About Most Holy Trinity · Saint Louis, Missouri
Most Holy Trinity is a Catholic parish in the Hyde Park neighborhood of North St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1848 by German Catholic families from the community of "Bremen" (New Bremen). Its present twin-spired limestone church, designed by architect Joseph Conradi in the Neo-Gothic style, was built in 1898 to replace an earlier structure and consecrated in 1899 for the parish's 50th anniversary. The parish is a designated City of St. Louis Landmark (1979) and, as part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis's "All Things New" restructuring announced in 2023, has been merged with St. Nicholas and Sts. Teresa and Bridget to form the new St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, with weekend Masses still rotating among the three church buildings.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- Holy Trinity (Most Holy Trinity)
- Rector
- Father Mitchell Doyen (Pastor of the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, of which Most Holy Trinity is now a worship site)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
Most Holy Trinity offers a deeply rooted Catholic community in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood, where German-Catholic heritage, neo-Gothic architecture, and active parish life still meet each Sunday. The parish is well known for its beloved annual Lenten fish fry, its outreach to the surrounding business community (delivering meals to residents and workplaces), and continuing liturgical life as one of three worship sites of the new St. Josephine Bakhita Parish. Visitors are welcomed into a landmark church building and a tight-knit congregation that has served north St. Louis for more than 175 years.
Mass times at Most Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM (per Archdiocese of St. Louis parish listing)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration listed by the Archdiocese (times not specified online)
History of Most Holy Trinity Parish
Most Holy Trinity parish was founded in 1848 by German Catholic families who had settled the area north of St. Louis known as New Bremen (or simply Bremen) — immigrants drawn from the German city of Bremen. The founders included prominent local Catholics George Buchanan, E. C. Angelrodt, N. N. Destrehan, and Emil Mallincofft, whose names still mark the east-west streets of Hyde Park. Father John Anselm, ordained at the St. Louis Cathedral by Archbishop Kenrick in September 1848, was sent to found the German church of Holy Trinity and served it until 1856. By 1858 a second church was needed, and in 1898 Joseph Conradi's present limestone twin-spired Neo-Gothic church replaced it. The new church was consecrated in 1899 to coincide with the parish's 50th anniversary. Subsequent milestones included construction of the school and convent in 1884, completion of the current rectory in 1909, the tornado damage and rebuilding of 1927, and designation of the church, convent, and rectory as a City of St. Louis Landmark in 1979.
- Founded 1848 for German Catholics of Bremen/New Bremen
- Father John Anselm, founding priest (c. 1850–1856)
- Present church built 1898, consecrated 1899
- City of St. Louis Landmark (#108) since 1979
St. Josephine Bakhita Parish — The 2023 Merger
As part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis's "All Things New" pastoral planning initiative — which reduced the number of archdiocesan parishes from 178 to 135 — Most Holy Trinity was merged with St. Nicholas and Sts. Teresa and Bridget to form a new parish. Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski issued the decree establishing the new parish on October 11, 2023, after parishioners proposed more than 40 names and voted in favor of St. Josephine Bakhita, the Sudanese-born former slave who was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000 and is the patron saint of victims of human trafficking. Father Mitchell Doyen, the pastor of the new parish, confirmed that Sunday Masses continue at all three church buildings and that monthly "unity" Masses rotate among them, with no decisions yet made about the future of the historic buildings.
- Merger part of archdiocesan 'All Things New' (2023)
- Three historic churches remain open as worship sites
- Father Mitchell Doyen serves as pastor of the merged parish
Architecture and Landmark Status
The current Most Holy Trinity church is a striking limestone Neo-Gothic structure rising over 200 feet above the Hyde Park neighborhood. Designed by architect Joseph Conradi, it replaced an earlier 19th-century church and was built in 1898. The 1927 tornado caused significant damage, and the rebuilding introduced modifications visible in the present structure. The church, its convent (1884), and its rectory (1909) are collectively protected as City Landmark #108, designated in 1979.
- Architect: Joseph Conradi
- Style: Neo-Gothic, twin limestone spires
- Major restoration after 1927 tornado
Parish Life and the Famous Lenten Fish Fry
Outside the sanctuary, Most Holy Trinity is widely known across north St. Louis for its annual Lenten fish fry, organized by Parish Life Coordinator Sister Janice Munier, SSND. The fundraiser packs the parish to the gills with parishioners and visitors each year and extends its reach beyond the parish grounds: volunteers deliver fish dinners to local residents and businesses, including employees in the surrounding business community, with supplies donated by parishioners and food vendors. The parish has long functioned as a neighborhood anchor in Hyde Park.
- Sister Janice Munier, SSND — Parish Life Coordinator
- Annual Lenten fish fry with meal deliveries to local businesses
- Parish acts as a community anchor in Hyde Park
Schools and Religious Education
Holy Trinity Catholic School was founded in 1849 — a year after the parish itself — originally as a German-language school for boys run on the parish grounds. Over the decades it evolved into a co-educational institution serving kindergarten through eighth grade and remained a fixture of parish and neighborhood life for more than 170 years. The school closed at the end of the 2020–2021 school year. Most sacramental preparation and faith-formation programs have shifted to the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish structure.
- Holy Trinity Catholic School (1849–2021)
- Originally German-language; later co-ed K-8
- Faith formation now offered through St. Josephine Bakhita Parish
Heritage Tours and Visitor Information
Guided heritage tours of the historic church, including its landmark architecture and parish history, are coordinated by Sister Janice Munier. The parish welcomes visitors interested in the building's Neo-Gothic design, its landmark status, and its German-Catholic roots in New Bremen.
- Tours coordinated by Sister Janice Munier, SSND
Practical Information
Most Holy Trinity Church sits at 3519 N. Fourteenth Street, St. Louis, MO 63107, in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The parish office can be reached at (314) 241-9165, and email correspondence is directed to [email protected]. The historic website at mhtstl.org remains a reference point, although parish life and announcements are now channeled through the merged St. Josephine Bakhita Parish at stbakhitastl.org.
- Address: 3519 N. Fourteenth Street, St. Louis, MO 63107
- Phone: (314) 241-9165
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: mhtstl.org / stbakhitastl.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Anselmc. 1850–1856
Ordained at the St. Louis Cathedral by Archbishop Kenrick in September 1848; founder of the German church of Holy Trinity in North St. Louis per Rothensteiner's history of the archdiocese; transferred to French Village/Little Canada in 1856.
- Father Francis S. Goller1855
Ordained at St. Louis Cathedral on November 1, 1855; became Father Anselm's assistant at Holy Trinity.
- Father Rich Creason
Identified as a former pastor by parishioner commentary on St. Louis history pages.