About St. Cecilia · Saint Louis, Missouri
St. Cecilia is a Catholic parish in the Carondelet neighborhood of south St. Louis, Missouri, in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Founded in 1906 and serving the neighborhood for over a century, the parish is today a personal parish for the Hispanic community, with the majority of its Masses celebrated in Spanish. It operates St. Cecilia School and Academy (K-8) and the bilingual St. Teresita Preschool, and is served by Fr. Timothy Noelker as pastor. The twin-steepled Romanesque church was built in 1926-1928 and is known for its mosaics and stained glass.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Cecilia (patroness of musicians)
- Rector
- Reverend Timothy Noelker
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis)
Why belong here
St. Cecilia is a bilingual, bicultural parish where Spanish-speaking and English-speaking Catholics worship together in the heart of the Carondelet neighborhood. Daily and Sunday Masses are offered largely in Spanish (with bilingual liturgies for First Friday, Holy Week, Christmas Eve, and more), and the parish runs St. Cecilia School and Academy, the bilingual St. Teresita Preschool, the St. Vincent de Paul Society for those in need, and ongoing faith formation. As a personal parish for the Hispanic faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, it offers a warm, long-standing community — over a century of baptisms, weddings, and school memories in the same Romanesque church on Louisiana Avenue.
Mass times at St. Cecilia
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:00 PM (before 6:00 PM Mass, until 6:45 PM)
- Wednesday following the 6:00 PM Mass (6:45 PM, bilingual English/Spanish)
- First Friday 7:00 PM (bilingual English/Spanish)
Adoration times
- First Friday 7:00 PM (Bilingual English/Spanish, in the Chapel)
Parish History
St. Cecilia Parish was established in 1906 to serve the Catholic community of the Carondelet neighborhood in south St. Louis. The current church — distinguished by its twin steeples, Romanesque exterior, mosaics, and stained glass — broke ground on January 26, 1926 and had its cornerstone laid on Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 1926. In 1993 the parish began offering Masses in Spanish to serve a growing Hispanic population, and on July 1, 2005 Archbishop Raymond L. Burke redesignated St. Cecilia as a personal parish for Hispanic faithful within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The parish's territory was merged with neighboring St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Cecilia's school took in students from the closed St. Anthony school.
- Founded 1906 in the Carondelet neighborhood of south St. Louis
- Church groundbreaking: January 26, 1926
- Cornerstone laid Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 1926
- Twin-steepled Romanesque church with mosaics and stained glass
- First Spanish Masses added in 1993
- Re-designated a personal Hispanic parish on July 1, 2005 by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke
- Territory merged with St. Anthony of Padua after 2005 reorganization
A Personal Parish for Hispanic Catholics
By decree of Archbishop Burke on July 1, 2005, St. Cecilia ceased to be a territorial parish and became a personal parish for the faithful of Hispanic language and heritage, directed principally to the care of Hispanics within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The majority of the parish's Masses and services are therefore celebrated in Spanish, with select bilingual offerings for major feasts and devotions. The parish's overarching mission, in its own words, is 'the glory of God and the salvation of souls.'
- Canonical status changed from territorial to personal parish, July 1, 2005
- Mission directed principally to Hispanic faithful in the Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Majority of services conducted in Spanish
- Mission statement: 'the glory of God and the salvation of souls'
Sacraments
St. Cecilia prepares and celebrates the seven sacraments for its bilingual community. Baptism is scheduled on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 11:00 AM; parents and godparents must complete preparation classes through the Parish Office. First Communion requires prior formation through the Parish School of Religion, the grade school, or adult faith formation. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is regularly available Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and by appointment. The parish also coordinates Quinceañeras and weddings.
- Baptism — 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 11:00 AM; preparation classes required for parents and godparents
- First Communion — preparation via PSR, grade school, or adult formation
- Reconciliation — Tue 6:00 PM (to 6:45 PM), Wed after 6:00 PM Mass, First Friday 7:00 PM (bilingual); appointments available
- Quinceañeras celebrated and coordinated through the parish
- Weddings — coordinated by Rosa Garcia (Wedding Coordinator)
- Adult Sacraments of Initiation (RCIA) — begin by contacting the Parish Office
Devotions and Special Liturgies
Beyond the weekly schedule, the parish gathers for the major feasts of the liturgical year — most notably Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter — with liturgies in Spanish and a bilingual Christmas Eve Mass. The Feast of St. Cecilia (November 22) is honored through the parish's musical patrimony and its longstanding Music Ministry.
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration (Chapel, bilingual)
- Christmas: 10:00 AM (Spanish) and 12:00 AM / Midnight (Spanish)
- Christmas Eve: 4:00 PM bilingual English/Spanish
- Holy Thursday: 7:00 PM Spanish
- Good Friday: 7:00 PM Spanish
- Easter Vigil: 8:00 PM Spanish
- Easter Sunday: 8:00 AM (Spanish), 9:00 AM (English), 11:00 AM (Spanish)
St. Cecilia School and Academy
St. Cecilia School and Academy is the parish's K-8 Catholic school. Its mission is 'Education for the Glory of God' — educating each child to his or her full potential as a child of God, in partnership with families. The school offers an academically rigorous curriculum and partners with several non-profit organizations to extend support and enrichment (see School Partnerships below).
