Quartier d’Orleans was the location for the first French settlement. However, this northeast community is quieter than most parts of the island. It was tough being a Catholic priest here during the 17th century. One of the first was decapitated. The island became a parish in 1768 but the priest fled during the French Revolution, leaving the Catholics poorly served for a long time. Today there are only three Catholic churches on the Dutch side and three more on the French half including St. Joseph’s in Quartier d’Orleans.
