St. Francis de Sales Oratory

St. Francis de Sales Oratory
2653 Ohio Avenue
St Louis, MO 63118
314-771-3100

With a towering 300 foot steeple, the St. Francis de Sales Oratory is a very visible landmark located in the Fox Park Neighborhood. The parish was established in 1867 for the large German Catholic population located in the neighborhood. Construction on the German Gothic Revival church was begun with the laying of the cornerstone in 1895 and was finally completed in 1908. The church has a nickname of the "Cathedral of the South Side." Because of the declining number of parishioners, the St. Francis de Sales parish was closed by the St Louis Archdiocese in 2005 and the church building was slated to be torn down. Thankfully, permission was given for the building to become an oratory and it was saved. The St. Francis complex was designated a City Landmark in 1971 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Daily Mass is held at St. Francis de Sales Oratory. See website for current days and times. Public tours of the Oratory are available by contacting the Oratory office.

St Francis de Sales Oratory Related Links:

St. Francis de Sales Oratory Website, St. Louis City Landmarks