About St. Michael the Archangel · Shrewsbury, Missouri
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish in Shrewsbury, Missouri, part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Founded in 1895 by a small group of German-speaking Catholics in Shrewsbury Park, the parish has grown to about 1,500 parishioners from roughly 550 families and is known for its beautiful 1940 stone church, its long-running school (now the primary campus of Holy Cross Academy), and a robust calendar of ministries, devotions, and community events. The parish is currently served by Pastor Rev. Charles Ferrara and two permanent deacons, and it continues the mission its founders set: to enhance the spiritual growth of the parish community, welcome all people, and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Charles Ferrara
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Michael's is a warm, multigenerational parish of about 550 families that has worshiped and formed children in the Catholic faith on the same Shrewsbury campus since 1895. Beyond Sunday and weekday Mass, the parish runs an unusually wide range of lay-led ministries — RCIA, Legion of Mary, Eucharistic Adoration, Knights of Columbus, American Heritage Girls, Scouting, a long-standing Athletic Association, a St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, and a full Holy Cross Academy elementary school on site. It is a place where a family can pray together, send their children to a Catholic school, and find a ministry that matches their gifts — all within walking distance of a historic 1940 stone church.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered monthly, including the last Monday, last Tuesday, last Wednesday, and last Friday (with varying morning times).
- Holy Thursday 8:00 p.m. — Gym Meeting Room
- Good Friday 3:00 p.m.
- Wednesdays in Lent 7:30 a.m.
History of St. Michael the Archangel Parish
St. Michael the Archangel was founded in 1895 by a small group of German-speaking Catholics in Shrewsbury Park, on the grounds of the historic Murdoch Mansion. After a frame church was dedicated in 1897 and a school opened with the Ursuline Sisters, the parish expanded steadily under successive pastors. The most transformative era began in 1909 under Father Joseph Preuss, who served until 1953 and oversaw the building of the rectory, a new brick school, a new convent, and finally the present stone church, designed by his brother Louis Preuss and dedicated in 1940. A new school was dedicated in 1955, a new convent in 1962, and the parish center with gymnasium in 1966. The parish school joined Holy Cross Academy in 2012, and the parish celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2020.
- May 31, 1895 — permission to form the parish granted
- July 28, 1895 — first Mass on the parish grounds
- Sept. 2, 1895 — Ursuline Sisters open the school with 46 students
- 1897 — frame church dedicated
- 1900 (July 11) — Father Charles Einig appointed pastor
- 1909 (Aug. 30) — School Sisters of Notre Dame arrive (serve until July 2016)
- 1909 (March 3) — Father Joseph Preuss appointed pastor; serves until 1953
- 1916 — new four-room brick school dedicated by Archbishop Glennon
- 1920 (June 21) — lightning strikes the Murdoch Mansion
- 1921 (Easter Monday) — Sisters move into a new convent
- 1939 (Nov. 3) — groundbreaking for the present stone church
- 1940 (Sept. 29) — stone church dedicated by Archbishop Glennon
- 1955 (Dec. 4) — new school dedicated by Archbishop Joseph Ritter
- 1962 — new convent built
- 1966 — parish center with gymnasium added
- 1995 — centennial time capsule buried at the northeast corner of the church
- 2012 — parish school joins Holy Cross Academy
- 2020 — 125th anniversary celebrated
Parish Leadership & Staff
The parish is currently led by Pastor Rev. Charles Ferrara, assisted by two permanent deacons, Rev. Mr. Dale Follen and Rev. Mr. Luke Koebbe. The parish office is staffed by Office Manager and Child Safety Coordinator Kimberly Schultz and Bookkeeper Teresa Meyer. Religious education and school coordination is led by Ann Kelly (Parish School of Religion across all Holy Cross Academy campuses). A Parish Consultors body supports the work of the pastor.
- Rev. Charles Ferrara — Pastor (314-647-5611, ext. 3; [email protected])
- Rev. Mr. Dale Follen — Permanent Deacon (314-792-7433; [email protected])
- Rev. Mr. Luke Koebbe — Permanent Deacon
- Kimberly Schultz — Office Manager, Child Safety Coordinator
- Teresa Meyer — Bookkeeper
- Ann Kelly — Parish School of Religion, all Holy Cross Academy Campuses ([email protected])
- Parish Consultors: Darlene Arnold, Dan Kellogg, Annie Roden, Barb Roemerman, Abby Tuttle, Dick Wehner
Holy Cross Academy — St. Michael the Archangel Campus
Beginning in the 2012 school year, St. Michael the Archangel School became part of Holy Cross Academy, a multi-campus Catholic elementary system in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Shrewsbury site serves as Holy Cross Academy's Primary Campus, housing Kindergarten through 2nd grade, and shares the parish grounds with the church. School families join the parish community for Mass each Thursday at 8:15 a.m.
