About St. Francis of Assisi · Portage Des Sioux, Missouri
St. Francis of Assisi is a historic rural Catholic parish in Portage Des Sioux, a small Mississippi River town in St. Charles County, Missouri, about 29 road miles north-by-northwest of downtown St. Louis. The parish was founded in 1799, making it one of the oldest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and the present Gothic-style church building stands on a site that has been occupied by Catholic worship since the late 18th century. Originally established by French colonial settlers, the parish was later rebuilt by German immigrants whose descendants still form a core of the congregation. As of August 1, 2023, under the Archdiocese's 'All Things New' pastoral planning initiative, St. Francis of Assisi was subsumed into St. Charles Borromeo Parish in St. Charles, with pastoral care shared by Rev. James Theby and Rev. George Staley.
- Established
- 1799
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. James Theby (pastor of St. Charles Borromeo, overseeing St. Francis of Assisi following the August 1, 2023 merger)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis)
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi offers something rare in the Archdiocese of St. Louis: an intimate Sunday Mass in a 19th-century Gothic church that has anchored the village of Portage Des Sioux for over two centuries. The parish is served through St. Charles Borromeo with a dedicated 8:15 a.m. Sunday liturgy and on-site confession the first Sunday of each month, and it remains a tight-knit community where multi-generational families — some tracing seven generations of baptism and marriage at the church — continue to find a Catholic home along the Mississippi.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Sunday of each month following the 8:15 a.m. Mass (at St. Francis of Assisi)
- Wednesday 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (at St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles)
- Saturday 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. (at St. Charles Borromeo, St. Charles)
Parish Overview
St. Francis of Assisi is a small rural Catholic parish in the river village of Portage Des Sioux, St. Charles County, Missouri, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of St. Louis. Founded in 1799, it is one of the oldest parishes in the Archdiocese, and the present 1879 Gothic-style church stands on the same site where French settlers first worshipped at the close of the 18th century. The parish is now tended in conjunction with St. Charles Borromeo Parish in St. Charles, roughly 20 minutes south, after the 'All Things New' consolidation effective August 1, 2023.
- Founded 1799
- Located in Portage Des Sioux, MO (St. Charles County)
- Part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Subsumed into St. Charles Borromeo Parish on August 1, 2023
History
St. Francis of Assisi was founded the same year Spanish Lieutenant Governor Zenon Trudeau and François Saucier established Portage Des Sioux as a trading and military post on the Mississippi. Originally a parish of French colonial settlers, by the late 19th century the congregation had become predominantly ethnic German. The present church was constructed in 1879 in the Gothic style, with engaged buttresses and a spire typical of German Catholic churches of the region. The same wooden pews have been in place for about 150 years, and a stained-glass window depicts St. Francis receiving the stigmata. The parish also administered the Immaculate Conception Mission in nearby West Alton from 1924. The church suffered serious flooding during the Great Flood of 1993 but has been spared since. In 2023, as part of the 'All Things New' consolidation announced by Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, St. Francis was subsumed into St. Charles Borromeo Parish — a decision parishioners appealed with 149 letters, citing the church's historic character and continuing role in the community.
- Parish founded 1799 by French settlers
- Current Gothic-style church building constructed 1879
- Same wooden pews in place for ~150 years
- Administered Immaculate Conception Mission in West Alton from 1924
- Flooded during the Great Flood of 1993
- Subsumed into St. Charles Borromeo Parish on August 1, 2023
- Parishioners submitted 149 letters appealing the merger decision
Architecture & Interior
The present church is a stout German-style Hallkirche (hall church) in Gothic style with no noticeable transepts, engaged buttresses, and a spire reminiscent of other historic German Catholic churches of the St. Louis region. Inside, the same wooden pews have seated worshippers for roughly 150 years. A stained-glass window depicts St. Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata from a seraph in his vision of the crucified Christ, illustrating the saint's call from the crumbling chapel of San Damiano to 'go, Francis, and repair my house.'
- Gothic-style, German Hallkirche design (1879)
- Engaged buttresses and pointed spire
- Original wooden pews (~150 years old)
- Stained-glass window of St. Francis receiving the stigmata
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Following the August 1, 2023 merger, pastoral responsibility for St. Francis of Assisi is shared with St. Charles Borromeo Parish in St. Charles. The faith community is led by Rev. James Theby as pastor, with Rev. George Staley serving as part-time associate pastor.
- Rev. James Theby — Pastor (St. Charles Borromeo)
- Rev. George Staley — Part-time Associate Pastor (St. Charles Borromeo)
Sacraments
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is the principal sacrament explicitly listed for St. Francis of Assisi, available on-site on the first Sunday of each month after Mass and through St. Charles Borromeo on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Other sacramental preparation (baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick) is coordinated through the St. Charles Borromeo Parish office.
- Reconciliation (Confession) — first Sunday of the month after 8:15 a.m. Mass
- Additional confession times at St. Charles Borromeo (Wed & Sat)
- Appointments available by contacting Fr. Theby
Contact & Location
St. Francis of Assisi is located at 1355 Farnam Street in Portage Des Sioux, Missouri 63373. The parish is administered through St. Charles Borromeo Parish in St. Charles (601 N. Fourth St., St. Charles, MO 63301).
- Address: 1355 Farnam Street, Portage Des Sioux, MO 63373
- Parish office phone: (636) 899-0906
- Borromeo Parish office: (636) 946-1893
- Email: [email protected]
Community & Heritage
St. Francis of Assisi is a multigenerational parish where seven-generation families have worshipped, been baptized, married, and buried their dead for over two centuries. Olga Echele, a 98-year-old parishioner baptized at the church in 1925, was among those who appealed the 2023 merger decision, underscoring the deep family and community ties that the rural church sustains. Despite the consolidation, parishioners continue to gather for the Sunday 8:15 a.m. Mass at the historic church on Farnam Street.
- Seven-generation parishioner families
- 98-year-old Olga Echele baptized at the church in 1925
- 149 letters submitted appealing the 2023 merger
- About 68 registered parishioners at the time of the merger