Our Lady of Prompt Succor

How the Virgin Mary became the patron saint of New Orleans

The patron saint of New Orleans is "Our Lady of Prompt Succor". You can read how the Virgin Mary gained this epithet as a result of the prayers of an Ursuline nun in 1809 at Catholic Forum.  The feast day of Our Lady of Prompt Succor is celebrated on January 8th.

National Public Radio ran an interesting magazine piece on Weekend Edition Saturday on January 7, 2006 by Gwendolyn Thompkins, a native New Orleanian, in which she talks with the Ursuline Nuns, the reopening of their school in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina (Ursuline Academy in New Orleans) and the history of Our Lady of Prompt Succor.  Hear how the nuns believe they were once again saved by the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor during Hurricane Katrina. 

Here's a link to the audio Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

Paintings of the Virgin Mary by the artists of ArikiArt Online Gallery:

Painting of the Virgin Mary in the flood waters of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

Our Lady of Guadalupe print by Juan Coronado