Shrine of Saint Joseph, St. Louis, Missouri
Encyclopedia
The Shrine of Saint Joseph, which is at the corner of 11th Street and Biddle in St. Louis, Missouri
, has a vast and interesting history. The church had its beginning in 1843 when the Jesuits founded the parish to serve a pleasant residential community consisting mostly of German immigrants. Also, the Church is the site of the only authenticated miracle in the Midwest.
, later Bishop of Chicago, officiating.
Soon St. Joseph parish was a very active community. In 1862 a large parish school was built nearby, to care for the many children of the area. The Sisters of Notre Dame
staffed the school. In late 1861 a German immigrant, Ignatius Strecker, was suffering from an injury he incurred while working at a local soap factory. Despite every known treatment Mr. Strecker grew worse and worse and was finally told by doctors that he had two weeks to live.
, came to St. Joseph's to preach. Mrs. Strecker happened to attend the service in which Father Weninger preached on the Blessed Peter Claver
, who was held to have great intercessory powers with God. She was so impressed she hurried home to implore her dying husband to seek the help of Peter Claver.
The next day, Wednesday, March 16, 1864, Mr. Strecker managed to drag himself to the church. He arrived just as Father Weninger was blessing the congregation with a relic of Peter Claver. Observing Mr. Strecker's extreme weakness, the priest allowed him to kiss the relic. Immediately, the sick man seemed to experience a resurgence of strength. He began to heal and within a few days he returned to his job, and in a few months he was restored to full health.
Two years after this spectacular cure, the Most Reverend Michael O'Connor, a Jesuit priest, made a thorough canonical investigation of the incident. In 1887 the miracle was formally declared authentic by Cardinal Bianchi in Rome
, and was chosen as one of the two required miracles in the canonization process of Peter Claver, who became a Saint the following year. St. Joseph's became the only church in St. Louis, which is the site of an authenticated miracle and developed a legend of assistance to the afflicted.
As news of the miracle spread, and the parish grew, it became obvious that the original church was no longer large enough to serve the congregation. It was decided to build a large addition to the old building and to revise the structure so that the entrance faced on Biddle Street. Bishop Kenrick laid the cornerstone for this second St. Joseph in 1865.
As work progressed on the remolding of the church cholera broke out in St. Louis in August 1866. St. Joseph's parish alone had as many as 20 burials a day! Cholera
was caused by contaminated drinking water and was contagious. The Jesuit Fathers and Brothers of St. Joseph did what they could to help the people but even the greatest medical minds of the time did not know how to combat this deadly disease.
At the height of the epidemic
, Father Joseph Weber, pastor of St. Joseph gathered the parishioners together. With them they made a solemn vow that if St. Joseph would intercede for them, so that there were no further deaths from cholera
in the parish, they would erect a suitable monument to him as a thanksgiving tribute. Then and there the congregation pledged an initial $4,000.00 for this purpose.
From that day on not a single member of any family who had signed the vow and pledge died of the dread disease. The parish decided that a fitting monument to St. Joseph to express their gratitude would be a special altar installed for their newly remodeled church.
Bueschers of Chicago, famous for their religious art work, were employed to carve an elaborate altar, which is designed as a replica of the Altar of St. Ignatius
in the Jesuit Gesu Church in Rome, except that the figure of St. Joseph and the Christ Child are substituted for the figure of St. Ignatius
. Beneath the central figures appear the words: "Ite ad Joseph" Go to Joseph.
Known as "The Altar of Answered Prayers" because of its origin, this beautiful work can still be seen at St. Joseph's Shrine, where it serves as the central altar. It was installed early in 1867, at a total cost of $6,131.00. The grateful parishioners raised the additional funds above their original pledge in recognition of their deliverance from the cholera epidemic.
The primary remolding was completed in 1866. Father Pierre Jean De Smet, noted missionary to the Indians, officiated at the dedication services on December 30, 1866.
