Celebrating faith in a train station

17th October 2011   ·   0 Comments

By Fr. Jerome LeDoux
Contributing Columnist

For most of the 20th century, the one­time bustling Southern Rail­way Station had served passengers and generated commerce for New Orleans. After lying dormant in progressive decay for some decades until the turn of this millennium, lightning suddenly struck the station in the person of entrepreneur/hotelier/visionary Michael Valentino.

Having secured the land and total property with the gray, nondescript three-story building on the corner of Basin and St. Louis streets, Michael had his men clean the premises and add a spectacular fourth floor to the 105-year-old structure. To this they added a brick-and-steel Grand Entrance that gives into a stunning two-story atrium.

Now the only railroad building surviving in town, Basin Street Station is situated on one acre sandwiched between the French Quarter, Tremé and Iberville, with St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, Congo Square, the Municipal Auditorium and the Mahalia Jackson Theater hard by. All its environs are teeming with alluring history.

In a word, the new structure is elegance personified. A fountain festoons an intimate parking lot bracketed with trees. Upon entering the specially constructed lobby, one is greeted by gleaming marble, mahogany, miniaturized city neighborhoods, tourist counselors, giant murals of the Mississippi, art and an actual front of a locomotive.

Where it stands on the very crossroads entering the Crescent City, the Basin Street Station now bristles with tourist activity pouring in from the Orleans exit of Interstate 10 both East and West on the southwest edge of Faubourg Tremé in New Orleans. It is the perfect spot for an information center welcoming visitors into the city.

Courtesy of church member Michael Valentino, parishioners of St. Augustine Church had already celebrated a gala fundraising soiree some years ago in the dazzling banquet/reception room on the fourth floor. The joyous attendees also crowded the spacious veranda that views the French Quarter edge and surrounding neighborhoods.

It was no surprise at all that the St. Augustine fundraising extravaganza was a big success. So, several years later some of us St. Augustine Church members came calling again at Michael’s door. This time, it was a book, War Of The Pews, that the people wanted to celebrate in the form of a book signing by the author, their former pastor.

While many were already acquainted with the posh environment of the Basin Street Station, others were wowed by an antique building that had been made over into a visitor welcoming and information venue not just functional in its capacities but so unique and charming that one wonders whether there is anything else like it anywhere.

Add to this beguiling ambience the explosive presence of most of “The Soulful Voices” choir from St. Augustine Church, and you have the recipe and formula for having church. And that is exactly what folks there concluded. “We were having church this evening with our choir in rare form, singing all our treasured, favorite songs!”

“The Soulful Voices” hit a grand slam in their selections and spirited renditions. Dieldra “Dee Dee” Square even came over to the signing table and dragged me over to twist and shake with the choir in executing the song, “Shake the Devil Off!”

Hopping back to the task at hand, I swung behind the signing table and resumed my autographing, well-wishing and blessing in the books handed to me. The appearance of numerous parishioners and friends and their getting into the rhythmic flow and lyrics of the songs of the “Soulful Voices” was the most explosive experience of all.

I can’t remember the last time I have laughed so repeatedly and almost nonstop. On top of that, many signees were not content with an autographed blessing, but felt forced to swing around the table to get a half hug or even a full-fledged, bona fide hug.

Yes, we were having church all right, and we seemed to be stuck on the rite of the sign of peace amid love, joyous laughter and the happy haunting of cherished songs. In hurried remarks, I reminded all that the book celebrates their faith and life.

Literally chewing up the two allotted hours, time flew because we were indeed having fun. With a serious overrun in the making, Michael and his crew did their best to accelerate the signing process and herd every­one gently toward the exit. Smiling gently while trying to be forceful, he made slow progress against the headwinds.

As the last of us stragglers were browbeaten into submission and made our way out the exit, an exhausted Michael was heard to exult loudly in the hearing of all within earshot, “Yes! That was St. Augustine Church here tonight!”

This article was originally published in the October 17, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper