St Francis de Sales Church Needs $1.8M for Repairs

The total architectural construction cost estimate for all site work and exterior work at the church and rectory buildings is $1,856,733. However, the majority of that work does not need to be done all at once, explained Thomas Richter, director of the archdiocesan Office of Building and Real Estate.

St. Francis de Sales Church was built in 1908, designed in the style of 13th-century German Gothic cathedrals. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Msgr. Vernon Gardin, vicar general of the archdiocese, drew a distinction between parishes and churches. The parish — the community of worship — of St. Francis de Sales is closing, but the church, the historic building, will remain open for use by another community of worship, Catholics who participate in the Latin Tridentine Mass.

The use of St. Francis de Sales Church as a site for the Latin Mass is part of a solution of how to maintain historic property, Msgr. Gardin said.

In its recommendations, the task force discussed the historic churches of South St. Louis, saying: "These buildings, large and small, are a testament to the faith that they nurtured in our city. In consultation with the Archdiocese of St. Louis, it is hoped that private philanthropy might find preserving some of these historic buildings an attractive endeavor."

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