Face and twin towers surmounted with delicate cupolas, was completed in 1881.
Further alterations had to be made in 1954, under the supervision of the shrine's pastor, Father Anthony Corey. At this time, for reasons of safety, the beautiful original towers were shortened, and the cupolas replaced by heavier, hexagonal caps, thus considerably altering the exterior of the building, and detracting form its former beauty. This was after the Jesuits left the parish and was staffed by priest of the Archdiocese.
While owned by the Archdiocese of St. Louis the now Shrine of St. Joseph is leased to The Friends of The Shrine
of St. Joseph, Inc. a not for profit 503(c)(3) corporation. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Ignatius Strecker came to America from Germany in 1853 and settled with his wife and daughter in St. Joseph’s parish, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a temperate, conscientious, and religious man, devoted to his family, which eventually numbered nine children. He was also a hard worker in the soap factory where he found employment.
In this factory, one day towards the end of 1861, Mr. Strecker accidentally struck his chest sharply against a pointed piece of iron. His breastbone was injured, though no outward wound was at first visible. Still there was considerable pain, a burning sensation, and some swelling. This busy workman did not pay much attention to his injury until after two months, the tumor-like inflammation began to grow alarmingly; and, there was no way to drain off the accumulating malignant matter. Doctor Joseh Heitzig, the family physician, was called in.
When certain external remedies were tried and failed to cure, Doctor Heitzig opened up the wound with an instrument, only to find the breastbone and some ribs on the left side in a state of incipient decomposition. A series of injections failed to clear this up, as did other remedies. The patient only grew worse. Moreover, violent coughing, accompanied by copious sputum pointed to tuberculosis
of the lungs. Fever set in, respiration became difficult, and food could not be taken. Mr. Strecker was so weakened and fatigued that he had to give up his employment and spend weeks at a time as an invalid in bed.
After nine months of steady treatment without success, Doctor Heitzig asked the family to call in Doctor William Schoenemann, considered one of the best specialists in America. After a thorough examination, and some futile attempts at healing, the doctor pronounced Mr. Strecker incurable and gave him two weeks to live. However, Mr. Strecker did not die, but lingered on for many months. He finally turned from human remedies, to place himself with resignation into the hands of Divine Providence. He began to prepare for death.
At this critical moment for the Streckers, the famous parish missionary, Father Francis Xavier Weninger, S. J., arrived at St. Joseph’s to preach a mission. After the mission, Mrs. Strecker happened to be present in the church when Father Weninger was preaching a sermon on Blessed Peter Claver, pointing out his great intercessory power with God. After the sermon he blessed the people with a relic of Bl. Peter Claver.
Mrs. Strecker was a woman of deep faith. She went home and begged her husband to ask Peter Claver to cure his fatal maladies. Although Mr. Strecker had never heard of Peter Claver before this, he began to invoke him and ask for his help. The next day, with the last ounce of his strength, he literally dragged himself to St. Joseph’s Church and came in just as Father Weninger was blessing the sick with the relic. With sincere faith and strong confidence he placed himself in the line of the sick. Father Weninger blessed him and allowed him to kiss the relic.
What occurred now, Mr. Strecker always found hard to explain. He said he felt a sudden increase in courage, a strengthening of faith, and an utter assurance that he would recover his health through the intercession of Peter Claver. The relic had no sooner been applied than the external suppurating sore began to disappear. The breastbone and ribs healed rapidly and the tuberculosis of the lungs vanished – all within a week or two. In fact, the day after the blessing with the relic, Mr. Strecker was back on the job in the factory, where, despite great fatigue, he could already do a reasonable day’s work.
The doctors were astonished, especially Dr. Schoenemann, who, though not a Catholic
, declared that he recognized in the cure a miracle of God’s omnipotence. The cure was complete. There was never any relapse. Years later, when Mr. Strecker died, on June 4, 1880, in St. Nicholas Parish (adjoining St. Joseph’s), the City Board of St. Peter Claver Health issued a certificate that he died of typhoid fever and not as a consequence of his previous illnesses. He was buried in old St. Peter and Paul Cemetery.
