About St. Andrew Kim (Korean) · University City, Missouri
St. Andrew Kim is a Korean Catholic personal parish in the Archdiocese of St. Louis that serves Korean-language Catholics in the greater St. Louis region. It was canonically erected in 2001 when it took over the former St. Patrick church building at 8665 Olive Blvd. in University City, Missouri. The parish celebrated Mass in Korean on Sundays and Wednesdays/Fridays. After the original Modernist church building was demolished in 2021, the parish's Mass and Sacramental life continued, with the community's current registered operations now administered from the parish's location in the Archdiocese listings.
- Established
- 2001
- Patron
- St. Andrew Kim Taegon (성 김대건 안드레아) — first native Korean Catholic priest, ordained 1845 in Shanghai, martyred 1846 in Seoul, canonized 1984 by Pope St. John Paul II
- Rector
- Reverend Hansu Kim (current pastor of the successor parish at Chesterfield); the University City parish's past administrator was Reverend Sanghyun Kim (Parochial Administrator), with 이명훈 (Lee Myung-hoon) listed as parish chair.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Andrew Kim is the Korean Catholic personal parish in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, offering Korean-language Mass on Sundays (with additional Wednesday and Friday evening Korean Masses) for Korean Catholics living in the St. Louis region. The community gathers to celebrate Mass in Korean, sustain Korean Catholic cultural heritage, and live out the Gospel together as one family across the metropolitan area.
Mass times at St. Andrew Kim (Korean)
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity & Patron
St. Andrew Kim is a personal (national-language) parish for Korean Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, named in honor of St. Andrew Kim Taegon (성 김대건 안드레아), the first native Korean Catholic priest. Born in 1821 in Chungcheong Province, he was baptized in 1836, sent to study in Macao, ordained to the priesthood in Shanghai on August 17, 1845, smuggled back into Korea, and martyred by beheading at Saenamteo (Yongsan) in Seoul on September 16, 1846, at the age of 25. He was beatified in 1925 and canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on May 6, 1984, along with 102 other Korean martyrs during the Pope's visit to Seoul for the 200th anniversary of Korean Catholicism. His feast day is July 5, and he is the patron of Korean clergy.
- Patron: St. Andrew Kim Taegon
- Feast day: July 5
- Canonized: May 6, 1984, Seoul
History of the Parish
St. Andrew Kim Parish in University City was canonically established in 2001 within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. It was created as a personal parish to serve Korean Catholics across the St. Louis region, taking over the church building of St. Patrick parish in University City, which had been founded in 1940 and closed in 2001 (its territory merged into Christ the King, University City). The parish was listed in the Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference overseas parish directory (한국 천주교 주소록) as '세인트루이스 성 김대건 안드레아 한인 천주교회' with about 277 registered faithful and 이명훈 (Lee Myung-hoon) as parish chairperson. The former church building at 8665 Olive Blvd. was sold in 2021 for $5,000,000 and demolished that same year to make way for a Costco development. The Korean Catholic community has continued in the Archdiocese as St. Andrew Kim (Chesterfield), now meeting at 13996 Olive Blvd. in Chesterfield under Reverend Hansu Kim.
- Founded 2001 in University City
- Succeeded St. Patrick parish (founded 1940, closed 2001)
- Listed in Korean Bishops' Conference overseas parish directory
- Original church demolished in 2021
Clergy & Leadership
Pastoral leadership at the University City parish included Reverend Sanghyun Kim as Parochial Administrator. The Korean Catholic Bishops' overseas directory records 이명훈 (Lee Myung-hoon) serving as parish chairperson (회장), with parish office contact lines at 1-314-727-1305 and emails at [email protected] and [email protected]. The current pastor of the successor parish (St. Andrew Kim, Chesterfield) is Reverend Hansu Kim.
- Reverend Sanghyun Kim — Parochial Administrator (University City)
- 이명훈 (Lee Myung-hoon) — Parish chairperson
- Reverend Hansu Kim — Pastor (Chesterfield continuation)
Contact & Directory Listing
The parish is listed in the Archdiocese of St. Louis parish directory under the name 'St. Andrew Kim — University City,' and is also recognized by the Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference overseas parish directory. The published contact details during the University City era included a phone number shared with the Korean Catholic parish office and a fax line. After the 2021 demolition, the Archdiocese continued the parish's ministry at the Chesterfield location (13996 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, MO 63017) under the same phone number (314) 993-1277.
- Address (University City): 8665 Olive Blvd., St. Louis/University City, MO 63132
- Phone: (314) 993-1277
- Fax: (314) 993-2031
- Parish listing: archstl.org/parish-directory/st-andrew-kim-university-city
From University City to Chesterfield
After more than two decades in University City, the Korean Catholic community lost its church building in 2021 when the former St. Patrick / St. Andrew Kim church on Olive Boulevard was sold and demolished. The Korean Catholic mission has continued in the Archdiocese of St. Louis as St. Andrew Kim (Chesterfield), with weekend Masses celebrated in Korean at the new site in Chesterfield, preserving the parish's identity as the personal Korean Catholic parish of the Archdiocese.
- Building demolished: 2021
- Sale price reported: $5,000,000
- Current home: 13996 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, MO 63017
- Current pastor: Reverend Hansu Kim
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Sanghyun Kim
Listed as Parochial Administrator at 8665 Olive Blvd., University City