I’m pretty sure that almost everyone who lives in the New Orleans area has heard of and or visited a St. Joseph altar. But, for those of us who are Catholic and Italian, St. Joseph’s Altars are steeped with family tradition, delicious food, recipes handed down through the generations and an anticipation of visiting various churches to view the beautiful offerings to St. Joseph.

Growing up, my mother would make the traditional altar cookies, and we would always pray to St. Joseph in a special way. Once we settled in the New Orleans area, we started visiting altars at local churches. It wasn’t until my own children attended Catholic school that I became an active participant in all that it takes to actually put together an altar.