Two years after the cure a thorough canonical investigation was made by the Most Reverend Michael O’Connor, for many years Bishop of Pittsburgh, but now a member of the Society of Jesus
. The miracle was formally declared authentic in Rome by Cardinal Bianchi, in 1887, and chosen as one of the two required for the canonization
process of Peter Claver. He was canonized the following year and his feast is now celebrated in the Universal Church on September 9.
Some of Ignatius Strecker’s grandchildren are still living in St. Louis.
'Altar of Answered Prayers'
The magnificent main altar is the result of a pledge made by grateful parishioners who made a promise to St. Joseph in 1866. The altar became known as The Altar of Answered Prayers because of St. Joseph’s intercession in the mist of a cholera Alter of Answered Prayers epidemic in 1866. During the epidemic
there were ten and sometimes twenty-five funerals a day from St. Joseph’s Church. However, because of St. Joseph’s intercession, the parishioners who made the promise and their families were spared.
The cholera
epidemic. Asiatic cholera is generally caused by contaminated drinking water and is contagious. The symptoms appear suddenly, chiefly severe diarrhea and stomach cramps. Requiring early and energetic medial treatments or the victim may be dead within twenty-four hours. Although modern sanitation has practically conquered this disease, there are still sporadic outbreaks of it in various parts of the world.
The growing city of St. Louis had its share of cholera
epidemics, in 1833-34, 1848–49, 1854, 1856 and in 1866. These were due to an inadequate sewer system, unhealthy spots like Chouteau’s Pond, and the influx of immigrants landing at New Orleans and coming up the Mississippi River by steamboat to establish homes in St. Louis and other points further west.
280 deaths daily. The last cholera epidemic was particularly virulent. It began without warning in August and lasted two full months, causing an average of 280 deaths daily. The St. Louis newspapers played it down, so, as not to cause panic among the people, but the city’s health situation was really critical. Along with many others the Jesuit Father’s and Brothers of St. Joseph’s parish worked day and night to render assistance to the parishioners and other victims. There were ten and sometimes as many as twenty-five funerals a day from St. Joseph’s Church on the northeast corner of Eleventh and Biddle streets and there were also many burials of parishioners in unblessed ground.
The promise. Father Joseph Weber, pastor of the parish and superior of the Jesuit community at St. Joseph’s, gathered the parishioners together on Sunday morning. They all made a solemn vow to God, that if through the intercession of St. Joseph the parish were spared further deaths from cholera, they would in thanksgiving erect a suitable monument in honor of St. Joseph, patron of the parish church. To this end the parishioners pledged an initial four thousand dollars, a considerable sum in those days.
The miracle. To the amazement of the pastor, his assistants, religious Brothers, and all the parishioners, their prayers of fervent petition was heard. Not one member of all the families who had signed the vow and the pledge was stricken with cholera after that day. Miracle or not, these are the facts, testified to in the old yellow-edged documents in the church’s archives.
RESTORATION
The church continued to flourish until, as the neighborhood began to decline, and parishioners were moving to the newer suburbs, attendance at Mass fell greatly. The church fell into a state of disrepair. The roof leaked, birds had occupied the belfries where droppings were feet deep. Water stained the paintings and the underlying plaster became cracked. For reasons not understood, many of the beautiful objects had been covered in gray paint, including the Stations of the Cross and the ornate carved pulpit.
Because of the dwindling parish and the extensive damage to the building, the Archdiocese had planned to tear it down.
In 1979, the elderly pastor, Father Edward Filipiak, refused to retire saying, “If I leave, they will close it. I would die for this church.” Three men broke into the rectory seeking the collection money and murdered Fr. Filipiak. His death galvanized the community. A small group of men were then determined to try to save the church. Slowly they raised money from donations. After the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars and many man-hours, the church has been fully restored. It is one of the most beautiful churches in St. Louis.
