St. Louis 1 Cemetery cleans up its act

Marie Laveau (Portrait by Schneider/Catlin)

The destructive practices of some tour guides and other patrons have led the Archdiocese of New Orleans to ban unauthorized visits to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.

This well-known historic cemetery is believed to be the final resting place of “19^th Century voodoo priestess Marie Laveau.”  The Associated Press reports on a local claim “that Laveau will grant a wish for someone who makes three Xs on [her] tomb… knocks on the tomb, and shouts the wish.”

As a result, Laveau’s alleged tomb has been marked with crayon, eye shadow, ink and lip balm.  Some have even carved Xs into the marble.

The cemetery, first established in 1789, might not have been able to withstand such desecration had it continued unchecked.  In addition to markings such as these, the

cemetery as a whole was being vandalized and trashed.

The Archdiocese has therefore imposed a ruling that tour guides must now register before entering the cemetery.  Relatives of those buried there, along with scholars “conducting     genealogical research,” will be able to arrange for personal visits.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/solo-tourists-banned-in-new-orleans-oldest-cemetery/ar-AA8E6TO

Copyright January 30, 2015 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved