About The Oratory of Ss. Gregory & Augustine · Richmond Heights, Missouri
The Oratory of Ss. Gregory & Augustine is a non-territorial Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of St. Louis dedicated exclusively to the celebration of the Sacraments in the Extraordinary Form (the Traditional Latin Mass of the 1962 Missale Romanum). Canonically established on the First Sunday of Advent, 2 December 2007 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Raymond L. Burke, the Oratory was placed under the patronage of St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine of Canterbury. Today it is administered by diocesan priests of St. Louis, with the Very Reverend Monsignor C. Eugene Morris serving as Rector. Since 29 June 2018, the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, the Oratory has shared a permanent home at St. Luke the Evangelist Church, 7230 Dale Avenue, Richmond Heights, Missouri, in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
- Established
- 2007
- Patron
- St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine of Canterbury
- Rector
- Reverend Monsignor C. Eugene Morris (Rector)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
The Oratory offers the full sacramental life of a Catholic parish — daily and Sunday Mass, confession, adoration, baptism, marriage and anointing of the sick — celebrated entirely in the Extraordinary Form according to the 1962 Missale Romanum. It is a non-territorial parish, meaning any Catholic in the Archdiocese of St. Louis can register as a member while still belonging to their local territorial parish. Members benefit from a robust devotional life that includes weekly Perpetual Help devotions, coffee hours in the St. Joseph Room, an annual Latin course, a polyphonic choir and schola, the Troops of St. George for boys, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for religious education, a Knights of Columbus council (#17355), an active Altar & Rosary Society, and the Almonry of Ss. Gregory & Augustine for outreach to those in need.
Mass times at The Oratory of Ss. Gregory & Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon
- Tuesday: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon
- Wednesday: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon and 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Thursday: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon
- Friday: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon
- Saturday: 7:00 am – 8:00 am
- First Friday: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Ash Wednesday: 11:00 am
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (followed by confessions)
- First Friday: 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm (starting February 2026), with confessions 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
About the Oratory of Ss. Gregory & Augustine
The Oratory of Ss. Gregory & Augustine is a non-territorial Catholic parish within the Archdiocese of St. Louis, established to preserve and promote the Traditional Latin Mass and the Sacraments in the Extraordinary Form according to the 1962 Missale Romanum, in accord with Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. The community seeks to worship God in the spirit of Sacrosanctum Concilium and the motu proprio of Pope St. Pius X, Tra Le Sollicitudini, and promotes the sanctification of its members through the Sacraments, religious education, social activity and outreach to the greater community. Because it is non-territorial, any Catholic in the Archdiocese can register as a member in addition to belonging to their local territorial parish.
- Canonically established 2 December 2007 (First Sunday of Advent) by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke
- Placed under the patronage of St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine of Canterbury
- Originally administered by Benedictines of the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Louis
- Administered since 2017 by priests of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Permanent home: St. Luke the Evangelist Church, 7230 Dale Ave, Richmond Heights, MO (since 29 June 2018)
History & Rector Succession
The Oratory began in 2004 as a handful of families praying the Extraordinary Form in the chapel of the Passionist Nuns' convent in West St. Louis County. The little community grew, and on the First Sunday of Advent, 2 December 2007, Archbishop Burke canonically erected it as a non-territorial parish, placing it under the patronage of two missionary saints — Gregory the Great, who sent Augustine from Rome to evangelize England in 597 AD, and Augustine himself, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. The first Rector, Fr. Bede Price, OSB, shepherded the parish for almost a decade, growing it from about 35 to nearly 120 families, followed by interim Rector Fr. Aidan McDermott, OSB. In early 2017 the Archdiocese took direct pastoral care of the Oratory; Monsignor Michael Witt served as Rector at All Saints Church in University City. On 29 June 2018, the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, the Oratory was relocated to its present permanent home at St. Luke the Evangelist in Richmond Heights, with Monsignor C. Eugene Morris appointed full-time Rector. Fr. Michael Rennier later joined as Vice-Rector, and on 1 August 2023 the Oratory took full responsibility for the church building and rectory.
- 2004 – Small community begins at the Passionist Nuns' convent chapel, West County
- 2 December 2007 – Canonical erection by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke
- 2007 – c. 2016 – Fr. Bede Price, OSB (first Rector)
- After Fr. Bede – Fr. Aidan McDermott, OSB (interim)
- Early 2017 – Oratory moves to All Saints, University City; Msgr. Michael Witt, Rector
- 26 June 2018 – Msgr. C. Eugene Morris appointed Rector
- 29 June 2018 – Oratory relocated to St. Luke the Evangelist, Richmond Heights
- 2017 – Fr. Michael Rennier arrives as Vice-Rector
- 1 August 2023 – Oratory assumes full responsibility for the church and rectory
Clergy & Staff
The Oratory is staffed by two priests of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and one permanent deacon, supported by a small lay staff and an extensive network of organization leaders. Monsignor C. Eugene Morris has served as Rector since 26 June 2018; he was previously a professor of liturgy and sacraments at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. Fr. Michael Rennier serves as Vice-Rector and posts his homilies on his personal WordPress blog. Deacon Stephen (Steve) Pieper, MD assists at Mass and moderates sacramental preparation classes.
