The annual Summer at the Oratory event is this Sunday, August 21, 12 noon – 7 PM. Bring your friends, family, and neighbors!

Immediately after the 10 AM Mass in honor of King Saint Louis, the patron saint of our city and Archdiocese, the festivities will begin on the grounds of St. Francis de Sales.

In addition to the wonderful food and refreshments, country market, games and prizes, this year’s new attractions include horse rides and a dunking booth!

The Silent Auction this year features many more wonderful items from many generous supporters.  All proceeds will benefit the restoration of St. Francis de Sales.  Among the many excellent offerings up for auction this year are:

Dinner with the Canons           Afternoon with the Abbè              Tea Luncheon for 8 guests

Tax Service                                   St. Louis Symphony tickets           Six Flags tickets

Kemp Auto Museum                 Museum of Transportation           Two Mike’s Catering gift certificate

Hodak’s                                           St. Andrews Missal                           Niche Restaurant gift certificate

Wine Gift Baskets                        Fontanini Nativity Scene               Uncle Bill’s Pancake House

Benton Park Cafè                        Barbeque Grilling Basket                Echert’s Restaurant Gift Certificate

Women’s Purses                         Embroidered Agnus Dei Picture  

O’Connell’s Pub                           Gus Pretzel’s                                         Drury Inn Gift Certificate

Breakfast Basket                         Civil War doll                                      American Girl Doll

And many others…

For the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of the Oratory, the proprietor of Veils by Lily graciously offered to donate all sale proceeds during the weekend of January 29-31 for the restoration effort. Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory, Inc. gratefully acknowledges that this generous initiative from a member of the Oratory resulted in a contribution of $1,190, which will be used for the renovation and maintenance of the Oratory campus. Thank you very much to Veils by Lily, as well as to all those who purchased veils to benefit the Oratory. Your continued, generous support of the restoration effort is deeply appreciated.

The annual Summer at the Oratory event last Sunday, August 22, was a great success!

Weeks of planning culminated on a bright sunny day. By Sunday morning, the empty courtyard bounded by the rectory, the church and the convent had been transformed into a festive little piazza. A large covered tent provided a cozy outdoor room for visitors to shared their meals and visit. Against the brick backdrop of the buildings were various booths set up for games and prizes, a country market, “cake walk,” silent auctions, live jazz band, and, most important of all: the Bar-B-Q stand and the refreshment station.

The crowd poured into this outdoor festival as soon as Mass ended, ready for lunch and an afternoon of family fun. Smiling faces of all vintages soon filled the festive scene.  Until 7:00 PM, this celebration in honor of King Saint Louis, patron saint of the city of St. Louis, rolled through the summer heat, lubricated by live jazz music, plenty of cold beer, a full menu of quintessential summer foods, friendly conversations, and terrific deals from the country market and the auctions.

Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory is deeply indebted to many volunteers who organized and ran this great community-building event, especially to the young adults who helped in various ways throughout the day. We are also grateful for the many individuals and businesses who provided auction and raffle items and donated the proceeds to the restoration effort. In particular, we wish to thank:

~ Business Contributors to the Silent Auction ~

Two Mikes Catering ~ JoAnn’s Greenhouses, Inc. ~ Five Bistro ~Niche ~ Catholic Embroidery ~ St. Louis Symphony Orchestra ~ Kakao Chocolate ~ O’Connell’s Pub ~ Vin de Set Rooftop Bar & Bistro ~ St. Theodosia’s Icon Shop ~ V.J. Coffee & Tea Co. ~ Quincy Medical Group ~ Monk Rock ~ Moonbeams ~ Bommarito Estate Winery ~ Vincentian Press Catholic Books & Gifts ~ Square One Brewer & Distillery ~ Papa Murphy’s (O’Fallon, IL) ~ Chris’ Pancake & Dining ~ Phil’s Sewing Machines ~ Hodak’s Restaurant & Bar ~ Gus’ Pretzels ~ FirstWatch ~ Cornucopia

 ~ Groups and Individuals ~

Knights of Columbus, Council #14067 , Knights of Columbus Council 14067 Ladies Auxiliary, Benevolent Society,  Mothers of the Visitation, St. Francis de Sales Co-Op, Gardening Committee

Mr. and Mrs. Brandwein, Mr. and Mrs. Breidecker, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton & Family, Patricia Cornell, Mr. and Mrs. Haller & Family, Mr. and Mrs. Hayworth & Family, Mr. and Mrs. Holland & Family, Larry and Elaine Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt & Family, Mr. and Mrs. Serafino & Family, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Stephens, Kathy Voss, Dr. and Mrs. Zivnuska, Natalie Zivnuska

The following photos courtesy of C. Unseth:

In honor of King Saint Louis IX, patron saint of the city of St. Louis, the annual Summer at the Oratory celebration will take place on Sunday, August 22, from 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm.

Come – one and all, and invite all your friends and family for a festive afternoon! 

In addition to being a fun event for the whole family – with music, games, a quilt raffle, country market, and great food and drinks, there will be terrific auction items available to benefit the restoration effort at St. Francis de Sales Oratory. For more information, contact the Oratory at (314) 771-3100.

Here’s a preview of two (of many!) auction offerings:   

It’s  a certain sign of Spring when the ball games start again!

The St. Louis Cardinals are up against the New York Mets this Sunday, April 18, at the Busch Stadium.  The game starts at 7:05 PM, with a good possibility of Adam Wainright pitching.

Once again, the Oratory has received from a generous benefactor 20 luxury suite tickets for our fundraising effort. For a great view of the game in the most comfortable surroundings (“Infield Field Box”), the tickets are bargain-priced at only $50 each. (Food and drink are not included.)

There are only 20 tickets. Please call the Oratory at 314-771-3100 as soon as possible to purchase your tickets. Make checks payable to “Friends of St. Francis de Sales, Inc.”

All proceeds benefit the Oratory’s restoration effort.

Come out and support the Cardinals and the Oratory this Sunday!

What can you do to:

1) Support the Cardinals at Busch Stadium (a great American Tradition),

2) Support the St. Francis de Sales Oratory (a great Catholic Tradition), and,

3) Have fun?

Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory cordially invite you to join us to watch the St. Louis Cardinals take on the LA Dodgers on Monday, July 27, at 6:10 pm.

For a minimum donation of $100, this special vantage point from the luxury suite comes with convenience and comfort: restroom facilities and big screen TV for replays. Thanks to a generous donor, the Oratory has 20 tickets for Monday night’s game against the Dodgers, currently the National League West Division leader. Another generous donor has provided a superb weather forecast (Monday only), making either indoor or outdoor seating a great way to spend a summer evening with Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory.

Please reserve your spot by calling the Oratory as soon as possible (314) 771-3100.