St. Francis de Sales Church (St. Louis, Missouri)
Encyclopedia
St. Francis de Sales Church (the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales) is a Roman Catholic Oratory
located on the South Side of St. Louis, Missouri
. It is the second largest church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis after the cathedral-basilica. The church is popularly known as the "Cathedral of South St. Louis."
The historic main church was designed in the neo-Gothic style
. Its stained glass windows were crafted by the St. Louis glazier Emil Frei, Sr. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Since 2005 the church has been operated by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
, which practices the Latin liturgy and emphasizes the liturgical arts, with a strong music program.
Viktor Klutho in a neo-Gothic style. The sanctuary contains an 52 feet (15.8 m) altarpiece featuring a polychrome sculpture of the Crucifixion
in its upper register. Side altars are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph
, as well as Our Mother of Perpetual Help
and the Infant of Prague. The stained glass windows are the work of the eminent St. Louis glazier Emil Frei, Sr. The church is dedicated in honor of Saint Francis de Sales (d. 1622), bishop and doctor of the Church.
immigrant community, Saint Francis de Sales developed schools on its campus for Catholic children of elementary and high school levels. Today it is home to a diverse and growing congregation. The adjacent high school building is leased by a KIPP charter school
; the original grade school building provides facilities for the Oratory’s community of approximately 100 home-schooled children. The home-school cooperative meets every Wednesday and provides instruction in literature, catechism, the natural sciences, etc.
Since 2005, at the invitation of Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, then archbishop of St. Louis, the Oratory has been entrusted to the care of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
, a Roman Catholic priestly community of Pontifical Rite dedicated to the traditional Latin
liturgy
. The Institute’s first rector at Saint Francis de Sales was the Rev. Canon Karl W. Lenhardt. The present rector of the Oratory is the Rev. Canon Michael K. Wiener; the vicar is the Rev. Canon William Avis.
In November 2008, the church celebrated the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the new building with a solemn pontifical Mass
celebrated by Bishop Robert J. Hermann, followed by a festive reception featuring traditional German cuisine. The Oratory also announced the beginning of a capital campaign to raise funds for important restoration work. The most immediate and most urgent object of the campaign is to stabilize the church’s majestic 300 feet (91.4 m) steeple, which is slowly pulling away from the building due to problems with the foundation. Church officials and architects have endorsed this "Tradition for Tomorrow" restoration campaign, in order to preserve one of the most significant historical landmarks in St. Louis.
The rector
of the Oratory serves as the Archbishop’s Delegate for the implementation of Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum in the diocese. Unlike a parish, with geographically determined boundaries, the Oratory does not cover a specified territory; the Oratory has permission to conduct baptisms, weddings and funerals in addition to Holy Mass and confessions. In accord with the Institute of Christ the King’s emphasis on the solemnity of the sacred liturgy and the beauty of liturgical arts, the Oratory has a highly developed music program, with several choirs specializing in Gregorian chant
and polyphony
. In the summer of 2009, the Oratory music program organized a course of Gregorian chant for beginners.
It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
Oratory (worship)
An oratory is a Christian room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray.-Catholic church:In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass...
located on the South Side of St. Louis, Missouri
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...
. It is the second largest church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis after the cathedral-basilica. The church is popularly known as the "Cathedral of South St. Louis."
The historic main church was designed in the neo-Gothic style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
. Its stained glass windows were crafted by the St. Louis glazier Emil Frei, Sr. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Since 2005 the church has been operated by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the Liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. Its goals are to preserve and patronize traditional Latin Rite liturgical art and music...
, which practices the Latin liturgy and emphasizes the liturgical arts, with a strong music program.
Beginnings
The original Saint Francis de Sales Church (1867) was destroyed following the great St. Louis Tornado in 1896. It was rebuilt according to the design of Berlin architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Viktor Klutho in a neo-Gothic style. The sanctuary contains an 52 feet (15.8 m) altarpiece featuring a polychrome sculpture of the Crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
in its upper register. Side altars are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, as well as Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help or "Sancta Mater de Perpetuo Succursu" Holy Mother of Perpetual Help is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Pope Pius IX, associated with a Byzantine icon of the same name dating from the 15th century...
and the Infant of Prague. The stained glass windows are the work of the eminent St. Louis glazier Emil Frei, Sr. The church is dedicated in honor of Saint Francis de Sales (d. 1622), bishop and doctor of the Church.
Today
Founded in the 1860s to serve the GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrant community, Saint Francis de Sales developed schools on its campus for Catholic children of elementary and high school levels. Today it is home to a diverse and growing congregation. The adjacent high school building is leased by a KIPP charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
; the original grade school building provides facilities for the Oratory’s community of approximately 100 home-schooled children. The home-school cooperative meets every Wednesday and provides instruction in literature, catechism, the natural sciences, etc.
Since 2005, at the invitation of Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, then archbishop of St. Louis, the Oratory has been entrusted to the care of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the Liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. Its goals are to preserve and patronize traditional Latin Rite liturgical art and music...
, a Roman Catholic priestly community of Pontifical Rite dedicated to the traditional Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
. The Institute’s first rector at Saint Francis de Sales was the Rev. Canon Karl W. Lenhardt. The present rector of the Oratory is the Rev. Canon Michael K. Wiener; the vicar is the Rev. Canon William Avis.
In November 2008, the church celebrated the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the new building with a solemn pontifical Mass
Pontifical High Mass
In the context of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Catholic Church, a Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. The term is also used among Anglo-Catholic Anglicans.-Origins:In the early Church,...
celebrated by Bishop Robert J. Hermann, followed by a festive reception featuring traditional German cuisine. The Oratory also announced the beginning of a capital campaign to raise funds for important restoration work. The most immediate and most urgent object of the campaign is to stabilize the church’s majestic 300 feet (91.4 m) steeple, which is slowly pulling away from the building due to problems with the foundation. Church officials and architects have endorsed this "Tradition for Tomorrow" restoration campaign, in order to preserve one of the most significant historical landmarks in St. Louis.
The rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the Oratory serves as the Archbishop’s Delegate for the implementation of Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum in the diocese. Unlike a parish, with geographically determined boundaries, the Oratory does not cover a specified territory; the Oratory has permission to conduct baptisms, weddings and funerals in addition to Holy Mass and confessions. In accord with the Institute of Christ the King’s emphasis on the solemnity of the sacred liturgy and the beauty of liturgical arts, the Oratory has a highly developed music program, with several choirs specializing in Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
and polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
. In the summer of 2009, the Oratory music program organized a course of Gregorian chant for beginners.
It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.