About St. Joseph Shrine · Saint Louis, Missouri
The Shrine of St. Joseph is a historic Catholic church in St. Louis, Missouri, located in the Columbus Square neighborhood at 1220 North 11th Street. Founded in 1843 by the Jesuits to serve the area's mostly German-immigrant community, the parish is the site of the only Vatican-authenticated miracle in the Midwestern United States — the 1864 healing of Lambert Strecker through the intercession of Blessed Peter Claver, which became one of the miracles used in Peter Claver's canonization. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and rededicated as a shrine by the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1979 after the parish itself was closed, the Shrine continues today as a place of worship, pilgrimage, weddings, and guided tours under Rector Rev. Dale Wunderlich.
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Dale Wunderlich (Rector)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
The Shrine of St. Joseph offers a rare combination of an intimate Sunday worshipping community, breathtaking Victorian-era architecture lovingly restored by master craftsmen, and a deeply documented history as the only Vatican-authenticated miracle site in the American Midwest. Visitors and 'Friends of the Shrine' (membership is just $10/year per person) can attend Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM and First Friday noon Mass, schedule weddings in one of St. Louis's most beautiful historic churches, join free guided tours after Sunday Mass, and support ongoing conservation of the polychrome ceilings, stained glass, baroque sandstone towers, and the gilded 'Altar of Answered Prayers.' It is an ideal place for Catholics seeking a contemplative, pilgrimage-style parish, history enthusiasts, and anyone wanting to encounter a 180-year-old piece of living St. Louis heritage.
Mass times at St. Joseph Shrine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Reconciliation is offered (per Archdiocese of St. Louis parish page) — contact the Shrine at (314) 231-9407 or [email protected] for the current confession schedule.
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered (per Archdiocese of St. Louis parish page) — contact the Shrine at (314) 231-9407 or [email protected] for the current adoration schedule.
History of the Shrine of St. Joseph
The Shrine traces its history to 1843, when the Jesuits founded the parish to serve the German-immigrant community of north St. Louis. Mrs. Ann Biddle donated the land at 11th and Biddle Streets; Bishop (later Archbishop) Peter Richard Kenrick blessed the cornerstone on April 14, 1844; and Father James Van de Velde, SJ, dedicated the modest original church on the first Sunday of August 1846. A large parish school was built nearby in 1862 and staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. By 1870 the parish was the largest in St. Louis with nearly 1,200 members.
- 1843 — Parish founded by the Jesuits
- 1844 — Cornerstone blessed by Bishop Kenrick (April 14)
- 1846 — Original church dedicated (first Sunday of August) by Fr. James Van de Velde, SJ
- 1862 — Parish school built; staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame
- 1866 — Primary remodeling completed; rededicated December 3, 1866 by Fr. Pierre Jean De Smet, SJ
- 1870 — Largest parish in St. Louis (~1,200 members)
- 1880–1881 — Major remodeling: Romanesque façade and twin baroque towers added
- 1890 — Pfeffer organ installed (built by Johann Georg Pfeffer, Marian Street, St. Louis)
- 1954 — Towers shortened; cupolas replaced with hexagonal caps under Fr. Anthony Corey
- 1978 — Added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #78003396)
- 1979 — Parish closed by the Archdiocese; church rededicated as the Shrine of St. Joseph
The 1864 Miracle of Blessed Peter Claver
On Wednesday, March 16, 1864, dying parishioner Lambert Strecker dragged himself into the church during a mission preached by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, SJ. The priest was blessing the congregation with a relic of Blessed Peter Claver and allowed Strecker to kiss it. Strecker immediately experienced a surge of strength, began to heal within days, returned to work within months, and was fully restored to health. In 1887, after a thorough canonical investigation by Archbishop Michael O'Connor, SJ, Cardinal Bianchi in Rome formally declared the miracle authentic; it was selected as one of the two miracles required for Peter Claver's canonization the following year. The Shrine thus became the only Vatican-authenticated miracle site in the entire American Midwest and developed a legend of assistance to the afflicted.
