General Information

Jesus describes his disciple as one who denies himself, takes up his cross, and follows him. With this purpose, the Jesuit High School community participates each year in the Nine Churches Walk. Participants visit churches rooted in New Orleans history and garnished with striking architecture and walk in pilgrimage imitating the way of the cross endured by Jesus.

Pilgrimage Details

This year we are not able to have a formal walk due to COVID-19 Protocols; however, participants are welcome to gather at St. Stephen’s to walk the traditional route on their own. To facilitate this “on your own” experience, Jesuit has created a self-contained Nine Churches Walk website with guided tours of each church, the full text to the stations of the cross, as well as an interactive map.

You can visit the updated Nine Churches Walk website here: Nine Churches Walk.

Each station will begin with an introductory address by pilgrimage historian Brandon Briscoe ’98, who will detail the unique historical and spiritual hallmarks of each church. You are then invited to pray one or two of the Stations of the Cross, accompanied by reflections composed in 2005 by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. After a few moments of prayer in the church, pilgrims can make their way to the next station church.

Although Good Friday is a fasting day, participants may choose to bring a light snack and water for the walk. It is also recommended to check the weather forecast for the appropriate dress, noting that sunscreen or a hat may be helpful. Participants should also be prepared to walk 5-6 miles through the course of the morning. The walk ends at Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church around 1:30 p.m., and participants should arrange their own ride back to their vehicles after the walk.

Pilgrimage Route

First and Second Station
St. Stephen’s Church
1045 Napoleon Ave.

Map

Third Station
St. Henry’s Church
812 General Pershing St.

Map

Fourth and Fifth Station
Our Lady of Good Counsel
1235 Louisiana Ave.

Map

Sixth Station
St. Mary’s Assumption
919 Josephine St.

Map

Seventh Station
St. Alphonsus
2030 Constance St.

Map

Eighth and Ninth Station
St. Teresa of Avila
1404 Erato St.

Map

Tenth and Eleventh Station
St. Patrick’s
724 Camp St.

Map

Twelfth Station
St. Louis Cathedral
615 Pere Antoine Alley

Map

Tenth Station
Immaculate Conception
130 Baronne St.

Map

History

The origins of the Nine Churches Walk, like most traditions in New Orleans, are somewhat obscure. Some sources say that the number of churches reflects the tradition of praying nine days of a novena for a particular petition. Others cite the tradition in Rome of praying the Stations of the Cross at a different church on each of the forty days in Lent. Whatever the origins, the tradition manifests the vibrancy of the Catholic faith for centuries in Louisiana as an integral part of the region’s culture.