2023 Cohort
St. Francis de Sales Oratory
(Roman Catholic)
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Francis de Sales Oratory, known as “the Cathedral of South St. Louis,” is one of the most intact examples of German neo-Gothic church architecture in the country and maintains strong partnerships in music and the arts.
St. Francis de Sales Oratory by Nicholas Toussingant
St. Francis de Sales Oratory by Nicholas Toussingant
2023 Cohort
St. Francis de Sales Oratory
(Roman Catholic)
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Francis de Sales Oratory, known as “the Cathedral of South St. Louis,” is one of the most intact examples of German neo-Gothic church architecture in the country and maintains strong partnerships in music and the arts.
St. Francis de Sales Oratory was built in 1907 for a congregation of primarily German and Irish Catholics. The building committee sent an envoy to Berlin to find a German architect, and the original plans for the building were drawn up by Engelbert Seibertz based on his own St. Paul’s Church in Berlin. After the Great St. Louis Earthquake of 1896, German American architect Victor Klutho reworked the plans, especially for the façade. The resulting Hallenkirche or Hall Church building features a vaulted nave and aisles of almost equal height, and a 310-foot-tall bell tower that is the tallest in St. Louis.
Since 2005, St. Francis de Sales has housed an oratory of the Institute of Christ the King the Sovereign Priest. St. Francis sponsors a St. Vincent de Paul Society, which provides housing assistance to community members, and provides space to a homeschooling cooperative serving the church community. The oratory has a visual arts program, sewing and woodworking guilds, and a strong music program that includes multiple choirs, lessons, concerts, orchestral performances, and an annual choir camp for students from all over the country.
A National Fund grant of $250,000 with at least $500,000 in matching funds to be raised by the congregation will support urgent building needs identified by a building condition assessment, including masonry and systems upgrades.
St. Francis de Sales Oratory by Nicholas Toussingant
Spotlighting Women’s History at Historic Houses of Worship
Religious institutions have served both as a platform for the advancement of women’s rights and opportunities, and women have played critical roles in advancing religious traditions. The leadership and community building opportunities within these sacred sites have been critical to increasing female independence outside of the home and allowing women to develop institutions that strengthen their congregations and broader communities. The four historic houses of worship highlighted embody positive examples of how the histories of women and religion are inherently linked.
First Church in Oberlin
Stories and Media Coverage
Read more about how the National Fund for Sacred Places is helping congregations around the country rehabilitate their sacred places.
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church by Luis P. Gutierrez