St Gianna Parish, One Year Old

Founded a year ago Saturday, St. Gianna [Parish]was the first new parish in the St. Louis archdiocese in 25 years.

Named for an Italian doctor who died in 1962 and had strong convictions against abortion, the parish now has more than 300 families. The church has a temporary home in Lake Saint Louis where it celebrates daily and Sunday Mass in a converted warehouse. A house in a nearby subdivision serves as its rectory.

Since St. Gianna's founding, the Rev. Timothy Elliott has fielded countless calls from prospective parishioners.