About St. David · Arnold, Missouri
St. David was a Catholic parish in Arnold, Missouri, in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, that faithfully served the south-St. Louis suburban community for sixty years. Erected in 1963 by Cardinal Joseph Elmer Ritter out of territory from nearby Immaculate Conception Parish, St. David began with roughly 200 families and grew to about 675 families with a church, parish school, gymnasium, and athletic field. On August 1, 2023, as part of the Archdiocese's 'All Things New' pastoral planning initiative, St. David was merged with Immaculate Conception Parish to form the new Holy Family Parish. The old St. David Church at 2334 Tenbrook Road was formally decreed closed and reduced to profane use effective July 8, 2025; the parish's altar and sacred objects are being preserved for a new Holy Family church to be built. The original St. David website (stdavidarnold.org) now redirects visitors to holyfamilyarnold.org.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. David of Sweden (English Benedictine monk, first Bishop of Vasteras)
- Rector
- Reverend Gerald J. Blessing (pastor of successor Holy Family Parish, appointed 2023)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. David's parishioners have long prized the parish as a tight-knit family community in the heart of Arnold, anchored by daily and Sunday Mass, Monday-through-Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration, a thriving St. Vincent de Paul Society, Parish School of Religion, and joint Catholic school partnership through Holy Child School. After the 2023 merger with Immaculate Conception, the combined Holy Family Parish continues that Arnold Catholic tradition under Fr. Gerald Blessing — offering multiple Sunday Masses (including a Spanish Mass), weekday Masses, First Friday Adoration, OCIA, youth ministry, and active outreach — while planning a new, worthy church to serve the unified community.
Mass times at St. David
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 p.m.
- Monday 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
- Or by appointment with Fr. Charlie (historical contact)
Adoration times
- Monday 8:15 a.m. through Tuesday 7:00 a.m. (overnight, in church)
History of St. David Parish
St. David Parish was erected in 1963 by Cardinal Joseph Elmer Ritter out of Immaculate Conception territory, beginning with about 200 families. While the church was being built, Sunday and Holy Day Masses were celebrated on the second floor of Franke Motors at Telegraph and Lower Tenbrook; the rectory basement hosted the first Mass on parish grounds a year before the building was complete. The cornerstone was blessed April 26, 1964 and the church was dedicated in 1965. Cardinal Ritter's design — a gymnasium-style building attached to the school — was meant to be temporary, and the parish grew to roughly 675 families with a school, gymnasium, and athletic field.
- Founded 1963, Cardinal Ritter, Archdiocese of St. Louis
- First Masses: second floor of Franke Motors
- Cornerstone: April 26, 1964
- Dedicated: 1965
- Patron: St. David of Sweden (feast July 15)
Patron Saint — St. David of Sweden
St. David was born in England and educated before becoming a monk in the Cluniac order, a medieval organization of Benedictines centered at the Abbey of Cluny. Around 1029 he offered himself to the English mission in Sweden after hearing of the martyrdom of nephews of St. Sigfrid. He traveled from district to district preaching and baptizing, and tradition holds that while at prayer he appeared to become a globe of fire. He became the first Bishop of Vasteras and, with Saints Sigfrid and Eskil, is credited as a principal agent in bringing Christianity to Sweden. His feast day is July 15, and the parish adopted him as patron.
- English-born Cluniac Benedictine monk
- First Bishop of Vasteras (Sweden)
- Feast day: July 15
Holy Child School & Parish School of Religion
In 1987-88, St. David School merged with Immaculate Conception School to form Holy Child School, one of the Archdiocese of St. Louis' earliest school consolidations. In 2007, St. John Lateran School in Imperial also joined, making Holy Child a three-parish regional school serving K-8. The middle school remained on the St. David campus for years, while a preschool program launched at St. David in 2004 was later folded back into the Immaculate Conception campus. After the 2023 merger, Holy Child was renamed Holy Family Parish School in 2024. Parish School of Religion (PSR) was led by Deacon Jerry Politte as Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE), and the parish also offers RCIA/OCIA for adults.
