09/06/2026
👻 **THIS DAY IN LOUISIANA’S PARANORMAL HISTORY** 👻
🕯️ **September 6, 1875 — St. Roch Cemetery No. 1**
On this day 151 years ago, St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans was formally dedicated, and the cornerstone was laid for the Gothic-style St. Roch Chapel.
But the story of St. Roch began years earlier during one of Louisiana’s deadliest recurring threats — **yellow fever**.
During the 1867 epidemic, Rev. Peter Leonard Thevis prayed to St. Roch for protection over his congregation and promised to build a chapel in his honor. The chapel that followed became a place associated with **healing, prayer, pilgrimage and remembrance**.
Visitors eventually began leaving **ex-votos** — offerings of gratitude that included plaster representations of hands, feet and other body parts associated with illnesses or injuries from which people believed they had been healed.
đź‘» **THE LEGENDS OF ST. ROCH**
With generations of history surrounding the cemetery and chapel, St. Roch has also developed its share of paranormal folklore.
Perhaps the best-known is the legend of a **mysterious black dog** reportedly seen wandering among the tombs. Some witnesses claim the animal disappears when approached or followed — sometimes seemingly vanishing among the tombs themselves.
The legend has an interesting connection to the cemetery’s namesake: **St. Roch is traditionally associated with dogs and is regarded as their patron saint.**
Other stories describe a **robed apparition believed by some to be Rev. Thevis**, who was buried beneath the chapel floor, along with reports of a mysterious hooded figure moving through the cemetery.
Visitors have also reported unexplained voices, strange lights and the sensation of being touched when no one was nearby.
⚠️ **As always, these stories remain paranormal claims and local folklore — not confirmed paranormal activity.**
Whether viewed through the lens of **history, faith, folklore or the unexplained**, St. Roch Cemetery remains one of New Orleans’ most fascinating sacred spaces.
🕯️ **151 years later, its history — and its legends — continue to endure.**
**Louisiana Spirits – Southeast Chapter**
*Investigate • Document • Preserve*