It is not a parish in the ordinary sense. While the building remains the property of the St. Louis Archdiocese, the operation and maintenance of the church are by The Friends of the Shrine of St. Joseph, a 501.c.3 non-profit organization. Masses are celebrated each Sunday and on First Fridays of each month. (See Mass schedule below).
A virtual tour of the church can be seen on the Shrine's web site: www.shrineofstjoseph.org
Every Sunday: 11:00 AM,
First Fridays: 12:00 Noon
Fr. Dale Wunderlich was appointed Rector of the Shrine of St. Joseph on Aug 27, 2010 and is the regular celebrant.
The church is very popular for weddings and there are one or more almost every Saturday.
After the 11 a.m. Mass nine weeks before the feast of St. Joseph.
St. Padre Pio Devotions
Every Second Sunday of Each Month St. Padre Pio Devotion and Rosary are recited before 11:00 a.m. Mass.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, has a vast and interesting history. The church had its beginning in 1843 when the Jesuits founded the parish to serve a pleasant residential community consisting mostly of German immigrants. Also, the Church is the site of the only authenticated miracle in the Midwest.
History 1846-1866
After founding the parish in 1843,the Jesuits immediately instituted to build a church. Mrs. Ann Biddle a wealthy widow, known for her many philanthropic deeds, donated the land for the new church. The cornerstone for the new church was blessed by Bishop Kenrick on April 14, 1844. The completed building was a modest building faced west toward 11th Street was dedicated on the first Sunday in August, 1846 with Father James Van de VeldeJames Oliver Van de Velde
James Oliver Van de Velde was a U.S. Catholic bishop born in Belgium. He served as the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago between 1849 and 1853. He traveled to Rome in 1852 and petitioned the Pope for a transfer to a warmer climate, due to his health...
, later Bishop of Chicago, officiating.
Soon St. Joseph parish was a very active community. In 1862 a large parish school was built nearby, to care for the many children of the area. The Sisters of Notre Dame
Sisters of Notre Dame
Sisters of Notre Dame may refer to:*Congregation of Notre Dame de Montreal*School Sisters of Notre Dame*Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur*Sisters of Notre Dame of Coesfeld...
staffed the school. In late 1861 a German immigrant, Ignatius Strecker, was suffering from an injury he incurred while working at a local soap factory. Despite every known treatment Mr. Strecker grew worse and worse and was finally told by doctors that he had two weeks to live.
History 1866-1880
Just at this time a Jesuit missionary, Father Francis Xavier WeningerFrancis Xavier Weninger
Francis Xavier Weninger - 29 June, 1888, Cincinnati, Ohio) was an Austrian Jesuit missionary and author.- Life :When already a priest and doctor of theology, he joined the Society of Jesus in 1832 and in 1841 was sent to Innsbruck, where he taught theology, history, and Hebrew...
, came to St. Joseph's to preach. Mrs. Strecker happened to attend the service in which Father Weninger preached on the Blessed Peter Claver
Peter Claver
Peter Claver was a Jesuit who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, Colombia and African Americans...
, who was held to have great intercessory powers with God. She was so impressed she hurried home to implore her dying husband to seek the help of Peter Claver.
The next day, Wednesday, March 16, 1864, Mr. Strecker managed to drag himself to the church. He arrived just as Father Weninger was blessing the congregation with a relic of Peter Claver. Observing Mr. Strecker's extreme weakness, the priest allowed him to kiss the relic. Immediately, the sick man seemed to experience a resurgence of strength. He began to heal and within a few days he returned to his job, and in a few months he was restored to full health.
