South Louisiana’s Inheritance: The Architecture of Faith

An essay by Joshua Hoffpauir

I am an architect and not a writer. My labor is not primarily with words but with visions, images, and eventually buildings. Nonetheless, as a sacred architect, I place my labor at the feet of the Word made flesh, striving to build up the Church entrusted to St. Peter. And so it is with great pleasure that I here reflect on the fruit of those works and on the renewed interest in sacred art and architecture flourishing in South Louisiana. In Acts 3, when Peter encounters a cripple at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, he tells the man, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk.” Many of us born in South Louisiana have not inherited gold or silver or land but have inherited something much greater…our beautiful Catholic Faith, the same one St. Peter, transformed by the power of the Spirit, handed down.

South Louisiana Catholics have common memories of our grandparents praying the rosary on a daily basis or parents who made sure we were in the pews every Sunday morning. Our faith is grounded in tradition and a culture that is fairly foreign to most  outside of our region. It is a culture influenced by the French, Spanish, African, German, Italian, Irish and many other peoples who came to South Louisiana  in a manner reminiscent of that Jerusalem where Jews from all over the world were gathered for Pentecost and heard Peter and the Apostles preaching, each in their own tongues. So ample is this South Louisiana Catholic tradition that it isn’t unusual to find two stunningly beautiful yet unique churches built only blocks away from one another in the service of two distinct cultures. Churches, inspired by the very ones left behind by immigrants to this region, frequently reflect the architecture and traditions of each people’s heritage. St. Margaret Queen of Scotland in Albany, LA, with its strong Hungarian influence, supplies a particularly fine example.  Like beads on a rosary, each of the churches threaded along the bayous reminds us of the faith and prayer that our communities were built upon.

St. Margaret Queen of Scotland in Albany, LA

These structures took many years to build. It isn’t surprising that their beauty persists today when you consider that the monastic motto “Ora et Labora” or “Pray and Work” remains at the center of our culture. And while perhaps we Catholics of today are less concerned with new construction than our immigrant forebears, it falls to us to become caretakers and trustees and look for new ways to preserve and protect our building inheritance. 

One of my firm’s first Catholic Church commissions happened to be my childhood parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Crowley, Louisiana. The Romanesque structure built in 1912 had been stripped of much of its art during renovations in the 1970s. Its shell had been used for decades, but in early 2013 there was an interest in restoring its original beauty, so we set out, working and praying. It was through work and prayer that our eyes were opened to reveal the beauty hidden beneath the coats of paint and the artwork stored in houses and barns. An original rescued relief carving of The Last Supper was discovered during construction and was placed in the reredos. Once again, as I looked on in startled joy at the beauty of St. Michael’s re-revealed and reflected on how I had spent 18 years praying in those same pews, the mysterious manner of God’s working was brought home to me.

St. Michael the Archangel in Crowley, Louisiana

Pope St. John Paul the Great in his Letter to Artists said:

“Quality art draws the beholder to the Creator, who stands behind the artist sharing his own creative power, for the “divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom.” This is true of music, architecture, sculpture, painting, pottery, making, textiles, and furniture making, as well as other art forms that serve the liturgical environment.”

As an architect, I draw confidence from St. John Paul’s words, knowing that God’s hand is on my shoulder when designing and constructing Catholic Churches and safeguarding our culture for future generations. It is with this confidence that we can all—artists, architects, and all others moved by the beauty of our culture— strive to allow Him to guide us in our vocations.  

There is hope for our Catholic Faith Tradition in South Louisiana. Through my work, my eyes have been opened to a community of artists in South Louisiana who are inspired and devoted to restoring and creating anew beautiful art and architecture. This publication alone says a lot about their resurgence. 

All across our state are small sparks ready to catch fire, mustard seeds prepared to sprout. We must support and cultivate our artists and architects and challenge them to be audacious in beauty, truth, and goodness. We must inspire them to pray and work. 

My prayer is that we, with our children and future generations, will cherish our sacred structures, maintaining a spirit of hope here in the midst of our beautiful South Louisiana Catholic faith, so that, with St. Peter, marked by the Holy Spirit, we might labor joyfully in the name of Jesus Christ, handing on the beautiful dwelling we have received in hope of someday dwelling in the house of the Lord.

Psalm 27

One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,
To gaze on the LORD’s beauty,
to visit his temple. 
For God will hide me in his shelter
in time of trouble, 
He will conceal me in the cover of his tent;
and set me high upon a rock.
Even now my head is held high
above my enemies on every side!
I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and chant praise to the LORD.

Joshua Hoffpauir is the Principal Architect of Hoffpauir Studio