St. Francis de Sales Church

St. Francis de Sales Church (the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales) is a Roman Catholic Oratory located in south St. Louis, Missouri. It is the second largest church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis after the cathedral-basilica. The church is popularly known as the "Cathedral of South St. Louis."The historic main church was designed in the neo-Gothic style. Its stained glass windows were crafted by the St. Louis glazier Emil Frei, Sr. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 2005 the church has been operated by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which practices the Latin liturgy and emphasizes the liturgical arts, with a strong music program.BeginningsThe original Saint Francis de Sales Church was destroyed following the great St. Louis Tornado in 1896. It was rebuilt according to the design of Berlin architect Viktor Klutho in a neo-Gothic style. The sanctuary contains an 52ft altarpiece featuring a polychrome sculpture of the Crucifixion in its upper register. Side altars are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, as well as Our Mother of Perpetual Help and the Infant of Prague. The stained glass windows are the work of the eminent St. Louis glazier Emil Frei, Sr. The church is dedicated in honor of Saint Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church. At 300 feet tall, the church, with its main spire, ranks as the sixth-tallest church in the United States.