Welcome to Old St. Ferdinand Shrine
Established in 1789 in Florissant, MO
2024 Capital Project: Stained Glass
In 2024 and beyond, our fundraising initiatives will focus on a capital project dedicated to the restoration, repair, and preservation of the Church's stained glass windows.
The scope of this project entails:
-
The necessary work of re-leading the windows for structural stability.
-
Repairs to broken windows, and replace missing stained glass pieces.
-
Protective covers will be installed to shield the windows from weather damage.
Currently, two windows have been successfully restored, with each window costing approximately $25,000.
Throughout the years, small rocks have caused some glass to break. Some shattered glass has been carefully reassembled, while other pieces have been replaced with plain-colored glass instead of the original painted design. The main concern with this project is the lead, which supports the window's structure and stability, as it is deteriorating and causing the windows to buckle. Once each window is repaired, a transparent protective shield will be added. Although many windows already have shields, they are starting to cloud due to aging.
Interested in donating to help restore the stained glass?
Hope Floats
In July 2022, the STL area experienced record rainfall that resulted in flooding at the convent, church, rectory, and school house, submerging them in nearly 3 feet of water. The Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, which holds a history spanning over 200 years, narrates the tales of St. Philippine Duchesne, the Jesuits, the pioneer era in the Louisiana Purchase territory, and much more.
Volunteers and board members are collaborating with a restoration company to revive our campus. It is anticipated that the restoration process will take several months to complete. During this period, all events, tours, and rentals have been postponed until further notice.
Please stay updated on our progress by visiting this website and our Facebook page. We sincerely appreciate your generous donations, volunteer efforts, and prayers that support us during this challenging time.
-The Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Shrine
The Catholic Church recognizes over 10,000 canonized saints.
Eleven of these saints lived in North America.
St. Philippine Duchesne was the fourth saint canonized from the US. and is the patron saint of perseverance amid adversity.
At the age of 49, Duchesne arrived in the US from France with the mission of teaching girls in the American frontier. Facing harsh weather and limited resources, Duchesne and her team worked tirelessly opening 6 schools in 10 years in MO and LA.
Come to Florissant and see where it all began.
Walk in the footsteps of a Saint
Who We Are
Today, The Old St. Ferdinand Shrine is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is managed by the nonprofit, Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Shrine. Through fundraising and donations from the community, we continue to maintain this 200+ year old campus.
Our volunteers work hard providing tours, restoring the campus, and creating event spaces for rent. Our collective mission is continue to keep the Shrine an active part of the community while preserving our heritage and honoring those that walked before us.
We encourage all to visit, reflect, and enjoy.
Pencil sketch of campus prior to Church renovation in 1880