Two years after this spectacular cure, the Most Reverend Michael O'Connor, a Jesuit priest, made a thorough canonical investigation of the incident. In 1887 the miracle was formally declared authentic by Cardinal Bianchi in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and was chosen as one of the two required miracles in the canonization process of Peter Claver, who became a Saint the following year. St. Joseph's became the only church in St. Louis, which is the site of an authenticated miracle and developed a legend of assistance to the afflicted.
As news of the miracle spread, and the parish grew, it became obvious that the original church was no longer large enough to serve the congregation. It was decided to build a large addition to the old building and to revise the structure so that the entrance faced on Biddle Street. Bishop Kenrick laid the cornerstone for this second St. Joseph in 1865.
As work progressed on the remolding of the church cholera broke out in St. Louis in August 1866. St. Joseph's parish alone had as many as 20 burials a day! Cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
was caused by contaminated drinking water and was contagious. The Jesuit Fathers and Brothers of St. Joseph did what they could to help the people but even the greatest medical minds of the time did not know how to combat this deadly disease.
At the height of the epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
, Father Joseph Weber, pastor of St. Joseph gathered the parishioners together. With them they made a solemn vow that if St. Joseph would intercede for them, so that there were no further deaths from cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
in the parish, they would erect a suitable monument to him as a thanksgiving tribute. Then and there the congregation pledged an initial $4,000.00 for this purpose.
From that day on not a single member of any family who had signed the vow and pledge died of the dread disease. The parish decided that a fitting monument to St. Joseph to express their gratitude would be a special altar installed for their newly remodeled church.
Bueschers of Chicago, famous for their religious art work, were employed to carve an elaborate altar, which is designed as a replica of the Altar of St. Ignatius
St. Ignatius
-People:* Ignatius of Antioch, third Patriarch of Antioch, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches*Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church...
in the Jesuit Gesu Church in Rome, except that the figure of St. Joseph and the Christ Child are substituted for the figure of St. Ignatius
St. Ignatius
-People:* Ignatius of Antioch, third Patriarch of Antioch, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches*Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church...
. Beneath the central figures appear the words: "Ite ad Joseph" Go to Joseph.
Known as "The Altar of Answered Prayers" because of its origin, this beautiful work can still be seen at St. Joseph's Shrine, where it serves as the central altar. It was installed early in 1867, at a total cost of $6,131.00. The grateful parishioners raised the additional funds above their original pledge in recognition of their deliverance from the cholera epidemic.
The primary remolding was completed in 1866. Father Pierre Jean De Smet, noted missionary to the Indians, officiated at the dedication services on December 30, 1866.
History 1880-1954
In 1880 the church was once again enlarged and remodeled. This work, which included the addition of an elaborate RomanesqueRomanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
Face and twin towers surmounted with delicate cupolas, was completed in 1881.
Further alterations had to be made in 1954, under the supervision of the shrine's pastor, Father Anthony Corey. At this time, for reasons of safety, the beautiful original towers were shortened, and the cupolas replaced by heavier, hexagonal caps, thus considerably altering the exterior of the building, and detracting form its former beauty. This was after the Jesuits left the parish and was staffed by priest of the Archdiocese.
While owned by the Archdiocese of St. Louis the now Shrine of St. Joseph is leased to The Friends of The Shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
of St. Joseph, Inc. a not for profit 503(c)(3) corporation. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Miracles
'St. Peter Claver’s Miracle'Ignatius Strecker came to America from Germany in 1853 and settled with his wife and daughter in St. Joseph’s parish, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a temperate, conscientious, and religious man, devoted to his family, which eventually numbered nine children. He was also a hard worker in the soap factory where he found employment.
In this factory, one day towards the end of 1861, Mr. Strecker accidentally struck his chest sharply against a pointed piece of iron. His breastbone was injured, though no outward wound was at first visible. Still there was considerable pain, a burning sensation, and some swelling. This busy workman did not pay much attention to his injury until after two months, the tumor-like inflammation began to grow alarmingly; and, there was no way to drain off the accumulating malignant matter. Doctor Joseh Heitzig, the family physician, was called in.
