Our History

St. Ferdinand Catholic Parish is located in Florissant, Missouri within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. St. Ferdinand has a rich tradition and missionary heritage. In the mid 1700's the French entered the Mississippi Valley as settlers, farmers, and merchants. They named the area "Valley of Flowers" or "Florissant" due to the beauty of the valley. A French Catholic village was established and named St. Ferdinand de Florissant after St. Ferdinand III, who was King of Castile, Spain from 1217 to 1252.

The first church was built in 1789, on the site of what is now Spanish Land Grant Park on St. Dennis Street.  The second St. Ferdinand Church was opened in 1820, which is today the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine.  St. Rose Philippine Duchesne along with 3 other sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart traveled from France in 1818, settling first in St. Charles, and then in Florissant in 1819.  While at St. Ferdinand she established a school for girls.  Also, Father Peter DeSmet, known as the Apostle of the Indians, was ordained at St. Ferdinand in 1827.  The Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart departed St. Ferdinand in 1846.

The Sisters of Loretto traveled from Kentucky to Florissant to staff the school in 1847.  The sisters served 113 total years at St. Ferdinand, longer than at any other school in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Priests of the Society of Jesus oversaw St. Ferdinand parish from 1823 to 1958, at which time archdiocesan priests were assigned.

The first Mass was celebrated in 1955 in the combination church and school building at the current location of St. Ferdinand Parish on Charbonier Road.  Due to large population growth, permission was received to erect the third St. Ferdinand Church in 1960, with the first Mass celebrated there in 1961.  Several additions to the school were built through the 1960's. 

Florissant residents prevented the demolition of the old church and it is now preserved as the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine.

On September 15, 2013, St. Ferdinand Parish celebrated our 225th anniversary with a Mass at the Shrine celebrated by Archbishop Robert Carlson.  Also in 2013, the church vestibule was expanded by 1,375 square feet, providing a much-needed Gathering Space.

In 2018, the parishes of St. Ferdinand, St. Norbert and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne partnered with the Archdiocese of St. Louis to create a partnership school called All Saints Academy, with shared student, staff, and parent resources. Our school is known as All Saints Academy - St. Ferdinand Campus. Currently, there are roughly 180 students enrolled in the school. ASA-St. Ferdinand students are continuing their rich tradition and missionary spirit through their studies, worship, and service to the community. 

In 2019 our Parish School of Religion combined with St. Sabina Parish.  All grades now attend PSR at St. Sabina but continue to receive their sacraments here at St. Ferdinand.

Pastors
Bernard de Limpach, O.M. (Capuchin) – 1789
Jean Antoine Le Dru dit Jacobin – 1789-1792
Pierre Joseph Didier, O.S.B. (Benedictine) – 1792-1798
Leander Lusson (Recollect) – 1798-1804
Thomas Flynn, O.M. (Capuchin) – 1806-1808
M. Bernard Langlois, O.C.R. (Trappist) – 1809-1810
Urban Guillet, O.C.R. (Trappist) – 1810-1811
Marie Joseph Dunand, O.C.R. (Trappist) – 1811-1820
Charles De La Crois, 1820-1823
Charles F. Van Quickenbourn, S.J. 1823-1827
Theodore de Theux, S.J. – 1827-1829
Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1829-1835
James G. Busschotts, S.J. – 1835-1836
Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1836-1838
Victor Paillasson, S.J. – 1838
John Gelizal, S.J. – 1838-1840
James Cotting, S.J. – 1840
Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1840-1853
Florian Sautois, S.J. – 1853-1857
Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1857-1877
Adrian M. Hayden, S.J. – 1877-1884
Adrian Sweere, S.J. – 1884-1885
William F. Boex, S.J. – 1885-1893
Joseph P. DeSmedt, S.J. – 1893-1895
Joseph R. Real (Riehl), S.J. – 1895-1896
Francis Hillman (Heuvelmans), S.J. 1896-1911
Michael Speich, S.J. – 1911-1919
Joseph M. Milet, S.J. – 1919-1925
William H. Trentman, S.J. – 1925-1944
James V. Fallon, S.J. – 1944-1949
Lawrence L. Cusak, S.J. – 1949-1953
Harry B. Crimmins, S.J. – 1949-1953
Edward W. Courtney, S.J. – 1955-1958
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John R. Phelan – 1958-1967
Joseph A. O’Brien – 1968-1974
John P. Holland – 1975-1991
Gary M. Gebelein – 1991-2002
John G. Dempsey – 2002-2008
A. John Schuler – 2008-2014
Thomas J. Haley – 2014-2016
Michael G. Murphy – 2016 – 2023
Lijo Kallarackal 2023 - present
 
Associates
Charles Bell – 1894
Joseph G. Kernion – 1895
Peter Bouige – 1898-1899
James Paulus – 1913-1921
Michael Eicher – 1924-1927
Michael R. Speist – 1928-1937
Charles A. Imbs – 1938-1941
Alfred F. Schneider – 1942
Francis J. Coffey – 1943-1944
Joseph F. Kiefer – 1944-1947
William F. Trentman – 1945-1946
Stephen J. Egan – 1947
Anthony J. Adams – 1948-1950
Joseph A. Herbers – 1951-1952
George T. Andrews – 1951
Marion B. Budzinski – 1942-1954
Henry H. Regnet – 1956-1957
Edward A. Thro – 1958
John H. Knittel – 1958-1963
John J. Houlehin – 1960-1961
Gregory L. Schmidt – 1961-1967
Joseph T. Shocklee – 1964-1965
Robert Foley – 1966-1967
Alexander Lippert – 1967-1968
Norman C. Schrodi – 1968-1969; 1971-1974
John. F. Fitzgerald – 1968-1969
John L. Mayer – 1970 – 1973
James W. Schaefer – 1969-1970
James F. Stauber – 1972-1975
Joseph W. Banden – 1974-1978
Adolph H. Ayd – 1974-1979
Michael S. McGrath – 1975-1977
George Galovich – 1976-1977
Eugene E. Utrup – 1978-1979
Robert Samson – 1979-1984
Gerald T. Will – 1980-1983
Kevin V. Schmittgens – 1983-1984
Mark L. Fuller – 1983-1984
Paul J. Rothschild – 1985-1990
Raymond B. Leirmann – 1987
James P. Grady – 1988-1992
Donald Heck – 1990
Joseph J. Ryan – 1990-1992
Timothy Cronin – 1991-1993
Patrick Christopher – 1992-1996
Glennon Goellner – 1993-2000
Michael G. Murphy – 1996-1998
Richard J. Rath – 1998-2001
Eugene G. Robertson – 2001-2004
William J. Baier – 2004-2013
Timothy J. Henderson – 2004-2007
Joseph S. Post – 2007-2011
John C. Nickolai – 2013-2016
David E. Rauch - 2016-2019
Nicholas J. Muenks - 2019 - present
Joseph Banden - 2023 - present