Notable Appointments inSIDE St. Francis Chapel

Model of the 1760 Church: Mr. James Stonaker, a parishioner of  St. Francis, who had knowledge of the this church, constructed this model using wood from the building.  The church was demolished in 1892.

Confessional: It is thought to be  one of the oldest pieces of church furniture in Louisiana, and came from the 1760 church.  It was displayed at the New Orleans Museum of Art on the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of New Orleans.

Crucifix and Candlesticks: The large crucifix and the candlesticks on the altar appear in an 1880 Times Picayune interior drawing of the 1760 church building, and are believed to be a gift of European aristocracy.

Paintings: On the right side of the altar is the painting of the Holy Family.  The artist is unknown.  On the left is the painting of the Madonna and Child.  It is a copy of Estaban Murillo’s original, which hangs in the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy.  The Madonna and Child was also displayed in New Orleans.

1719 Bell: Believed to be one of the first bells to be blessed and dedicated for the first church in 1738.  Local oral history has it that it is a ship’s bell from the first colonists of Pointe Coupée.

Statue of St. Francis: According to legend, this statue was hand carved by the Tunica Indians and given to the Pointe Coupée church.  On occasion, it has been borrowed for Tunica celebrations and also displayed for diocesan celebrations.

Pews: The smaller panel-backed pews in the rear and sides of the church come from the 1760 church of St. Francis.