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| Our Lady of Guadalupe  | Located between Basin St and Rampart St. (411 N. Rampart), Our Lady of Guadalupe has the rare and unique circumstance of housing the statue of a little known (and presumed) non-existent Saint—St. Expeditus, who is called upon by Voodoo ritualists when they visit Marie Laveau’s grave in St. Louis Cemetery #1 across from the church on Basin Street. |  | Our Lady of Guadalupe in a photo from September, 2000. |  | The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe. |
St. Expeditus. The name of the saint was lost when the statue was shipped-- EXPEDITE was stamped on the crate--hence, the creation of a new saint! |
 | The voodoo ritualists hurry over to the saint to ask for his blessing (i.e. to expedite the result) to their prayers and magic. According to the Hieronymianum, the name ‘Expeditus’ occurs among a group of martyrs for both April 18th and 19th, but otherwise there is no tradition to corroborate the existence of such a saint. Never-theless, St. Expeditus apparently answers the prayers, wishes and magic of many who call upon him. |
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