St. John Nepomuk

About St. John Nepomuk Chapel

St. John Nepomuk is a Roman Catholic chapel at 1625 S. 11th Street in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Listed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis as 'St. John Nepomuk Chapel (St. Louis),' it is the direct continuation of a parish founded in 1854 and today is staffed by a deacon-director. The chapel is the spiritual heir of the first Bohemian Catholic parish in the United States and remains a gathering place where the Czech Catholic heritage is remembered and celebrated.

History of the Parish and Chapel

Czech immigrants who had come up the Mississippi River from New Orleans established the parish in 1854, making it the first Bohemian Catholic parish in the United States. The community worshipped first in a small frame church on the site; later buildings were constructed in 1873 and 1887. The present church is largely an 1897 Gothic Revival reconstruction by architect Adolphus Druiding, built after the devastating tornado that swept through Soulard in 1896. The parish school across Eleventh Street opened in 1869 under the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and a Czech-language newspaper was once produced in a parish building.

• 1854: Parish founded by Czech immigrants; first frame church built.
• 1869: Parish school opened across 11th Street, staffed by School Sisters of Notre Dame.
• 1873 and 1887: Subsequent church buildings constructed as the parish grew.
• 1896: Tornado severely damaged the church and Soulard neighborhood.
• 1897: Present Gothic Revival church completed, designed by Adolphus Druiding.
• 1931: 65th anniversary of the Young Men's and Young Women's Sodality marked with a special edition of The Saint John Nepomuk Messenger.
• 1971: Church and six ancillary buildings designated St. Louis City Landmark #35.
• June 19, 1972: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the St. John Nepomuk Parish Historic District.
• 2005: Parish suppressed; the church continues as a chapel of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Architecture and Interior Art

The church is a red-brick Gothic Revival design by St. Louis architect Adolphus Druiding. A portion of the earlier church's front wall, left standing after the 1896 tornado, was incorporated into the rebuilt structure completed in 1897. The interior is richly decorated: hand-carved statues, stained-glass windows, a hand-carved main altar, and side altars all work together to direct attention to the celebration of the Mass.

• Architect: Adolphus Druiding (Adolph Druiding).
• Style: Gothic Revival; built largely 1897.
• Hand-painted chain around the nave by Father Wenceslaus Linek — one side bears gold medallions of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the other medallions of the seven sacraments.
• Hand-carved main altar and side altars.
• Stained-glass windows and devotional statues.
• Surviving fragment of the pre-tornado front wall incorporated into the present building.

Historic Recognition

St. John Nepomuk is recognized at the city and federal levels for its architectural and cultural significance. The church and its six ancillary buildings form the St. John Nepomuk Parish Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• St. Louis City Landmark #35 (designated 1971).
• National Register of Historic Places — listed June 19, 1972 (NRHP reference No. 72001558).
• Part of the LaSalle Park Multiple Resource Area.
• Coordinates: 38°36′45″N 90°12′17″W / 38.61250°N 90.20472°W.

Clergy and Leadership

The chapel is currently directed by a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, who oversees Mass, adoration, and the chapel's heritage events.

• Deacon Charles R. Bacher Jr. — Director, appointed effective Jan. 1, 2022.
• Deacon Joseph Iovanna — previous director; granted retirement status effective Jan. 1, 2022.
• Father Wenceslaus Linek — historical parish priest; artist of the nave's hand-painted chain of medallions.

Czech Catholic Heritage

St. John Nepomuk is considered the mother church of Czech Catholicism in the United States. The Bohemian founders wanted a church where their language and customs could thrive, and that legacy is preserved today by the continued use of Czech prayers and hymns at Mass and by heritage-focused events open to the wider community.

• First Bohemian/Czech Catholic parish in the United States.
• Czech-language worship elements retained in regular Masses.
• Czech-language newspaper once published on parish grounds.
• Heritage pilgrimages such as 'Pilgrimage of Beauty' hosted at the chapel.

Sacraments and Sacramental Records

The Archdiocese of St. Louis Archives holds the sacramental registers of the former parish. Records are not open to public research, but genealogical searches can be made through the Archdiocesan Archives online resources, while records from 1981 onward should be requested directly through the chapel.

• Baptisms: 1854–1927 (at the Archdiocesan Archives).
• Marriages: 1854–1944.
• Deaths: 1865–2010.
• First Communions: 1927–2006.
• Confirmations: 1926–1996.
• Records after 1981 — contact the chapel at (314) 231-0141.

Visit, Address, and Contact

The chapel sits in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, with the parish historic district running along 11th and 12th Streets between Carroll Street and Lafayette Avenue. Visitors are welcome at scheduled Masses, and private tours during the week can be arranged by calling the rectory in advance.

• Address: 1625 S. 11th Street, St. Louis, MO 63104.
• Phone: (314) 231-0141.
• Website: http://sjnstl.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaintJohnNepomuk/
• Neighborhood: Soulard ('Bohemian Hill').
• Private tours by appointment during the week.