About Immaculate Conception · Saint Mary, Missouri
Immaculate Conception Church in St. Mary, Missouri is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Ste. Genevieve County, about 73 highway miles south of downtown St. Louis. Founded in 1874 and built on a bluff overlooking the old Mississippi River channel and Kaskaskia Island, the parish served generations of French-Catholic farming families in this small Mississippi River town. After the Archdiocese of St. Louis closed the parish in 2017-2018, the St. Mary Immaculate Conception Church Preservation Society was formed to preserve the 1889 church building and continue using the chapel for worship on a limited, biweekly Sunday schedule.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Father Richard C. Kasznel (retired 2018, deceased November 19, 2020, age 82)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (formerly served by the Archdiocese; parish now maintained by the St. Mary Immaculate Conception Church Preservation Society)
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception offers a deeply historic worship experience in one of the oldest standing Catholic church buildings on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, with a serene bluff-top setting and dramatic terraced approach. The Preservation Society maintains a regular schedule of Mass on the first and third Sundays at 9:00 a.m., and the parish's sacramental records and sacred items are preserved for the community it has served since 1874. For anyone connected to Ste. Genevieve County's French-Catholic heritage — or simply seeking a quiet, historic chapel for prayer — it remains a holy landmark worth visiting and supporting.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
About Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception is a historic Catholic parish founded in 1874 in St. Mary, Missouri, in Ste. Genevieve County, about 73 highway miles south of downtown St. Louis. The parish sits on a bluff overlooking the old Mississippi River channel and Kaskaskia Island, Illinois, and is one of the oldest French-Catholic communities in the region. After the Archdiocese of St. Louis formally closed the parish in 2017 after 144 years, the St. Mary Immaculate Conception Church Preservation Society was formed to preserve and protect the landmark while continuing to share the Catholic faith through use of the chapel as a holy place of worship.
- Founded 1874 — land deeded by St. Mary's Seminary to Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick on September 29, 1874
- Located at 481 Pine Street, St. Mary, MO 63673 (mailing P.O. Box 372, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670)
- Diocese: Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Population at 2007 census: approximately 338 Catholics
History of the Parish
St. Mary's Seminary purchased six acres from Miles Gilbert in 1853 for the parish site, and a small frame church was built on the bluff in 1855. When the seminary deeded the land to Archbishop Kenrick in 1874, the mission became an independent parish. The present brick church was laid in 1887 by Monsignor P.P. Brady and completed under Rev. E.J. Wynne (pastor 1887-1893); the keystone bears the date 1889. In 1972 Father Hrdlicka oversaw the addition of a 60-by-60 foot air-conditioned parish hall, and the parish celebrated its centennial in 1974 and the centennial of the church building in 1989. The Archdiocese announced the parish's closure in 2017 after 144 years, with Auxiliary Bishop Mark Rivituso celebrating the closing Mass on April 16, 2017.
- 1853 — St. Mary's Seminary buys six acres from Miles Gilbert
- 1855 — Small frame church built on the bluff
- 1874 — Seminary deeds land to Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick; parish formally founded
- 1887 — Parochial school laid by Monsignor P.P. Brady; present brick church begun
- 1889 — Keystone inscribed; church completed under Rev. E.J. Wynne
- 1913 — Steeple cross donated by Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Bartels
- 1924 — Pipe organ donated by John Tlapek and Walter L. Schaaf
- 1972 — Parish hall added under Father Hrdlicka
- 1974 — Centennial celebration of the parish
- 1989 — Centennial of the church building
- 2017 — Final Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Mark Rivituso on April 16
The Building and Its Architecture
The 1889 brick church is the visual centerpiece of St. Mary, perched on a bluff about fifty feet above the river bottom and visible for miles. The dramatic approach from town is via a terraced hillside of nine sets of nine stone steps arranged by parishioner John Tlapek. The steeple cross was donated in 1913, and a pipe organ was donated in 1924. The stained-glass windows are currently being restored in phases by Art Glass of Lafayette, Indiana — four windows are in progress in the chapel restoration project.
- Keystone inscribed 1889 above entrance
- Terraced hillside approach — nine sets of nine steps
- Pipe organ (1924) donated by John Tlapek and Walter L. Schaaf
- Stained-glass windows undergoing phased restoration by Art Glass
- Adjacent 60x60 foot air-conditioned parish hall (1972)
St. Mary Immaculate Conception Church Preservation Society
The Preservation Society's stated mission is 'to preserve and protect our holy landmark while continuing to share our Catholic faith through the use of our chapel as a holy place of worship for future generations.' The Society operates as a Board of Directors with committees for events, finance, and maintenance, and it publishes a quarterly newsletter. It currently runs limited Masses, manages restoration projects, and supports community fundraisers.
