St. Louis: TLM – St. Francis de Sales Oratory

1 July 2008 is the third anniversary of the canonical erection of the St. Francis de Sales Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest.

This German Gothic revival church had been slated for closure, but was rescued by Archbishop Burke and entrusted to the ICK.

Churches don’t always have to be closed.

For those of you in the St. Louis area, there will be a Solemn High Mass at 6:30pm at St. Francis de Sales Oratory.

St. Francis de Sales Oratory

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
314. 771. 3100 p
314. 771. 3295 f
sfds@institute-christ-king.org

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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7 Comments

  1. Padre Steve says:

    Thank goodness they saved this beautiful Church! It is
    just amazing how many wonderful Churches we are losing to this
    consolidation! We need to continue to pray for wisdom as to
    how to maintain these buildings… as we continue to pray for
    vocations!

  2. Ron says:

    How could they ever consider closing this beautiful church? I’ve been to the Oratory and it is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve attended. It’s odd how the modern, un-ornate churches can be built but these older churches – perhaps with high altar – are closed. Thanks be to God for Archbishop Burke and the ICK for saving this church. They are doing the same in Chicago and working to restore that church to its former glory (and they need financial assistance to do so).

    Praise God for the ICK!

    Pax Christi tecum.

  3. Rob says:

    Amen, Amen!! This is truly a wonderful example.

  4. Richard says:

    St. Francis de Sales needs major renovation – the tower is slowly pulling away from the rest of the church – so if anyone wants a good cause to contribute to…just visit the website.

    But in need of work or not, the church is a gem, and a most fitting place in which to worship using the Exraordinary Form and all the traditional sacraments. Those who attend must consider themselves very fortunate, and grateful to His Grace Archbishop Burke for making it possible. I know that Fr. Lenhardt and the Institute certainly are.

  5. Alicia says:

    My mother and her siblings attended this church during their childhood in downtown St. Louis, walking there every Sunday in their best clothes. They attended school in the shadow of this beautiful church. This was the parish they knew and loved for so many years as German Catholics. I had the opportunity to attend Mass there with my mother, husband, and children last month on a visit (we live out of state now, and have for many years). The look on my mother’s face after all those years was indescribable. It was a beautiful Mass, and it was amazing to be brought back to my family’s roots, to see the church where my aunts sat silently in shiny shoes and veils, the church where my mother attended a midnight mass at Christmas so beautiful and moving that she remembers every moment of them to this day. It was the most wonderful thing, and I relished every moment as I hushed my kids in possibly the same pew my grandmother hushed hers.

    I can’t thank Archbishop Burke enough for his work to save this church. What a tremendous gift.

  6. patrick f says:

    This church, called the “Cathedral of South St. Louis” (given that name because at one point a Bishop had his seat there, IE Cathedra, in otherwords, cathedral), it is absolutely gorgeous.

    2 Great Side altars,2 more to the sides of those, and some smaller votive altars. An Amazing thing, to think that this church is 140 years old this year too (erected 1868). How people did that without power tools, is amazing. And what a chant schola they have too. Gorgeous, every bit of it, as it should be, for Almighty God

    Almost makes you wish when they do have to close these beautiful buildings there was something that could just uproot it from where it is, and replace some of the office buildings we have consecrated lately.

    The “Leaning tower of St. Louis” as the steeple is called, is in need of some work on the foundation, so its definately a worthy cause. Imagine hearing those bells from a distance, at noon, or on your way home from work during the angelus.

  7. Matt says:

    I go to this Church. I love everything about it.

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