Saint, missionary take center stage in Florissant

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Old St. Ferdinand Shrine in Florissant, dating from 1821, is the oldest standing church in the Louisiana Purchase territory — a stretch from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.

Both St. Rose Philippine Duchesne and Jesuit Father Peter DeSmet served at the site, one of the earliest European settlements west of the Mississippi River.

Fittingly, the city of Florissant celebrated its 225th birthday Nov. 18, the feast day of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, on the grounds of the shrine, which includes the church, convent, rectory, museum, plaza and Knights of Columbus hall.

The tribute had a Catholic flavor. Included was a dedication, led by Florissant Mayor Thomas P. Schneider, of plaques marking contributions of St. Philippine and Father DeSmet. Later, a Mass was celebrated in the church.

“This is like the California missions, only in Missouri,” said Sandra Delcoure, a Chicago native who is a volunteer at the shrine. A member of Sacred Heart Parish in Florissant, Delcoure, a volunteer since 1988, was attracted to the site because of her Catholic background. Pointing to a cape on display that St. Philippine made for Father DeSmet, Delcoure said she was inspired by St. Philippine’s work as an educator and desire to educate Native Americans.

Delcoure, who teaches in the local school district, and tour guide Mary Keeven rolled off historical facts about the shrine. Keeven noted that Father DeSmet was ordained in the church in 1827. The Sacred Heart Sisters, with St. Rose Philippine among them, established Florissant’s first school on the parish grounds.

Keeven, 83, was baptized and married at the church. An honor roll there of parishioners who served in World War II includes her brother, she said, and a bench was named after her family. She cited the changes that the property has undergone. No longer an active parish, it is maintained by the Friends of Old St. Ferdinand. The parish, founded in 1789, closed the site in 1955 and moved to a location on Charbonier Road.

At the dedication, Jesuit Father Walter Sidney, president of DeSmet Jesuit High School, told the Review that the area’s history is intertwined with the Jesuits and Society of the Sacred Heart. St. Philippine and Father

DeSmet stand out for their work, he added.

Joe and Sharon Marstall said they appreciated the role the Church played in Florissant’s history. “To be part of something that goes back 225 years is amazing,” she said.

Duchesne High School’s president Terry Gravemann spoke at the dedication and urged people to “continue to do the mission that was so important” to St. Philippine Duchesne.

In his homily at the Mass, Msgr. Mark Ullrich, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Florissant, said St. Philippine put God at the center of her life. “This little lady from Florissant” — one of 11 U.S. saints — “is part of the Church throughout the world.”

The saint was “totally committed to prayer, totally committed to the Lord,” he said, and brought the love of Jesus to others. “She gave her whole life … to the faith. I’m sure she would say it doesn’t get any more complicated than that.”