The historical records of the Archdiocese of New Orleans provide invaluable information regarding the lives of local Catholics as well as the history of New Orleans and its surrounding region. Baptism, marriage, and burial records can illuminate the life of an individual or family. Snippets of evidence, such as parents, sponsors, addresses, witnesses, and causes of death, can add limbs to a family tree. Details of one notable New Orleans family, the Galliers, are found among these rich resources.

James Gallier Sr., born in Ireland in 1798, studied architecture and moved to England where he met his wife, Elizabeth Tyler. Their son, James Gallier Jr., was born in England in 1827. The family immigrated to New York in 1832. James Gallier Sr. founded an architecture firm with James Dakin, and in 1835, they relocated to New Orleans to take advantage of the port city’s booming economy. Their notable work included the St. Charles Hotel (1835), St. Patrick Church (1838), and Gallier Hall (1851). After assisting with completion of the Pontalba buildings flanking Jackson Square, James Gallier Sr. retired as an architect and ceded the family business to his 22-year-old son. The younger Gallier designed his private residence on Royal Street (1857), the French Opera House (1859), and the Luling Mansion (1865).

In 1853, James Gallier Jr. married Josephine Aglaé Villavaso at the Ursuline Convent Chapel, where Josephine Aglaé had been a student just a few years before. They had five daughters: Blanche, Josephine, Clemence, Leonie, and Marie Berthe, though only four lived to adulthood.

In the eight years leading up to the Civil War, James and Josephine Aglaé enslaved at least ten people. Through extensive research within civil records, four enslaved persons were identified by name: Laurette, Rose, Julienne, and François. By researching sacramental records at St. Mary’s Church for the Gallier surname as the slaveholder, baptismal entries were located for Rose’s son Joseph and Julienne’s daughter Félicité.

After the death of his first wife, Elizabeth, James Gallier Sr. remarried and spent his retirement traveling with his second wife, Catherine Robinson. James and Catherine died together in 1866 when the Evening Star capsized off the coast of South Carolina after sailing through a hurricane.
To honor his father and stepmother, James Gallier Jr. purchased a plot in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 and erected a large urn-topped monument with Baroque elements. In 1868, James Gallier Jr. died of cerebral congestion. His funeral was held at his home on Royal Street, and he was interred in the Villavaso family tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. His remains were removed in 1875 and placed in the Gallier tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.

November 1 is All Saints’ Day, which is devoted to celebrating the saints in heaven. In southern Louisiana, it is customary for Catholics to go to cemeteries and tidy their family tombs. This tradition started with eighteenth-century French colonists who settled in Louisiana. In France, All Saints’ Day is a national holiday known as La Toussaint. It is a day of reflection, work, and celebration. During the final days of October, the cemeteries are full of activity. Tombs are painted with a fresh coat of whitewash, nameplates are polished, and old flowers and wreaths are removed.

In nineteenth-century New Orleans, families from all parts of the city traveled by foot, horse and buggy, and streetcar to their family plot. Vendors stood outside of cemetery gates selling popcorn and peanuts. This is a description of All Saints’ Day from The Daily Picayune in 1876:

Carriages hurried rapidly through the streets, laden with floral offerings for the tomb of some love departed. The beautiful and poetic custom of decorating the homes of the dead has not descended in popularity with the years; it seems to acquire new favor with time, and to add annually to the number of its admirers.

Newspaper advertisements for beaded wreaths, silk flowers, and urns increased during the weeks leading up to All Saints’ Day. Society tombs were draped in yards of black fabric, and elaborate flower arrangements bedecked many tombs. Though it was a solemn holiday, visitors to the cemeteries were expected to wear their very best mourning attire. For those who could not afford to purchase a new outfit, some stores even rented dresses, hats, jackets, and children’s clothing. Many of these traditions persist today.

November 2 is All Souls’ Day, a day to commemorate the departed. On this day, Catholics pray for the souls of the dearly departed who may be in Purgatory and pray for intercession on their behalf. It is also a day to reflect upon their mortality. During an All Souls’ Day mass, a priest might wear black (a symbol for mourning), violet (for penance), or white (the hope of resurrection).

While mourning can often feel like a private, individual burden, these traditions intertwine life and death and allow communities to simultaneously grieve the departed and celebrate the hope of eternal life in heaven. Commonly sung at the end of Catholic funerals, “Song of Farewell” embodies the prayerful wish that the soul of the deceased will make it to heaven:

May the choir of angels,
Come to greet you.
May they speed you to paradise.
May the Lord enfold you
In His mercy.
May you find eternal life.

Starting in the 1830s, mutual benevolent associations provided social and economic benefits to their members, including assistance for the aged, those suffering from illness, widows, and orphaned children. In addition, they provided access to social services and an opportunity for community activities.

These associations were especially advantageous to newly arrived immigrants who did not have an established social network. Those who did not have private family tombs could take advantage of the membership benefits, which included assistance with funeral expenses and burial within the association's tomb.

Members of mutual benevolent associations represented a range of socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures. Some were formed to help specific workers, like volunteer fire fighters. Others were created for a particular ethnic or cultural group. Notable societies with tombs found within New Orleans's Catholic cemeteries include the Italian Mutual Benefit Society (right), the Portuguese Benevolent Association, and the Soeurs Bien Aimées (Beloved Sisters).