About St. Martin de Porres · Hazelwood, Missouri
St. Martin de Porres was a Catholic parish in Hazelwood, Missouri, in the north St. Louis County suburbs, that served its community from 1962 until it was permanently closed on August 1, 2023. The parish was founded by Archbishop Joseph Ritter, who asked Father Joseph Schejbal to start a new parish named for the recently canonized Dominican lay brother from Lima who was the first Black saint canonized from the Americas. Known for its striking Mid-Century Modern sanctuary designed by architects John C. McEwen and Robert F. Rodriguez, the parish was subsumed into St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant as part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis's "All Things New" pastoral restructuring.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- Saint Martin de Porres
- Rector
- Father Lijo Kallarackal (final pastor; became pastor of receiving parish St. Ferdinand, Florissant, upon closure in August 2023)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
Note: this parish is no longer open for new membership — it was permanently closed on August 1, 2023, with all territory merged into St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant, MO. Former parishioners and anyone seeking a Catholic community in the Hazelwood/north St. Louis County area are warmly directed to St. Ferdinand Parish, about three miles north, which now carries on the ministry that began at St. Martin de Porres in 1962.
Mass times at St. Martin de Porres
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
- By appointment
History & Founding (1962–2023)
St. Martin de Porres was founded in 1962 when Archbishop Joseph Ritter asked Father Joseph Schejbal to establish a new parish in Hazelwood, Missouri, in the rapidly developing north St. Louis County suburbs. The parish took the name of Saint Martin de Porres — the Peruvian Dominican lay brother who had been canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962, the same year the parish was born. The church sanctuary opened that same year, designed by architects John C. McEwen and Robert F. Rodriguez.
- Founded 1962 by Archbishop Joseph Ritter
- Pastored from its inception by Father Joseph Schejbal
- Named for Saint Martin de Porres, canonized May 6, 1962
- Welcomed Our Lady of Mercy parishioners in 2005
- Subsumed into St. Ferdinand Parish, Florissant, on August 1, 2023
All Things New Closure (2023)
On May 27, 2023, the Archdiocese of St. Louis announced sweeping parish restructuring under the 'All Things New' initiative, prompted by declining numbers of active parishioners and diocesan priests. St. Martin de Porres was named among 35 parishes to be subsumed into neighboring parishes, with its territory going to St. Ferdinand in Florissant. Father Lijo Kallarackal celebrated the parish's final Mass on July 30, 2023, and the official closure took effect on August 1, 2023.
- Final Mass: July 30, 2023, celebrated by Father Lijo Kallarackal
- Closure effective: August 1, 2023
- Receiving parish: St. Ferdinand, Florissant, MO
- Part of Archdiocese-wide 'All Things New' restructuring
Architecture
The St. Martin de Porres church sanctuary is regarded as one of the finest Mid-Century Modern Catholic churches in the St. Louis region. Its curving white concrete skin, dramatic swooping reinforced-concrete roof, and interior that 'moves from compression to release' clearly reference Le Corbusier's Chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut at Ronchamp, France. The exterior is anchored by three white pylons, with the back of the church rising toward the high altar at the front, where a cross completes the roofline. Interior stained glass filters light into the sanctuary in a way that is described as rare within the region.
- Architects: John C. McEwen with Robert F. Rodriguez
- Year opened: 1962
- Architectural style: Mid-Century Modern / Modernist
- Direct influence: Le Corbusier's Notre-Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France
- Distinctive features: curving white concrete skin, swooping roof, three exterior pylons, stained glass to the sanctuary
Sacraments & Devotions
The parish offered the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist on a regular weekly schedule. Confessions were heard every Saturday before the Vigil Mass, with appointments available on request. Holy Day Masses allowed parishioners to keep solemnities even when weekday schedules conflicted.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:15–4:00 PM and by appointment
- Daily Eucharist: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM
- Holy Day Masses: 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM
- Children's Liturgy of the Word at most Sunday Masses
Parish Life & Ministries
St. Martin de Porres cultivated a multigenerational parish community in north St. Louis County, with particular attention to families and young people. After the 2005 merger with Our Lady of Mercy, and as other north-county parishes and schools closed (including St. Mary's in Bridgeton and St. Sabina in Florissant), the parish absorbed and welcomed new families and became a hub for Catholic life in Hazelwood for nearly two more decades.
Clergy
The parish was founded under the leadership of Father Joseph Schejbal at the request of Archbishop Joseph Ritter. Its final pastor, Father Lijo Kallarackal, celebrated the closing Mass and led the community through the All Things New transition, becoming pastor of the receiving parish St. Ferdinand in Florissant.
- Rev. Joseph Schejbal — founding pastor (1962)
- Father Lijo Kallarackal — pastor at time of closure (became pastor of St. Ferdinand, 2023)
Location, Contact & Diocese
The parish was located at 615 Dunn Road in Hazelwood, Missouri, in north St. Louis County. It was part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Following closure in 2023, all sacramental and pastoral records and ministry continue through St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant.
- Address: 615 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, MO 63042
- Phone: (314) 895-1100
- Email (historical): [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmartindeporresstl.com/
- Facebook: facebook.com/stmartindeporreshazelwood
- Diocese: Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Successor parish: St. Ferdinand, Florissant, MO
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Schejbal1962
Founded the parish at the request of Archbishop Joseph Ritter.