The statue of Jesus behind St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter

Found on the Internet: While Hurricane Katrina did not affect the French Quarter as profoundly as other parts of New Orleans, the high winds managed to displace two large oak trees in St. Anthony's Garden behind the Cathedral. The trees dislodged thirty feet of ornamental gate, while the nearby marble statue of Jesus Christ lost only a forefinger and a thumb. Locals have already declared that the statue of Jesus sacrificed two fingers while flicking the storm away from the city and saving it from total destruction. (Hurricane Katrina was downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 3 before landfall, when it made a turn to the north just before striking the Louisiana coast.)


As part of the coverage of the NFC Championship today, I heard the archbishop on ESPN this morning, talking about the statue while I saw a video of it. I immediately looked for my photo to see if I managed to get a decent enough one to share with you. This is a close-up of the one I took on Oct. 21, 2009, while we walked from Place D'Armes to the Acme Oyster House. I figured it would be a good photo to speak to the strength of those who live in and love New Orleans, those of us who love New Orleans from afar, and those of us who now will follow the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl on Feb. 7!