Symbol of Noble Aspirations

For one hundred years, the silhouette of St. Francis de Sales has been a distinctive mark on the skyline of South St. Louis. While the surroundings of the church have been refashioned over this time span, the 300-foot tower has remained a steadfast symbol of tradition and of hope, pointing skyward, as if conveying the noble aspirations of generations of St. Louis inhabitants.

Thanks to the integrity and beauty of its architecture, St. Francis de Sales has earned a place in the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. It is, however, the human stories etched into the bricks of St. Francis de Sales which have made it imperative that this monument of hopes and dreams be preserved.  Read the story . . .

Immigrants Built It in This Spirit: Tradition for Tomorrow

In 1867, St. Francis de Sales Church was formed out of the spiritual needs of a burgeoning German immigrant community. With the laying of the first cornerstone, St. Francis de Sales began to serve as a spiritual and social anchor for a community of immigrants in their new homeland.

As the community grew and prospered, the parishioners planned to expand St. Francis de Sales; however, mere expansion in size was not what they had in mind, but grandeur and beauty.

For this they reached back to the old country, where Christian tradition flourished and sustained Western civilization for tens of centuries. The plans were brought back from Germany in 1894: the new church would be a magnificent edifice in the Gothic Revival style. It was finished and dedicated for sacred use on November 26, 1908. This marvelous church would prove to stand the test of time.

When these immigrants built for a hopeful future in the New World, it was in the timeless traditions of the Old World that they sank their foundation. They made these sacrifices not to live in nostalgia, but to build a future founded on solid truths. From its beginning, St. Francis de Sales was built in the spirit of Tradition for Tomorrow.

St. Francis de Sales is Grand Again

In the latter part of the 20th Century, the dream faded for a time with the shifting demographics in the surroundings of St. Francis de Sales. For 40 years, the vision of grandeur dimmed and blurred, but it was never extinguished.

At the turn of the 21st Century, tradition is coming home to St. Francis de Sales. In its physical and its spiritual essence, the vision of grandeur is being rekindled: from the vestibule down the long aisle to the High Altar; from the classic stained glass windows to the frescoes dulled by time; from the sacristy for the clergy to the school rooms for the children; and from the spacious apses to the tip of the spire. Solemnity, beauty, and tradition are being uncovered as the restoration of St. Francis de Sales begins.

Just as the church was dedicated in 1908 to a bright and hopeful future, St. Francis de Sales makes new commitments to serve the future of its community. Just as the church was built on timeless tradition in 1908, it will once again be rooted in tradition as it reaches for new horizons in the 21st Century.