NOLA.com Names HNOC Historian Jari Honora as 2025 “Louisianan of the Year”
The family historian and certified genealogist received the honor for his work connecting the pope’s heritage to the state’s history and culture.
Editorial staff, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune
Download This Article
Read a downloadable PDF version of the article below.
Further Reading
Check out our First Draft blog post about Jari’s discovery of Pope Leo XIV’s Louisiana heritage.
From the French Quarter to the Vatican
Shortly after Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the first American pope, HNOC’s Jari C. Honora uncovered a surprising New Orleans connection, revealing the pontiff’s maternal grandparents to be Creoles of color from the Seventh Ward.
Related Stories
What’s the Difference Between Cajun and Creole—Or Is There One?
The answers are tied up in race, class, language, and, of course, history.
Joan of Arc: Maid of (New) Orleans
Every year, New Orleans kicks off Carnival season with a parade in honor of Joan of Arc. But what is her historical connection to Louisiana?
Related Collection Highlights
Cane River Collection
Over 1,400 legal and financial documents amount to a detailed record of one slice of 19th-century Black Creole life.
Michael P. Smith Collection
Smith documented the music, parading, and Black folk traditions of New Orleans for decades.
Le Spiritualiste
When séances were all the rage, New Orleans produced the nation’s first and only French-language publication devoted to Spiritualism.
Related News
New Orleans Jazz Museum to Screen Award-Winning Documentary Made with HNOC Support
Gambit: Musical Louisiana Concert Highlights Works of Underrecognized Creole Composers
NPR: Why Black Catholics in New Orleans Feel a Special Connection to Pope Leo XIV
Related Books
Afro-Creole Poetry in French from Louisiana’s Radical Civil War–Era Newspapers
translated and introduced by Clint Bruce
with a foreword by Angel Adams Parham
Subscribe to Our Newsletter