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Welcome to Old St. Ferdinand Shrine

Established in 1789 in Florissant, MO

Home: Welcome
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The Old St. Ferdinand Shrine

will be hosting a Mass at 7 pm

to honor

St. Philippine Duchesne

on her Feast Day, 

November 18, 2026.

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#1 Rue St. Francois Street

Florissant, MO 63031

Upcoming Events

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Tablescapes 2026

Get into the holiday spirit with the Shrine's

most festive fundraiser!

Join us for a fun experience featuring over 20 holiday decorated tables, wreaths & trees. Raffle tickets will be available for a chance to win holiday decor,

gift baskets, and much more.

General Admission is $5

Saturday, November 21st and

Tuesday, December 1st

are special event tickets, details below. 

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Sip into the Holiday Spirit!

Join us for an afternoon filled with boozy hot chocolate, build-your-own mac and cheese bar, and holiday inspired tablescapes.

Gather your friends and celebrate the magic of the season with us!

Tickets are just $25,

and availability is limited.

. Must be 21+ to attend.

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To purchase tickets, click the button below

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Take the afternoon to enjoy a catered lunch at the school house and a stroll through Tablescapes. This is fun experience featuring over 20 holiday decorated tables, wreaths & trees.

Raffle tickets will be available for a chance to win holiday decor, gift baskets, and much more.

Grab a group of friends and join the fun!

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Tickets are $25 and space is limited. To purchase tickets, click the button below. 

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​April 2, 2027

Shine for the Shrine Benefit

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The Shrine's annual gala and biggest fundraiser. Proceeds go towards the restoration and on-going maintenance of the Shrine. 

Save the Date

Our Capital Project: Stained Glass

Our current fundraising initiatives are focused 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?

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.

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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

Photo of the church from the courtyard in the setting sun

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.

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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.

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We encourage all to visit, reflect, and enjoy.

A drawing of the shrine from 1800s

Pencil sketch of campus prior to Church renovation in 1880

Vision Statement 
We the Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Inc. wish to inspire future generations to appreciate and preserve the buildings, exhibits and the memory of frontier times. 

Mission Statement 
The Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Inc., recognize the historic, architectural and religious significance of Old St. Ferdinand's and its adjoining structures, commit themselves to the following: 
1.    To the restoration and presrrvation of these buildings, maintaining their architectural integrity.
2.    To the development of an education program to increase awareness; and
3.    To raise the necessary funds to achieve these goals.

Getting Here

1 Rue St Francois, Florissant, MO 63031

(314) 837-2110

Shrine campus: from left to right: the schoolhouse, the rectory, the church and the convent

Contact Us

Thanks for submitting!

Old St. Ferdinand Shrine  I  1 Rue St. Francois St. Florissant, MO 63031  I  (314) 837-2110  I  info@oldstferdinandshrine.com

Learn more about this historic church, St. Philippine Duchesne, and Missouri pioneer days

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