Mother Catherine Seals (c. 1874-August 12, 1930) was a New Orleans-based religious leader and faith healer in the Spiritualist/Spiritual Movement during the 1920s, leading one of the largest congregations.
[1][2] She founded the Temple of the Innocent Blood, "one of the largest African American religious organizations of the early twentieth century,"[3] in what is now the Lower Ninth Ward.
[2] Zora Neale Hurston described childbirth as, "the most important element of her creed," and a white follower said that the church "was originally founded to stop abortions.
"[5] As is common in Spiritual churches, her theology drew from Catholicism, though it also focused on Mother Catherine as a prophetic intermediary.
[7] Mother Catherine played the trombone, and embraced Anderson's use of Black New Orleans music in worship.
The orchestra included jazz musicians Cag Cagnolatti, Harold Dejan, and Frank Lastie all played at the Temple of Innocent Blood.
[1] Like the Biblical city, the Temple was difficult to access, requiring people to trudge through knee-deep mud to see her.
[3] The property included a complex of wooden huts housing single mothers and their illegitimate children.
[3] Mother Catherine was known for her healing powers, using simple ingredients like castor oil and Epsom salts in her practice.
"[3] She wore a white headdress and a starched apron with the word "MOTHER" embroidered on its bib in red.
'"[6] Ultimately, Mother Catherine's dictated will, signed with an "X," may have been found legal,[1] though some sources claim that the building and its contents were auctioned.
[8] Folklore claims that the spirit of Mother Catherine periodically appears to women who carry on their work.
[10] Much of what is known about Mother Catherine's life comes from field interviews conducted by the Louisiana Writers' Project as part of the Federal Works Progress Administration.