St. Francis of Assisi Church, located on State Street in New Orleans, was founded on November 6, 1890. The original building was torn down and the new structure took seven years to build, re-opening on December 18, 1921. Except for painting, renovations were never done until 2004, when DonahueFavret was contracted to do a major overhaul. During this time, the church was completely scaffolded so that every square inch of the walls, ceilings and columns could be painted. The entire wood ceiling was stripped of its finish and refinished. Many of the ornate wood carved structures were also replicated. Mass was celebrated without fail during the entire construction period.