A fear of yellow-fever contagion led the city to forbid funerals for fever victims at St Louis Cathedral. Built in 1826 near St Louis Cemetery No 1, the Mortuary Chapel offered services for victims, its bell tolling constantly during epidemics. In 1931 it was renamed Our Lady of Guadeloupe. Inside the chapel is a statue of St Jude, patron saint of impossible cases.
Also of interest is the statue of St Expedite, who may never have existed (legend says his name comes from a box of saint statues stamped with the order ‘Expedite’).
