A New Orleans parish in peril:

In the face of a much-reduced city population and physical damage to many churches post-Katrina, the Archdiocese of New Orleans is closing seven parishes and delaying the reopening of 23 churches. Attendance at St. Augustine, down to fewer than 200 people pre-Katrina, increased significantly afterward. But archdiocese officials said current attendance is not enough.

The church sustained about half a million dollars’ worth of damage to the roof and bell tower from Katrina, and it was already hurting for money for a needed renovation.

Like New Orleans itself, St. Augustine is an eclectic mix of the ancient and the contemporary, black and white, song and dance. The church was built in 1841 by slaves and by Italian and French immigrants