- School motto: 'Education for the Glory of God'
- Curriculum emphasis: Reading, English / Spanish, Religion, Mathematics
- Other subjects: Art and Music education, Physical Education, Science and Social Sciences
- Technology integration and soccer classes through New Dimensions
- Motto: 'Learning to care for things that grow'
- Mission: to develop each child spiritually, intellectually, and socially
School Partnerships
St. Cecilia School partners with several non-profit organizations to extend services and enrichment to its students and families. The Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation provides direct scholarship tuition assistance and a Director of Development to support the school. Access Academies adds extended-day and extended-year programming in grades 6-7 plus a school-based Graduate Support Director who follows students through high school and into college. Lutheran Family and Children Services provides Character Education programming for grades 5-7, St. Francis Southside Community offers bilingual counseling, the Center for Hearing and Speech provides speech and audiology services, and St. Cecilia is a St. Louis MHB 2022-23 Grant Award Recipient.
- The Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation (TTEF) — tuition scholarships and Director of Development support
- Access Academies — extended-day/year programming for grades 6-7 and long-term graduate support through college
- Lutheran Family and Children Services — Character Education for grades 5-7
- St. Francis Southside Community — bilingual counseling services
- Center for Hearing and Speech — speech and audiology services
- St. Louis MHB — 2022-23 Grant Award Recipient
St. Teresita Preschool
St. Teresita is the parish's Catholic bilingual preschool, serving children age two and up. It is operated under the authority of St. Cecilia Parish and overseen by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, providing a warm, loving Christian environment where children grow intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually — and develop a love of Jesus, the Church, and the knowledge of God's presence. The preschool director is Yolanda Diaz, PhD.
- Catholic, bilingual (English/Spanish) program
- For children age two and up
- Operated by St. Cecilia Parish under the Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Principal: Yolanda Diaz, PhD
- Parish secretary for the preschool: Jessica Olmos
- State assistance available for families who qualify (DVN 002669670); Mike Mooney scholarships available for others
- Preschool office line: 314-351-1318 ext. 155
St. Vincent de Paul Society
St. Cecilia is home to a conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, an international organization of lay Catholics who seek personal and spiritual growth through service to those who need it most. The parish conference brings this mission of charity into the Carondelet neighborhood.
- Lay-Catholic service to neighbors in need
- Part of the international Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Rooted in personal and spiritual growth through service
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Timothy Noelker as pastor, with Rev. James Michler (retired) serving as Pastor in Residence. Lay staff coordinate the parish office, preschool, music ministry, and wedding preparation.
- Pastor: Fr. Timothy Noelker ([email protected])
- Pastor in Residence: Rev. James Michler
- Office Manager: Heather Sieve ([email protected])
- Parish Secretary: Lupita Montoya ([email protected])
- Preschool Director: Yolanda Diaz, PhD ([email protected])
- Preschool Office / Parish Secretary: Jessica Olmos
- Wedding Coordinator: Rosa Garcia ([email protected])
- Music Director: Carlos Flores Ramirez ([email protected])
Music and Liturgy
The parish's Music Director, Carlos Flores Ramirez, coordinates liturgical music for the parish's largely Spanish-language Masses. As the parish's patroness, St. Cecilia — widely venerated as patron saint of musicians — has shaped a music ministry that serves a bilingual congregation across weekday and Sunday Masses, the Easter Triduum, Christmas, and First Friday devotions.
- Music Director: Carlos Flores Ramirez
- Patroness: St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians (feast November 22)
- Music serves primarily Spanish-language liturgies with bilingual feasts
Campus and Building
St. Cecilia's Romanesque church — with its twin steeples, mosaics, and stained glass — anchors the parish campus on Louisiana Avenue in the Carondelet neighborhood. As the building approaches its centennial, the parish has been raising funds through campaigns such as Giving Tuesday for major capital needs including a new roof and tuckpointing, to preserve the historic structure for the next hundred years of worship, school, and community life.
- Twin-steepled Romanesque church (1926-1928)
- Mosaics and stained glass windows throughout the interior
- Capital campaigns underway for new roof and tuckpointing
- Cornerstone of the Carondelet neighborhood community for over a century
Visit and Contact
St. Cecilia Catholic Church is located at 5418 Louisiana Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63111, in the Carondelet neighborhood of south St. Louis. The Parish Office can be reached by phone at (314) 351-1318. The parish and school welcome visitors and new parishioners throughout the week; major Masses are listed above for Sundays and weekdays.
- Address: 5418 Louisiana Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63111
- Parish Office Phone: (314) 351-1318
- Preschool Phone: 314-351-1318 ext. 155
- Carondelet neighborhood, south St. Louis (ZIP 63111)