Two and a Quarter Centuries on North Fourth Street
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church stands at 601 North Fourth Street in St. Charles, Missouri, where the parish has been a fixture of the community for more than two hundred years. The parish was dedicated on November 7, 1791, under the patronage of Charles Borromeo, the Cardinal of Milan who was also the patron saint of the Spanish King Charles. The Spanish Lieutenant Governor of Upper Louisiana, Don Manuel Perez, had granted permission to build a permanent church on October 13, 1789, in a settlement then called Les Petites Cotes, the village of the little hills. The first pastor, Benedictine priest Dom Pierre Didier, entered the first recorded baptism on July 21, 1792.
The frontier parish outgrew its original log cabin within decades. A second church of white Burlington stone was raised on North Second and Decatur Streets, and by 1869 waves of German, French, English, and Irish immigrants had made that building too small. A brick church was begun in 1869 and consecrated in 1872, with a tall steeple that towered over the surrounding town. On July 7, 1915, a windstorm destroyed the main body of that brick church. The present Bedford stone church, designed in the Romanesque style, was rebuilt in its place; Archbishop John Glennon laid the cornerstone on April 16, 1916, and the building was dedicated in 1917. In 1957, the Jesuits who had administered the parish for generations turned it over to a diocesan staff led by Father Michael P. Owens, and the parish constructed a new school in 1958, a new convent, and a parish center on Fifth Street in 1978. In 1989 the parish began a major restoration, and on November 7, 1991, Archbishop John L. May re-sanctified the church on its two hundredth anniversary.
The Sisters of the Sacred Heart arrived in 1818 with St. Rose Philippine Duchesne to begin a school here. The Sisters of Loretto staffed the parish school beginning in 1893, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame took over on August 30, 1932, serving the school for more than eighty years. A shrine across Fourth Street now holds the remains of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, and a statue of the saintly French nun stands inside the church in her honor.
Masses, in English and Spanish, Throughout the Week
Parishioners gather for daily Mass Monday through Friday at 8:00 a.m., with a Spanish Mass on Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. Saturday brings the vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m., which fulfills the Sunday obligation. On Sundays the schedule offers English Masses at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., with a Spanish Mass at 12:00 p.m. The 8:15 a.m. Sunday Mass is celebrated at the subsumed parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Portage des Sioux, which shares the same pastor. On holidays, the weekday Mass moves to 9:00 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo.
Confessions are heard on Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. After the 8:15 a.m. Mass at St. Francis of Assisi on the first Sunday of each month, confessions are also available. Masses are livestreamed on BoxCast, and the parish provides online giving through Pushpay, an electronic bulletin by Flocknote, and a free MyParish App for phones and tablets.
For a parish as large and active as this one, accessibility matters. The main church sits on Decatur Street, and the parish office is in the rectory building on Fourth Street. The parish office answers calls Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 636-946-1893, with bilingual staff ready to assist Spanish-speaking families.
Inside the Bedford Stone Church
The 1917 Romanesque church is built of Bedford stone, with the initials S C B carved over the entrance doors for St. Charles Borromeo. The clock faces in the tower are made of crushed glass, rescued from the red brick church that the 1915 windstorm destroyed. The bells in the tower were baptized with the names Charles, the largest and deepest, Joseph, the middle, and Mary, the smallest and highest in pitch. A west-side ramp and an expanded east-side lower level entrance, leading to the parish café, are the most visible later additions.
Inside, a beveled glass wall separates the gathering space from the worship space. It was crafted by a parishioner during the 1991-1992 renovation. To the left are restrooms and the bridal preparation room, and to the right a stairway leads up to the choir loft, the faith library, and a handicapped-accessible entrance. During the 1991 restoration many layers of paint were stripped from the supporting pillars, uncovering a scagliola finish that imitates marble; the colors of those pillars set the palette for the entire interior.
Along the left wall stands the statue of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. On the right side of the altar, since 2017, stands the statue of St. Charles Borromeo, restored and moved from the school foyer. Near the front of the church, the hand-carved statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was installed in May 2006; the golden light around the figure recalls the woman clothed with the sun of Revelation 12, the angel supporting the Lady testifies to her royalty, and the black ribbon around her waist sits high above her slightly swollen abdomen, showing that the Lady is with child.