When certain external remedies were tried and failed to cure, Doctor Heitzig opened up the wound with an instrument, only to find the breastbone and some ribs on the left side in a state of incipient decomposition. A series of injections failed to clear this up, as did other remedies. The patient only grew worse. Moreover, violent coughing, accompanied by copious sputum pointed to tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
of the lungs. Fever set in, respiration became difficult, and food could not be taken. Mr. Strecker was so weakened and fatigued that he had to give up his employment and spend weeks at a time as an invalid in bed.
After nine months of steady treatment without success, Doctor Heitzig asked the family to call in Doctor William Schoenemann, considered one of the best specialists in America. After a thorough examination, and some futile attempts at healing, the doctor pronounced Mr. Strecker incurable and gave him two weeks to live. However, Mr. Strecker did not die, but lingered on for many months. He finally turned from human remedies, to place himself with resignation into the hands of Divine Providence. He began to prepare for death.
At this critical moment for the Streckers, the famous parish missionary, Father Francis Xavier Weninger, S. J., arrived at St. Joseph’s to preach a mission. After the mission, Mrs. Strecker happened to be present in the church when Father Weninger was preaching a sermon on Blessed Peter Claver, pointing out his great intercessory power with God. After the sermon he blessed the people with a relic of Bl. Peter Claver.
Mrs. Strecker was a woman of deep faith. She went home and begged her husband to ask Peter Claver to cure his fatal maladies. Although Mr. Strecker had never heard of Peter Claver before this, he began to invoke him and ask for his help. The next day, with the last ounce of his strength, he literally dragged himself to St. Joseph’s Church and came in just as Father Weninger was blessing the sick with the relic. With sincere faith and strong confidence he placed himself in the line of the sick. Father Weninger blessed him and allowed him to kiss the relic.
What occurred now, Mr. Strecker always found hard to explain. He said he felt a sudden increase in courage, a strengthening of faith, and an utter assurance that he would recover his health through the intercession of Peter Claver. The relic had no sooner been applied than the external suppurating sore began to disappear. The breastbone and ribs healed rapidly and the tuberculosis of the lungs vanished – all within a week or two. In fact, the day after the blessing with the relic, Mr. Strecker was back on the job in the factory, where, despite great fatigue, he could already do a reasonable day’s work.
The doctors were astonished, especially Dr. Schoenemann, who, though not a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, declared that he recognized in the cure a miracle of God’s omnipotence. The cure was complete. There was never any relapse. Years later, when Mr. Strecker died, on June 4, 1880, in St. Nicholas Parish (adjoining St. Joseph’s), the City Board of St. Peter Claver Health issued a certificate that he died of typhoid fever and not as a consequence of his previous illnesses. He was buried in old St. Peter and Paul Cemetery.
Two years after the cure a thorough canonical investigation was made by the Most Reverend Michael O’Connor, for many years Bishop of Pittsburgh, but now a member of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. The miracle was formally declared authentic in Rome by Cardinal Bianchi, in 1887, and chosen as one of the two required for the canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
process of Peter Claver. He was canonized the following year and his feast is now celebrated in the Universal Church on September 9.
Some of Ignatius Strecker’s grandchildren are still living in St. Louis.
'Altar of Answered Prayers'
The magnificent main altar is the result of a pledge made by grateful parishioners who made a promise to St. Joseph in 1866. The altar became known as The Altar of Answered Prayers because of St. Joseph’s intercession in the mist of a cholera Alter of Answered Prayers epidemic in 1866. During the epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
there were ten and sometimes twenty-five funerals a day from St. Joseph’s Church. However, because of St. Joseph’s intercession, the parishioners who made the promise and their families were spared.
The cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic. Asiatic cholera is generally caused by contaminated drinking water and is contagious. The symptoms appear suddenly, chiefly severe diarrhea and stomach cramps. Requiring early and energetic medial treatments or the victim may be dead within twenty-four hours. Although modern sanitation has practically conquered this disease, there are still sporadic outbreaks of it in various parts of the world.
