About St. Joan of Arc · Saint Louis, Missouri
St. Joan of Arc is a Catholic parish located in the heart of south Saint Louis at 5800 Oleatha Avenue, in the Hampton Village neighborhood near Hampton and Pernod avenues. Founded in 1940 and dedicated in 1941 by Cardinal Joseph Glennon, it was one of the first parishes in the United States named for St. Joan of Arc after her canonization. In 2023, as part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis' 'All Things New' pastoral planning initiative, St. Joan of Arc was suppressed and merged with Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Mary Magdalen to form the new Saint Lucy Parish, which went into effect December 1, 2024. The St. Joan of Arc campus continues to host Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, and the partnership-model South City Catholic Academy.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc / the Maid of Orleans)
- Rector
- Father Craig Holway (pastor of St. Joan of Arc at the time of the All Things New merger; Father Modde installed as pastor of the combined Saint Lucy Parish in late 2024)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Joan of Arc (now part of Saint Lucy Parish) is a south Saint Louis Catholic community with deep roots in the Hampton Village neighborhood, active parish life, and a long-running commitment to Catholic education through South City Catholic Academy on the Pernod Avenue campus. Parishioners gather for weekday and Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Sunday Mass and on Saturdays at the sister campus, and outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. With the 2024 merger into Saint Lucy Parish, three former parishes are pooling resources — particularly their St. Vincent de Paul conferences — to better serve neighbors in need across south city.
Mass times at St. Joan of Arc
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (at Our Lady of Sorrows Campus)
- Sundays 8:00 - 8:45 am (at St Joan of Arc Campus)
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 8:30 am - 7:00 pm
Parish History
St. Joan of Arc Parish came into being on September 30, 1940, when Archbishop John J. Glennon appointed Father Michael F. Cronin as founding pastor — making it one of the first U.S. parishes named for the Maid of Orleans after her canonization. A 450-by-300-foot site was purchased near Hampton and Pernod avenues to serve the booming southwest St. Louis population. The parish website preserves excerpts from the old St. Louis Register Catholic Newspaper documenting each milestone: the October 29, 1940 groundbreaking, the March 9, 1941 dedication by Cardinal Glennon, the February 16, 1949 opening of the parish school, the 1955 rectory and 1957 convent, and the groundbreaking for the present church on Easter Sunday, 1959.
- Founded September 30, 1940 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) John J. Glennon
- First pastor: Father Michael F. Cronin
- Original church (a temporary structure that became the school) dedicated March 9, 1941
- School opened February 16, 1949, taught by the Sisters of Mercy
- New rectory built on Oleatha Avenue in 1955; convent for the Sisters of Mercy built on the old rectory site in 1957
- Present church dedicated October 30, 1960 by Cardinal Joseph Ritter
The 1960 Church Building
Ground was broken for a new, larger church on Easter Sunday, 1959 to replace the original temporary structure. The new St. Joan of Arc Church was designed by H. I. Helmuth of Florissant (Arthur F. Stauder is also credited in parish sources). It is a contemporary-design building of buff brick with stone trim, deliberately harmonized with the existing parish buildings. Its most striking interior feature is that no seat is farther than 70 feet from the altar, ensuring close congregational proximity to the liturgy. Cardinal Joseph Ritter dedicated the new building on October 30, 1960.
- Style: contemporary mid-century modern
- Materials: buff brick with stone trim
- Architect: H. I. Helmuth of Florissant (Arthur F. Stauder also credited)
- Dedicated: October 30, 1960 by Cardinal Joseph Ritter
- Feature: no seat farther than 70 feet from the altar
Worship Schedule (St. Joan of Arc Campus)
As published on the parish website at the time of the merger into Saint Lucy Parish, the St. Joan of Arc campus continues to celebrate daily and Sunday Mass in English. Weekday Mass is offered at 8:15 am, Sunday Mass at 9:00 am, and Holy Day Mass at 8:15 am.