The blue clerestory windows along the nave depict the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. The dome windows draw the eye to the Eucharist: Melchizedek on one side, St. Charles Borromeo in the center, and the Wedding Feast of Cana on the other, with the side windows depicting St. Margaret Mary Alacoque's vision of the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Virgin's appearance to St. Bernadette at Lourdes. The Stations of the Cross, present since 1917, begin on the left side of the church and circle through the vestibule and down the right. The San Damiano Cross, modeled on the twelfth-century iconographic cross in Assisi, is an original hand-carved work with a three-dimensional Corpus; the figure of Christ is shown not hanging from the cross but supporting it, radiating the hope of the Resurrection. The altar and tabernacle come from the third brick church of 1869, saved through the 1917 storm and the 1967 post-Vatican II renovation and returned to the church in 1991. The baptismal font now has a place of prominence in the front of the church, and the pipe organ in the choir loft, installed after the 1917 rebuild, received a major renovation in the late 1990s, including new chest work, digital pipes, and a micro-processing system, with a rededication concert in September 1998.
Seven Sacraments for the Whole of Life
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments instituted by Christ: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Baptisms are scheduled by the parish's three deacons, Deacon Scot McCullough, Deacon Steve Moeller, and Deacon Carlos Garcia. Parents who have not attended a baptismal class within the past five years are asked to register for one, and godparents must meet the canonical requirements laid out by the parish.
First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are prepared through the Parish School of Religion or the parish school. Confirmation is celebrated in eighth grade by a bishop, after at least one year of prior religious education. Adults who have not yet been confirmed can receive the sacrament through the OCIA process at the Easter Vigil. Reconciliation is offered on the regular weekly schedule and by appointment with Father Theby. Communion for the homebound is arranged through Mary Kutchback, who coordinates ministers to bring the sacrament to parishioners who cannot attend Mass.
Couples preparing for marriage begin with Maureen Minich, the wedding scheduler, who sets up an initial meeting with Deacon Larry to walk through the marriage preparation process, followed by a wedding seminar led by Carol Faubert. The Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone suffering from serious or chronic illness or the infirmities of age; the parish is not automatically notified of hospitalizations, so families are asked to reach out to the parish office. Arrangements for funerals are coordinated with the parish by the family's funeral director, with the priest helping the family select readings and music. The parish maintains a cemetery on West Randolph Street, managed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Eucharistic Adoration and the Holy Face Devotion
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered every Monday from 8:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., beginning after the conclusion of the 8:00 a.m. Mass and ending with Benediction at 6:00 p.m. Parishioners can commit to a regular Holy Hour on the same Monday of each month by contacting Harriet Pallardy or Joyce Cain. On the second Monday of each month, the Holy Face Devotion is prayed from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during adoration, with prayer cards for the Holy Face of Jesus Chaplet and the Litany of the Holy Face available in the church. On the third Saturday of every month, the Hispanic community gathers for Adoración Nocturna from 8:00 p.m. until midnight.
The School and the Parish School of Religion
St. Charles Borromeo School is a full-time elementary school, with Principal Dan Mullenschlader and Office Manager Katie Maxwell. The school office can be reached at 636-946-2713. The Parish School of Religion, or PSR, is the religious education program for public school children in first through eighth grade, and registration is open for the 2026-2027 school year. The PSR uses the Chosen curriculum for Confirmation preparation and Alive in Christ for earlier grades, and parents can sign up for Flocknote updates on the program. Children new to PSR are asked to send a copy of their baptism certificate to the parish office. Director of Faith Formation Ellie Roche oversees the program.
Hispanic Ministry and a Bilingual Welcome
Hispanic Ministry is led by Deacon Carlos Garcia, who coordinates Spanish-language liturgy and outreach. The parish offers a weekly Spanish Mass on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. and a Sunday Mass in Spanish at 12:00 p.m. The parish office is staffed by Ivonne Quiroz, the Bilingual Administrative Assistant, and Alexa Ibarra, the Administrative Assistant, who together field calls in both English and Spanish. Adoración Nocturna on the third Saturday night of the month and the Hispanic Ministries committee bring the Latino members of the parish into the broader liturgical and community life of the church.
