About St. Mary Magdalen · Saint Louis, Missouri
St. Mary Magdalen — commonly known as the Church of the Magdalen — is a small Catholic parish in the Southampton neighborhood of south St. Louis, Missouri, in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Founded in 1919, it grew around an early-20th-century neighborhood settled largely by German immigrants and was housed in an Art Deco church whose construction began in late 1939. The parish was served until 2023 under the pastoral leadership of Fr. Brad Modde, and was known for its close-knit community life, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, and a food pantry that served neighbors in need. In August 2023, as part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis's 'All Things New' restructuring, St. Mary Magdalen was merged with Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joan of Arc to form the new St. Lucy Parish, with Fr. Modde installed as pastor of the combined community.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- St. Mary Magdalen
- Rector
- Rev. Brad Modde (last pastor of the parish; installed as pastor of the merged St. Lucy Parish, December 2024)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Mary Magdalen has long been a small, warm parish where parishioners know one another by name, grounded in the Catholic tradition and a desire to grow closer to Jesus. Its ministries — especially the St. Vincent de Paul conference and food pantry — extended a real hand to neighbors in south city St. Louis, and its school and grounds served as community gathering spaces for the Southampton neighborhood. For those connected to the parish's legacy, it remains a place of faith, service, and welcome within the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Mass times at St. Mary Magdalen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Our Story
St. Mary Magdalen — known locally as the Church of the Magdalen — was founded in 1919 in the Southampton neighborhood of south St. Louis. The parish grew quickly: a school building was acquired in 1920, and a temporary wood-frame church was built in 1921. Construction of the present Art Deco church began in December 1939, and the finished building became a landmark on Bancroft Avenue. In 2005, the parish took over the portion of Holy Innocents Parish lying south of Arsenal Street. After 104 years of continuous parish life, St. Mary Magdalen was merged on August 1, 2023 into the new St. Lucy Parish along with Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joan of Arc.
- Founded 1919
- School building purchased 1920
- Temporary wood-frame church built 1921
- Present Art Deco church construction began December 1939
- Holy Innocents territory (south of Arsenal) absorbed 2005
- Merged into St. Lucy Parish, August 1, 2023
Art Deco Church Building
The 1939 Art Deco church at 4924 Bancroft Avenue features a modern interior with an altar whose supports (stipes) are carved with symbols of the four Evangelists. A copy of the Theotokos of Vladimir icon — the famous Russian icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Christ Child — stands to the left of the altar beside another Marian icon. The tabernacle is also located to the left of the altar, an ambry for holy oils sits near the front entrance, and the Stations of the Cross line the nave. Art Deco column capitals, a pipe organ, and a choir loft complete the worship space.
- Art Deco style, construction began December 1939
- Altar stipes carved with Evangelist symbols
- Theotokos of Vladimir icon copy to the left of the altar
- Tabernacle to the left of the altar
- Ambry with holy oils near the front entrance
- Stations of the Cross
- Art Deco column capitals
- Pipe organ and choir loft
Parish Staff
The parish website identifies Fr. Brad Modde as pastor of the Church of the Magdalen, with Fran Voss serving as Parish Office lead — described on the site as 'Parish Mom and Office Lead Extraordinaire' who handles information requests, registration updates, and scheduling. The contact email is [email protected].
- Fr. Brad Modde — Pastor
- Fran Voss — Parish Office (registration, scheduling, information)
Service & Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul
The parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference was a central outreach ministry, providing direct assistance to neighbors in need and operating a food pantry. After the 'All Things New' announcement in May 2023, the SVdP conferences of the three merging parishes began coordinating, with St. Mary Magdalen volunteers continuing to operate the Magdalen food pantry while turning active cases over to the conferences at Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joan of Arc.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society conference
- Magdalen food pantry
- Direct assistance to those in need
Parish School
St. Mary Magdalen operated a parish school on the Bancroft Avenue campus from the early days of the parish (a school building was purchased in 1920). After the parish's 2023 closure, the former school building was repurposed for community use — the Southampton Neighborhood Association now holds its meetings in the former cafeteria, with other spaces available for community gatherings.
- School building purchased 1920
- School campus at 4924 Bancroft Ave.
- Now reused for community meetings
Safe Environment
In line with Archdiocese of St. Louis policy, St. Mary Magdalen participated in the Safe Environment Program for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. The parish directed parishioners to preventandprotectstl.org for training, background checks, and additional information.
- Archdiocese of St. Louis Safe Environment Program
- Resources at preventandprotectstl.org
Southampton Neighborhood & Community
The parish was rooted in the Southampton neighborhood of south St. Louis — an early-20th-century development built by an Englishman who gave the streets their distinctive British names, first settled largely by German immigrants and today home to Bosnian immigrants and a growing urban community. The parish church and school have long served as community anchors on Bancroft Avenue, and the former school now hosts neighborhood meetings and gatherings.
- Southampton neighborhood, south St. Louis
- Distinctive British street names
- Originally settled by German immigrants
- Now home to Bosnian immigrants and new residents
- About seven road miles southwest of downtown St. Louis
'All Things New' & the Merger into St. Lucy Parish
In May 2023, the Archdiocese of St. Louis announced the 'All Things New' pastoral planning initiative, identifying 50 of 178 parishes for closure or merger. St. Mary Magdalen — along with Our Lady of Sorrows (founded 1907) and St. Joan of Arc (founded 1941) — was placed in a single merged community, effective August 1, 2023. Parishioners submitted name nominations; Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski approved the name St. Lucy — meaning 'light,' in honor of the third-century Italian martyr and patron saint of blindness — with the decree taking effect December 1, 2024. Fr. Brad Modde, pastor of the Magdalen, was installed as pastor of St. Lucy. The combined parish spans south to Loughborough Avenue, north to Arsenal Street, west to Ivanhoe Avenue, and east to Alfred Avenue, covering the North Hampton and Southampton neighborhoods. The three former church buildings retain their names, and a 'Be the Light' celebration was held December 13–15 in honor of St. Lucy's feast day.
- Announced May 2023; effective August 1, 2023
- Merged with Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joan of Arc
- New name 'St. Lucy' approved by Archbishop Rozanski; effective December 1, 2024
- Feast day celebrated December 13–15 with 'Be the Light' events
- Fr. Brad Modde installed as pastor
- Boundaries: Loughborough (S), Arsenal (N), Ivanhoe (W), Alfred (E)
- Covers North Hampton and Southampton neighborhoods
Giving & Support
The parish supported its mission through online eGiving via Faith Direct (church code MO1095), in addition to in-pew collections. The parish website acknowledges that 'it takes a lot to keep the lights on' and thanks parishioners for their ongoing financial support.
- Online giving via Faith Direct (code MO1095)
- In-pew collections
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 4924 Bancroft Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109, by phone at (314) 352-2111, or by email at [email protected]. The official website is http://www.magdalen.org/. Fr. Brad Modde is listed as pastor and Fran Voss as the parish office lead for registration, scheduling, and general inquiries.
- Address: 4924 Bancroft Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109
- Phone: (314) 352-2111
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.magdalen.org/