
- 29.975421, -90.052488
- Access
- St. Roch Chapel is inside an active cemetery. The owner’s regular public interior visitation is only one hour on the first Friday each month; it is not open for casual daily chapel visits. A separately booked Preservation Resource Center tour visits the cemetery. Please be respectful of funerals, mourners and graves.
- Admission
- The cemetery owner does not list a charge for its monthly chapel visitation hour. A separate Preservation Resource Center cemetery tour is currently listed at US$35 for adults, US$17.50 for ages 6–12, and free under age 6; confirm the tour price when booking.
- Time needed
- The chapel’s regular public visitation window is one hour. The separately booked Preservation Resource Center cemetery tour lasts about two hours; that is a tour duration, not a required chapel stay.
- Best season
- The cemetery owner lists monthly visitation year-round and does not name a preferred season. Check current notices for holiday changes; outdoor conditions in New Orleans vary by season.
- Opening hours
- Regular chapel visitation: first Friday monthly, 11:00 a.m.–noon; if that Friday is a holiday, the cemetery moves it to the second Friday. Special exception posted for All Saints Day, Nov. 1, 2026: 09:00–14:00. Check the cemetery’s current notice before going.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-24
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-26
Location
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