- Preacher: Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, SJ
- Recipient: Lambert Strecker
- Relic used: relic of Blessed Peter Claver
- Canonical investigation: Archbishop Michael O'Connor, SJ
- Declared authentic in Rome: 1887 by Cardinal Bianchi
- Result: One of two miracles used in Blessed Peter Claver's canonization (1888)
The 1866 Cholera Epidemic and the 'Altar of Answered Prayers'
During the devastating 1866 cholera outbreak — when St. Joseph's Parish alone suffered as many as 20 burials a day — Father Joseph Weber, SJ, gathered the parishioners and led them in a solemn vow to their patron, St. Joseph. The families pledged $4,000 (about $82,600 in today's money) toward a monument of thanksgiving if God would spare them through St. Joseph's intercession. From the day the vow was made, no family that signed it lost a member to cholera. To fulfill the vow, parishioners commissioned Bueschers of Chicago — renowned religious sculptors — to carve an elaborate altar replicating the Altar of St. Ignatius in the Jesuit Gesù in Rome, but with St. Joseph and the Christ Child substituting for St. Ignatius. The altar bears the inscription 'Ite ad Joseph' ('Go to Joseph') and was installed in early 1867 at a total cost of $6,131. It is still the central altar of the Shrine and is known as the 'Altar of Answered Prayers.'
- Pastor at the time: Fr. Joseph Weber, SJ
- Original pledge: $4,000 (~ $82,600 today)
- Altar cost: $6,131 installed early 1867
- Sculptor: Bueschers of Chicago
- Inscription: 'Ite ad Joseph' ('Go to Joseph')
Restoration and Conservation (1979–Present)
After the parish was closed in 1979, the 'Friends of St. Joseph' launched a citizen-led effort to save and restore the Shrine. Master craftsman Ted Wofford — fresh from restoring the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City — began the interior restoration in 1985, working one project at a time as donations allowed. Artisans used absorene (a St. Louis-made product) to remove decades of carbon and soot from the gas-lighting era, and Wofford's custom plaster-reattachment device (invented at the Governor's Mansion) was used throughout. Two rear corner bays were left untouched to show the 'before.' Side altars were recognized in 1988 with an American Institute of Architects award of excellence; Archbishop May visited and wrote in support. Just before the 1994 sesquicentennial, Wofford and Bud Levin hand-built all the chandeliers from brass pieces collected in Europe and beyond. The 2004 work restored the six 14-foot front doors, replaced the front steps, and added new main-altar lighting. In 2005, a $1.2 million gift from the Acquiviva Trust funded Western Waterproofing's 20-month restoration of the deteriorating sandstone on the 125-foot twin towers (completed 2008). In 2010, a high-quality slate roof, energy-efficient LED lighting (under VP Joe Finazzo), and an updated accounting system (Treasurer Kevin Finazzo) were installed. Since 2015, the focus has shifted to conservation, with the central barrel-vault ceiling and side-aisle bays being redone in stages during winter months.
- 1978 — 'Friends of St. Joseph' formed to save the church
- 1985 — Ted Wofford begins interior restoration
- 1988 — American Institute of Architects award of excellence
- 1994 — Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary); interior restoration largely complete
- 2004 — Six 14-foot front doors restored; new front steps; main-altar lighting
- 2005–2008 — Tower sandstone restored ($1.2 M Acquiviva Trust gift; Western Waterproofing)
- 2010 — New slate roof, LED lighting, updated accounting
- 2015 — Shift from restoration to systematic conservation
Artisans and Craftspeople
The Shrine's restoration has been guided by master craftsmen across three generations, each passing techniques to the next. Today, Ed Benson of Picco and Benson leads the delicate painting touch-up work, assisted by Tim McClain and Dustin LaGarce — the younger artisans give up their regular jobs to work at the Shrine during January and February. Earlier leaders of the artisan group were Tom Sater and John Picco. Ted Wofford and Bud Levin hand-built all the chandeliers; Gary Harris of Art Glass Unlimited restored the stained-glass windows and reproduced the two figural organ-loft windows from fragments.
- Tom Sater — original artisan group leader
- John Picco — second-generation artisan leader
- Ed Benson (Picco and Benson) — current lead artisan
- Tim McClain — assistant artisan
- Dustin LaGarce — assistant artisan
- Ted Wofford — master craftsman, led 1985–1994 restoration
- Bud Levin — co-builder of the chandeliers
- Gary Harris (Art Glass Unlimited) — stained-glass restoration and reproduction
Worship, Mass, and Sacraments
The Shrine's regular worship schedule is intentionally intimate: one Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM and one First-Friday noon Mass each month. Christmas Masses are offered at 10:00 AM on Christmas Day and 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve. Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration are offered but should be confirmed by contacting the Shrine, since they are not published as fixed weekly times. Weddings, baptisms, and other sacraments are arranged by inquiry through the Shrine office.