The growing city of St. Louis had its share of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemics, in 1833-34, 1848–49, 1854, 1856 and in 1866. These were due to an inadequate sewer system, unhealthy spots like Chouteau’s Pond, and the influx of immigrants landing at New Orleans and coming up the Mississippi River by steamboat to establish homes in St. Louis and other points further west.
280 deaths daily. The last cholera epidemic was particularly virulent. It began without warning in August and lasted two full months, causing an average of 280 deaths daily. The St. Louis newspapers played it down, so, as not to cause panic among the people, but the city’s health situation was really critical. Along with many others the Jesuit Father’s and Brothers of St. Joseph’s parish worked day and night to render assistance to the parishioners and other victims. There were ten and sometimes as many as twenty-five funerals a day from St. Joseph’s Church on the northeast corner of Eleventh and Biddle streets and there were also many burials of parishioners in unblessed ground.
The promise. Father Joseph Weber, pastor of the parish and superior of the Jesuit community at St. Joseph’s, gathered the parishioners together on Sunday morning. They all made a solemn vow to God, that if through the intercession of St. Joseph the parish were spared further deaths from cholera, they would in thanksgiving erect a suitable monument in honor of St. Joseph, patron of the parish church. To this end the parishioners pledged an initial four thousand dollars, a considerable sum in those days.
The miracle. To the amazement of the pastor, his assistants, religious Brothers, and all the parishioners, their prayers of fervent petition was heard. Not one member of all the families who had signed the vow and the pledge was stricken with cholera after that day. Miracle or not, these are the facts, testified to in the old yellow-edged documents in the church’s archives.
RESTORATION
The church continued to flourish until, as the neighborhood began to decline, and parishioners were moving to the newer suburbs, attendance at Mass fell greatly. The church fell into a state of disrepair. The roof leaked, birds had occupied the belfries where droppings were feet deep. Water stained the paintings and the underlying plaster became cracked. For reasons not understood, many of the beautiful objects had been covered in gray paint, including the Stations of the Cross and the ornate carved pulpit.
Because of the dwindling parish and the extensive damage to the building, the Archdiocese had planned to tear it down.
In 1979, the elderly pastor, Father Edward Filipiak, refused to retire saying, “If I leave, they will close it. I would die for this church.” Three men broke into the rectory seeking the collection money and murdered Fr. Filipiak. His death galvanized the community. A small group of men were then determined to try to save the church. Slowly they raised money from donations. After the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars and many man-hours, the church has been fully restored. It is one of the most beautiful churches in St. Louis.
It is not a parish in the ordinary sense. While the building remains the property of the St. Louis Archdiocese, the operation and maintenance of the church are by The Friends of the Shrine of St. Joseph, a 501.c.3 non-profit organization. Masses are celebrated each Sunday and on First Fridays of each month. (See Mass schedule below).
A virtual tour of the church can be seen on the Shrine's web site: www.shrineofstjoseph.org
Mass Schedule
Regular Mass ScheduleEvery Sunday: 11:00 AM,
First Fridays: 12:00 Noon
Fr. Dale Wunderlich was appointed Rector of the Shrine of St. Joseph on Aug 27, 2010 and is the regular celebrant.
The church is very popular for weddings and there are one or more almost every Saturday.
Devotions
Novena to St. JosephAfter the 11 a.m. Mass nine weeks before the feast of St. Joseph.
St. Padre Pio Devotions
Every Second Sunday of Each Month St. Padre Pio Devotion and Rosary are recited before 11:00 a.m. Mass.
External links
- Shrine of St. Joseph Official Website
- Church of Miracles official documentary video (2000) alternate1, alternate2, from the Shrine of St. Joseph's Friends
- Photos of the Shrine of Saint Joseph