- Holy Child School founded 1987-88 (IC + St. David merger)
- St. John Lateran joined 2007
- Preschool launched 2004
- Renamed Holy Family Parish School 2024
- Deacon Jerry Politte, CRE, led PSR
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. David was known for a wide network of lay-led ministries. The St. Vincent de Paul Society held regular Rummage Sales in the gym, with proceeds going to local outreach. The Choir rehearsed Thursday evenings, a Prayer Group met Thursday nights, and Bible Study met Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings. Men's Basketball filled the gym on Monday and Wednesday nights. A Quilters ministry, Yard Crew, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, and Altar Servers rounded out the lay apostolate, and a Bread Distribution fed the community Sunday evenings from the parish kitchen. Youth Ministry was shared with Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph in Imperial.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — Rummage Sales
- Choir (Thursday rehearsal)
- Prayer Group (Thursday 7:30 p.m.)
- Bible Study (Mon 7 p.m., Wed 9 a.m.)
- Men's Basketball (Mon & Wed 8 p.m.)
- Quilters, Yard Crew
- Youth Ministry (shared with IC and St. Joseph, Imperial)
Sacraments
Parishioners were invited to contact the rectory to arrange Baptisms, Weddings, and Anointing of the Sick. First Communion and Confirmation were prepared through the Parish School of Religion, and the RCIA (now OCIA) process welcomed unbaptized adults, Christians from other traditions, and Catholics seeking to complete their Initiation. Confession was offered Saturday afternoons and Monday evenings in addition to appointments with the pastor.
- Baptism — contact rectory
- Marriage — contact rectory
- First Communion & Confirmation — via PSR
- RCIA / OCIA — adult initiation
- Anointing of the Sick — contact rectory
Merger into Holy Family Parish (2023)
In January 2022 the Archdiocese of St. Louis launched the 'All Things New' pastoral plan, a comprehensive response to shifting demographics and a smaller pool of priests. Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski announced on May 27, 2023, that Immaculate Conception and St. David parishes in Arnold would merge into one new parish. The merger took canonical effect on August 1, 2023; the merged community chose the name Holy Family Parish. Fr. Gerald J. Blessing was appointed pastor, with Fr. Msgr. John J. Brennell as senior associate. Long-standing traditions — Fall Festival, Spring Picnic, and Festival of Trees — continue under the new parish banner. The 1988 school consolidation (Holy Child School) was reconfirmed, and the school was renamed Holy Family Parish School in 2024.
- All Things New initiative: announced Jan 2022
- Final plan announced May 27, 2023 by Archbishop Rozanski
- Merger effective August 1, 2023
- Fr. Gerald Blessing appointed pastor
- Msgr. John Brennell, senior associate
- School renamed Holy Family Parish School, 2024
Closure of the St. David Church Building (2025)
On July 8, 2025, Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski issued a formal decree closing St. David Church at 2334 Tenbrook Road and reducing it to profane but not sordid use, under canon 1222 §2. The decree cited insufficient parking, the prohibitive cost of air-conditioning repairs, and the Archdiocese's approval for Holy Family Parish to build a new, worthy church expressive of the rich heritage of the Christian faith. The altar and other sacred objects were carefully removed and stored for incorporation into the future new Holy Family church. The historic 1965 gymnasium-school worship space thus ends its 60-year run as a house of prayer, but its spiritual legacy continues in the unified Holy Family Parish.
- Decree issued by Archbishop Rozanski
- Effective July 8, 2025
- Closure under canon 1222 §2
- Altar and sacred objects stored for the future Holy Family church
- Building to be reduced to profane (not sordid) use
Contact and Location
The historic St. David address was 2334 Tenbrook Road, Arnold, MO 63010, with the rectory reachable at (636) 296-5485 (fax 636-296-8717). The parish email was [email protected], with separate addresses for the bookkeeper, parish guild/safe environment, and PSR. The current successor parish — Holy Family Parish — is located at 2300 Church Road, Arnold, MO 63010, reachable at (636) 321-0002 ext. 110, and is the canonical home of all former St. David parishioners going forward.
- Historic address: 2334 Tenbrook Rd, Arnold, MO 63010
- Rectory: 636-296-5485
- Holy Family Parish: 2300 Church Rd, Arnold, MO 63010
- Holy Family phone: 636-321-0002 ext. 110
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jeffrey Maassenpre-2013 (at least into the late 2000s/early 2010s)
Listed as pastor of St. David in old parish bulletins before the Ferrara era.
- Rev. Charles F. Ferrara2013–2023
Former Jesuit priest; left St. David in 2023 to become pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Shrewsbury as part of the 'All Things New' reassignments.