NEW ORLEANS – The Old Ursuline Convent Museum, 1112 Chartres St., has refreshed its Sunday Best: Faith, Family, and Fashion exhibit. The first iteration showcased the exquisite fashions of Mrs. Gayle Benson and was on display from September 2025 through December 2025, and this exhibit reboot features a fantastic suit from the Black Masking Culture of New Orleans (colloquially known as the “Mardi Gras Indians”), as well as outfits that are unique to the Knights of Peter Claver, the Knights of Columbus, and the Order of Saint Lazarus.
“While the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of Peter Claver date their founding to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Order of Saint Lazarus was founded almost an entire millennium earlier, in 1098, when many Christians were fighting as knights for their faith,” said Archdiocese of New Orleans Research Archivist Sarah Waits. “All three organizations honor that history, and their special outfits remind us that ordinary people can be soldiers for Christ. The plumed hats, lined capes, and special insignia demonstrate the care and attention that these social organizations place on looking your ‘Sunday Best.’ Members are awarded for their dedication to the organization and to their communities, with special medals given for acts of service, charity, and leadership.”
The Black Masking Indian suit on display was handmade by Terrence Cormier Jr., the Flag Boy for the Golden Feather Hunters in the 6th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. A junior at St. Augustine High School when he made the suit, Cormier wanted to embody a phoenix rising from the ashes, which he accomplished with delicate beading and extravagant plumage in alternating shades of orange and yellow.
“The various groups that make up the Black Masking Indians of New Orleans date their founding to the late 19th century,” Waits said. “At that time, Mardi Gras celebrations in the city were segregated by race, and Black New Orleanians were not allowed to participate in the parades and masquerade balls organized by white New Orleanians. In response, groups of men throughout the city’s Black neighborhoods gathered together and formed tribes. They were inspired by the Indigenous communities in the swamps and forests of Louisiana who sheltered runaway enslaved people during the 18th and 19th centuries.”
These Black Masking Indian tribes paid homage to African and Indigenous cultures through the creation of stylized suits, dances, songs, and processions. While once a secretive tradition that was seldom seen outside of the Black neighborhoods of New Orleans, Black Masking Indians are now celebrated worldwide for their important role as culture bearers. They parade on Mardi Gras day, St. Joseph’s Night (March 19), and Super Sunday (usually the Sunday closest to St. Joseph’s Day). All tribes have four key leaders: Big Chief, Queen, Spy Boy, and Flag Boy.
“This exhibit beautifully reflects the way faith, heritage, and community are expressed through tradition and craftsmanship,” said Dr. Christopher Wiseman, Executive Director of the Catholic Cultural Center of New Orleans. “It’s gratifying to celebrate Black History Month and Carnival season by highlighting both the artistry of Black Masking Culture and the pageantry of Catholic social orders that are centuries old.”
The Old Ursuline Covent Museum is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays-Saturdays. The museum will be open until 3 p.m. Feb. 3-7 and 10-14. For more information, please visit www.oldursulineconventmuseum.com.