Youth Ministry: Life Teen and Edge
Youth Minister Mary Kaitlyn Condict leads the parish youth ministry, whose mission is to form disciples by providing opportunities to encounter and grow in relationship with Jesus within a supportive community. Life Teen, the high school youth group, is open to eighth graders through seniors and meets on Sunday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Edge, the middle school youth group, is open to seventh through eighth graders and meets once a month on Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Both groups offer service opportunities, social activities, and retreats. The parish welcomes faith-filled adults, college-age and older, to help plan and lead high school and middle school events.
Reaching Out: Soup Kitchen, Casseroles, and the Knights
Outreach is woven into the life of the parish. The Soup Kitchen ministry serves meals to those in need, and the St. Patrick Center Casseroles ministry prepares dishes for unhoused men and women in St. Louis. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul brings parishioners together to assist neighbors facing financial hardship. The Respect Life Committee advocates for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Prayer Shawls provides handmade shawls and lap blankets to those who are suffering, and the Prayer Tree offers a place to lift up intentions in prayer. The Visiting the Sick and Homebound ministry reaches out to parishioners who cannot easily leave their homes, and a Special Needs Support Group accompanies families touched by disability. The Knights of Columbus, the Catholic fraternal organization, supports the parish through service and fundraising. The Meal-A-Month ministry collects non-perishable food items for those in need.
Community Life: Fish Fries, Picnics, and the Ladies Sodality
Parish life pulses through a long list of community-building groups. The Ladies Sodality, a parish organization of women, sponsors blood drives in cooperation with the school and raises money for parish needs. The Quilters craft handmade items for sale and gift, and the St. Francis Quilters do the same in support of the subsumed parish. The Women's Bible Study meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at 7:00 a.m. in the parish office, using the Ponder Contemplative Bible Study books to reflect on the Sunday readings. The St. Charles Young Adults group gathers Catholics in their twenties and thirties for faith formation and fellowship.
Each Lent, the parish holds Friday Fish Fries, with proceeds going directly to parish operations. The annual Parish Picnic, which draws more than seven hundred volunteer shifts, features a fried chicken and roast beef dinner, a color run, a bottle booth, a silent auction, and a tech and cash raffle, along with a golf tournament held in the warmer months. The Dinner Auction, a biennial fundraiser, brings parishioners together for an elegant evening of food, fellowship, and items donated by local businesses. A biennial Golf Tournament rounds out the calendar of community fundraisers. Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts troops meet at the parish, along with Scouts of America, teaching young people the values of faith, citizenship, stewardship, and leadership. The Athletic Association promotes sports for the youth of the school and parish, with soccer and volleyball in the fall, basketball and chess in the winter, and golf and track in the spring.
Becoming Catholic Through OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, OCIA, is the process by which adults are guided in learning the teachings of the Catholic faith and prepared to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. The parish OCIA program is open to catechumens who have never been baptized, unbaptized infants and children, baptized non-Catholic Christians, and baptized Catholics who have not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from the last Sunday in September through May. No formal commitment is required until February, and those interested can write to ocia@borromeoparish.com to begin.
Joining the Parish
Parishioners are encouraged to register through the parish office. The Safe Environment Program of the Archdiocese of St. Louis is followed by both the parish and the school, with Child Safety Coordinator Tiffany Wittig overseeing compliance through Prevent and Protect STL. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the weekend and Holy Day Masses by a team of greeters, with Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, servers, ushers, money counters, and gift bearers forming the regular Mass ministries. Extraordinary Ministers also bring Communion to the homebound, in hospitals, and in retirement homes, often combined with a visit and a reading from Scripture.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish, founded in 1791 and still growing in the same Missouri River town, gathers English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Catholics from across St. Charles County, walking with them from infancy through old age in the sacraments, in prayer, and in service to their neighbors.