- Address: 7630 Sutherland Avenue, Shrewsbury, MO 63119
- Phone: 314-647-7159; Fax: 314-644-1433
- Grades: Kindergarten – 2nd (Primary Campus)
- Building Principal: Mrs. Angie Courtois
- Secretary: Mrs. Carrie Green
- Preschool Director: Angie Langhauser
- Business Manager: Kelly Klosowski
- Weekly school Mass: Thursdays, 8:15 a.m.
Parish Organizations & Ministries
The parish organizes its many lay ministries under four 'Missions': Community and Apostolic Service; Education and Evangelization; Conversion, Sacred Worship and Faith Formation; and Stewardship/Administration. The organizations page on the parish website invites anyone — sewists, singers, coaches, gardeners, babysitters, and prayer-group members — to find a place to serve.
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry (contact: Karl Odenwald)
- Athletic Association — soccer, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, golf, track, baseball, softball, t-ball (President: John Odenwald)
- Women of St. Michael
- American Heritage Girls (contact: Maria Sanchez)
- Knights of Columbus Council 16619 (Grand Knight: Dick Koblyski)
- Men's Club
- Boy Scouts / Scouting (Patrick Powers, 314-540-0356)
- Hospitality Ministers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers, Sacristans, Altar Servers
- Legion of Mary (contact: Dawn Nordyke, 314-255-3051)
- Ministers of the Eucharist for the Homebound (contact: Deacon Dale Follen)
- Helping Hands (funeral meals; contact: Rita Feeney, 314-645-7919)
- RCIA and Adult Religious Education (contact: Deacon Dale Follen)
- Parish Picnic (first Monday in June), Trivia Night (late January), Oktoberfest (late September/early October), Donut Social (monthly), Men's Retreat
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Faith formation at St. Michael the Archangel spans cradle-to-adult: the parish partners with Holy Cross Academy for grade-school Catholic education, runs a Parish School of Religion (PSR) program, offers RCIA for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church, and provides ongoing Adult Religious Education. Sacramental preparation is available for Baptism, Marriage, Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick. Lay Eucharistic Ministers also bring Communion to parishioners who cannot physically attend Mass.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — contact: Ann Kelly, [email protected]
- Holy Cross Academy — St. Michael Campus (K–2)
- RCIA — contact: Deacon Dale Follen, 314-647-5611
- Adult Religious Education — contact: Deacon Dale Follen
- Ministers of the Eucharist for the Homebound — contact: Deacon Dale Follen
- Confession — Saturday 3:00 p.m.
- Eucharistic Adoration — monthly
Outreach & Community Life
Outreach and fellowship are central to parish life at St. Michael's. The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry provides food and financial assistance to community members in need, Helping Hands prepares meals for families after a funeral Mass, and the Knights of Columbus and Women's and Men's organizations sponsor fundraisers, retreats, and service projects. Annual social events include the Parish Picnic (first Monday in June), Trivia Night (late January), the Donut Social (monthly after Sunday Masses), and the German-heritage Oktoberfest.
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry — contact: Karl Odenwald
- Helping Hands (funeral meals) — contact: Rita Feeney, 314-645-7919
- Knights of Columbus Council 16619 — Grand Knight Dick Koblyski, 678-350-5571
- Women of St. Michael
- Men's Club
- Parish Picnic (first Monday in June)
- Trivia Night (late January, in the gym)
- Donut Social (monthly, after Sunday Masses; contact: Jim Collins, 314-565-8294)
- Oktoberfest (late September / early October) — German-heritage celebration
- Men's Retreat at White House Retreat Center
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person. The rectory address is 7622 Sutherland Avenue in Shrewsbury, and the parish school (Holy Cross Academy — St. Michael Campus) is right next door at 7630 Sutherland Avenue. The parish website lists a contact form for sending notes to the rectory, and volunteers can use a separate form to express interest in any parish organization or ministry.
- Address: 7622 Sutherland Ave., Shrewsbury, MO 63119
- Phone: (314) 647-5611
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmike.org/
- Diocese: Archdiocese of St. Louis
- School address: 7630 Sutherland Ave., Shrewsbury, MO 63119; Phone: 314-647-7159
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father F. Brand1895–c.1900
First pastor; offered the first Mass on the parish grounds on July 28, 1895.
- Father Charles Einig1900–c.1909
Appointed July 11, 1900; greatly reduced the parish debt and grew school enrollment to 75.
- Father Joseph Preuss1909–1953
Appointed March 3, 1909 by Archbishop Glennon; oversaw rectory, church expansion, new school, new convent, and the present stone church designed by his brother Louis Preuss.