- Rev. Msgr. C. Eugene Morris — Rector ([email protected])
- Rev. Michael Rennier — Vice-Rector ([email protected])
- Deacon Steve Pieper, MD — Permanent Deacon ([email protected])
- Mrs. Donna Mueller — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Mr. Ben Schubert — Facilities Manager ([email protected])
- Miss Anna Kalinowski — Auxiliatrix and Young Adults coordinator ([email protected], [email protected])
- Mr. Jacob Maret — Almonry ([email protected])
- Mr. Joseph Balderrama — Facilities Manager (former)
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Parish life at the Oratory revolves around the liturgy, but extends into formation, fellowship, outreach and culture. Lay faithful lead an unusually large number of organizations for a parish of its size: a polyphonic choir and a schola, a children's CCD program, an Altar & Rosary Society, a Knights of Columbus council (#17355) that sponsors the annual Joseph Challenge Pilgrimage, the Troops of St. George for boys, a young-adult community called Vita Communis, a parish co-op, and an almonry dedicated to corporal works of mercy. Ushers (Ostiarii), altar servers, and a Pro-Life coordinator round out the ministry portfolio.
- Oratory Choir (polyphonic) — Mrs. Elisabeth Kenney
- Oratory Schola (Cantores Sancti Ludovici) — Mr. Kevin Murphy
- Altar Servers — Msgr. Morris
- CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) — Mr. Jake Folwer
- Altar & Rosary Society — Mrs. Erin Turntine
- Knights of Columbus #17355 — Dr. Robert Morgan
- Troops of St. George — Mr. Grant Hofmann
- Vita Communis (Young Adults) — Miss Anna Kalinowski
- Oratory Co-Op — Mrs. Cory Grizzle
- Almonry of Ss. Gregory & Augustine — Mr. Jacob Maret
- Ushers (Ostiarii) — [email protected]
- Pro-Life coordinator
- Oratory Events — [email protected]
Sacraments & Devotional Life
Because the Oratory is a non-territorial parish, its members may receive all seven sacraments here regardless of where they live within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation is conducted through the CCD on an individual rolling basis after mutual discernment among the candidate, the deacon, and the priests. The parish also offers blessing of religious articles; parishioners drop items off at the rectory office (Mon–Fri 9 am – 2 pm) and pick them up after they have been blessed by Msgr. Morris or Fr. Rennier.
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Funerals for members
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation via CCD on a rolling schedule
- Blessing of religious items: drop-off Mon–Fri 9 am – 2 pm at the rectory (front door on Dale Avenue)
- Devotional statues of St. Gregory and St. Augustine inside the church
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors are warmly welcomed at any Mass. The Oratory's regular schedule is published in full at stlouislatinmass.com and on its calendar page. Coffee hours in the St. Joseph Room follow most Sunday Masses (1st & 3rd Sundays after 8:00 am, 2nd & 4th Sundays after 10:00 am — confirm on the online calendar). Anyone wishing to register as a member may do so through the parish website, which provides a New Member Registration Form. Online giving is available through OSV Hub at https://www.osvhub.com/st-louis-latin-mass. Items left for blessing and other parish business are handled at the rectory office, 7230 Dale Avenue, Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
- Address: 7230 Dale Avenue, Richmond Heights, MO 63117
- Phone: (314) 644-2144
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stlouislatinmass.com
- Member registration: online form via the website
- Online giving: https://www.osvhub.com/st-louis-latin-mass
- Rectory office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Bede Price, OSB2007–c. 2016
First Rector; a Benedictine of the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Louis, he grew the community from ~35 to ~120 families and added three Sunday Masses. Served almost ten years.
- Rev. Fr. Aidan McDermott, OSBafter Fr. Bede, interim
Benedictine interim Rector who continued the work already begun.
- Rev. Msgr. Michael Wittearly 2017 – 2018
First diocesan priest as Rector; oversaw the transition of the Oratory to diocesan care, first at All Saints in University City.
- Rev. Msgr. C. Eugene Morris26 June 2018 – present
Appointed as the Oratory's first full-time diocesan Rector; led the move to St. Luke the Evangelist, Richmond Heights on 29 June 2018.