- Sunday Mass — 11:00 AM
- First Friday Mass — 12:00 Noon
- Christmas Day Mass — 10:00 AM
- Christmas Eve Mass — 4:00 PM
- Reconciliation — by inquiry
- Eucharistic Adoration — by inquiry
- Weddings — through Wedding Coordinator
- Baptisms — by inquiry
Visiting, Tours, and Weddings
Visitors are warmly welcomed at the Shrine. A free guided tour is offered after every Sunday 11:00 AM Mass; private and group tours for families, parishes, and schools can be booked online or by calling (314) 231-9407 (customary donations are appreciated). A virtual tour is available on the website for those unable to visit in person. Couples wishing to be married at the Shrine should contact the Wedding Coordinator at [email protected] or (314) 231-0869.
- Free Sunday tour after 11:00 AM Mass
- Private/group tours — call (314) 231-9407 or book online
- Virtual tour on the Shrine website
- Weddings — [email protected] / (314) 231-0869
- Tours free; customary donation appreciated
Friends of the Shrine and How to Help
Founded in 1978 to save the church from demolition, the Friends of St. Joseph remains the citizen-support group that underwrites the Shrine's ongoing restoration and conservation. Annual membership is just $10 per person and is one of the easiest ways to help preserve this Midwestern historic landmark. Donations for Mass intentions, memorials, and other purposes can be arranged through the Shrine office.
- Friends of St. Joseph membership — $10/year per person
- Donations and Mass intention requests via [email protected]
- Ongoing conservation funded by Friends and benefactors (e.g., the Acquiviva Trust gift)
Architecture, Art, and Notable Features
The Shrine's most photographed feature is its twin baroque towers, each 125 feet tall, added in the 1880–81 remodeling and extensively restored in 2005–2008. Inside, the gilded 'Altar of Answered Prayers' (Bueschers of Chicago, 1867) anchors the nave, flanked by statues of Jesuit saints — St. John Berchmans, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Stanislaus Kostka, and St. Alphonsus Rodriguez. Fourteen ornate ceiling bays are painted in polychrome marbleizing with 22-carat gold leaf accents, each side bay requiring 42 custom colors. Other features include a baptismal font, a statue of St. Peter Claver, stained-glass windows (including two figural windows in the organ loft reproduced from fragments), a choir loft, the 1890 Pfeffer organ, and the hand-built brass-and-crystal chandeliers.
- Twin 125-ft baroque towers (1880–81; restored 2005–2008)
- 'Altar of Answered Prayers' — Bueschers of Chicago, 1867
- Statues of Sts. John Berchmans, Aloysius Gonzaga, Stanislaus Kostka, and Alphonsus Rodriguez
- 14 ceiling bays with 22-carat gold leaf and 42 custom colors per side bay
- Statue of St. Peter Claver
- Baptismal font
- Stained-glass windows (incl. figural organ-loft windows)
- 1890 Pfeffer organ
- Hand-built brass-and-crystal chandeliers
Contact and Location
The Shrine is located at 1220 North 11th Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63106, in the Columbus Square neighborhood, at the corner of 11th Street and Biddle. The main office can be reached at (314) 231-9407 or [email protected]. The Wedding Coordinator can be reached at (314) 231-0869.
- Address: 1220 North 11th Street, St. Louis, MO 63106
- Phone (Shrine): (314) 231-9407
- Phone (Weddings): (314) 231-0869
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.shrineofstjoseph.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father James Van de Velde, SJDedication 1846
Officiated at the original 1846 dedication; later Bishop of Chicago.
- Father Francis Xavier Weninger, SJMarch 1864 (mission preacher)
Celebrated the mission during which the Strecker miracle of Blessed Peter Claver's intercession occurred.
- Father Pierre Jean De Smet, SJDecember 3, 1866
Officiated at the dedication of the remodeled church; famed 'Blackrobe' missionary to the Native Americans.
- Father Joseph Weber, SJ1866 (cholera epidemic)
Pastor during the 1866 cholera epidemic who led the parish in the solemn vow to St. Joseph.
- Father Anthony Corey1954
Pastor when the towers were shortened and cupolas replaced by hexagonal caps for safety.
- Rev. Dale WunderlichCurrent (as of publication)
Current Rector of the Shrine, per the Archdiocese of St. Louis directory.