- Weekday Mass: 8:15 am
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 am
- Holy Day Mass: 8:15 am
South City Catholic Academy
South City Catholic Academy (SCCA) opened on August 15, 2017 as the first partnership-model school directly overseen by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, formed by combining the parish schools of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joan of Arc. It is located at the former St. Joan of Arc School, 5821 Pernod Avenue. The academy serves preschool through 8th grade and also hosts the Archdiocesan Learning Center for special education. At launch it enrolled 256 students with 20 faculty/staff; subsequent enrollment grew into wait lists for several grades.
- Opened: August 15, 2017
- Location: 5821 Pernod Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63139 (former St. Joan of Arc School)
- Phone: (314) 752-4171
- Email: [email protected]
- Principal: Laura Hirschman
- Governance: Partnership of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, St. Joan of Arc Parish, and the Archdiocesan Catholic Education Office
- Grades: Preschool through 8th grade, plus the Archdiocesan Learning Center
- Scheduled to close at the end of the 2025-26 school year
Faith Formation & Liturgy at SCCA
South City Catholic Academy integrates Catholic faith into the life of the school through daily morning prayer, weekly All-School Mass on Tuesdays at 8:00 am at nearby St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, regular Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent, feast-day and holy-day observances, rosaries, Stations of the Cross, student-led prayer services, and grade-level retreats. Core virtues taught are respect, responsibility, kindness, and self-control.
- 8:00 am Tuesday All-School Mass at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church
- Daily morning prayer at 7:50 am
- Weekly Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration
- Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent
- Grade-level retreats and student-led prayer services
- Core virtues: respect, responsibility, kindness, self-control
St. Vincent de Paul Society
The St. Vincent de Paul Society conference at St. Joan of Arc is the parish's principal outreach to neighbors in need in south Saint Louis, providing material assistance and prayerful support. In 2024, after the All Things New merger was announced, the St. Vincent de Paul conferences of all three former parishes — Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Mary Magdalen, and St. Joan of Arc — began pooling resources. In November 2024 the St. Joan of Arc conference hosted an appreciation dinner that brought together Vincentians from all three communities.
- Parish-based St. Vincent de Paul conference
- Provides direct assistance to neighbors in need in south St. Louis
- Joined in pooled Vincentian outreach across the new Saint Lucy Parish
Safe Environment
St. Joan of Arc Church is an active participant in the Archdiocese of St. Louis' Protecting God's Children Program, the safe-environment training and background-check program required for all adults who work with minors in parish ministry.
- Archdiocesan Protecting God's Children Program participation
All Things New & Saint Lucy Parish
In May 2023, Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski announced the 'All Things New' pastoral planning initiative, under which St. Joan of Arc was suppressed as a standalone parish and directed to merge with Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Mary Magdalen. Parishioners suggested dozens of names for the new parish, narrowed them to a top 10 and then a top three, and the archbishop approved 'St. Lucy,' effective December 1, 2024. Father Modde was installed as pastor of the new Saint Lucy Parish, and a 'Be the Light' celebration was held Dec. 13-15, 2024 around St. Lucy's feast day.
- Announced: May 2023 under Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski's 'All Things New'
- Effective date of merger: December 1, 2024
- New parish name: Saint Lucy (patron selected by parishioner vote, approved by archbishop)
- Installed pastor: Father Modde
- Combined parishes: Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Mary Magdalen, St. Joan of Arc
Contact & Location
The parish rectory is on Oleatha Avenue in south Saint Louis. The school office is in the former St. Joan of Arc School building on Pernod Avenue, just around the corner.
- Parish Rectory: 5800 Oleatha Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63139
- Parish Phone: (314) 832-2838
- Parish Email: [email protected]
- Parish Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
- School Office: 5821 Pernod Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63139
- School Phone: (314) 752-4171
- School Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael F. Cronin1940 - founding pastor (appointed September 30, 1940)
First pastor; broke ground on the original building October 29, 1940; saw the church dedicated in 1941, the school opened February 16, 1949, the new rectory in 1955, the convent in 1957, and broke ground for the new church Easter Sunday 1959.