- President — Thomasine Buatte
- Treasurer — Kristen Ritter
- Events Committee — Laura Helmers, Kim Breig
- Finance Committee — Karl Schultz
- Maintenance Committee — Mike Ritter, Bob Breig
- Society Newsletter Archive published quarterly since October 2018
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
Father Richard C. Kasznel was the parish's most recent pastor. He was appointed in 1987 and retired in 2018, having served Immaculate Conception for nearly 31 years. He was ordained in 1965 by Cardinal Joseph E. Ritter and celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination in 2015, calling his time at St. Mary 'a marvelous thing to be a pastor in a great, wonderful community.' Father Kasznel died on November 19, 2020 at age 82; memorial Masses were celebrated at Seven Holy Founders Church and at St. Mary Immaculate Conception Church.
- Father Richard C. Kasznel — pastor 1987-2018 (ordained 1965; died November 19, 2020)
- Rev. E.J. Wynne — pastor 1887-1893, built the present brick church
- Father Hrdlicka — oversaw the 1972 parish hall addition
- Auxiliary Bishop Mark Rivituso — celebrated closing Mass, April 16, 2017
Visit Us and Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed to celebrate the Eucharist at Immaculate Conception. The church is located at 481 Pine Street in St. Mary, Missouri, with the postal address P.O. Box 372, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670. For questions about upcoming Masses, events, or preservation projects, the parish can be reached by phone.
- Street address: 481 Pine Street, St. Mary, MO 63673
- Postal address: P.O. Box 372, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
- Phone: (573) 517-3133
Current Preservation Projects
The Preservation Society is actively working on multiple restoration and improvement projects to safeguard the historic church building for future generations. These are funded and managed by the Society's committees.
- Stained-glass window restoration — Art Glass of Lafayette, Indiana; four chapel windows in progress (phase one)
- PA system upgrade — coordinated with Dean Bader and a colleague (six-month project)
- Marquee signage at the bottom of the terraces — produced by Brewer Graphics
- Reprint of the 1967 'What's Cookin' in Saint Marys, Missouri' cookbook by the St. Ann's Sodality — contact Kim Breig
Saint Marys Cemetery
The parish's cemetery — also known as Immaculate Conception Cemetery or Saint Marys Cemetery — sits about one mile from the church on St. Mary's Cemetery Road in Ste. Genevieve County. It contains more than 1,380 memorials and is approximately 71% photographed, with public records searchable via Find a Grave (Cemetery ID 31351).
- Located at 27069 St. Mary Cemetery Road, St. Mary, Missouri 63673
- Coordinates: 37.87640, -89.96750
- Also known as Immaculate Conception Cemetery
- Find a Grave Cemetery ID 31351
A Note on Geography and Heritage
The parish sits across the Old River Channel from Kaskaskia Island, Illinois. That watercourse was the main channel of the Mississippi River until an 1881 flood dramatically altered the river's course and destroyed the old town (and former Illinois State Capital) of Kaskaskia. The new town of Kaskaskia, less than four miles northeast of St. Mary, is itself home to another Immaculate Conception Church — a French colonial mission founded by Jesuits in 1703. The Society emphasizes that 'these three structures [the church and its related buildings] are more than just buildings — they represent our unbreakable ties to our ancestors, a testament to the sacrifices they made to preserve their faith in their new American homeland.'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Diocesan priests assigned since 18711871-1887
Immaculate Conception transitioned from mission status to an independent parish; the land was deeded to Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick in 1874
- Rev. E.J. Wynne1887-1893
Built the present brick church; parochial school laid 1887 by Monsignor P.P. Brady
- Rev. O'Toole
Planned and built the present rectory
- Father Hrdlicka1972 pastorate
Directed the addition of a fully equipped, air-conditioned 60x60 foot parish hall
- Father Richard C. Kasznel1987-2018
Appointed pastor in 1987; ordained 1965 by Cardinal Joseph E. Ritter; celebrated 50th anniversary of ordination in 2015; retired in 2018
- Archdiocese of St. Louis Auxiliary Bishop Mark RivitusoApril 16, 2017
Celebrated the parish's final closing Mass