Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, with its wings, forms a group of buildings of unusual historical and architectural importance.
It is the oldest Catholic church west of the Mississippi.
A replica of the original log church, built in 1790, is also on display in the rectory as is a collection of items from the early days of the village of St. Ferdinand, including silver religious items from the 1700s and a collection of dolls in nuns' habits. While Mother Duchesne is known to have had her own similar collection, this one is of a later vintage.
While the oldest part of the church was built in 1820, the old altar underneath dates from 1881. The bell tower and steeple were added in 1883. They are painted a moss green, a shade extensive research indicates was the original color.
A sanctuary lamp is believed to have been a gift from Penalver Cardenas, bishop of Louisiana and Florida, in 1799. It is also believed the lamp may have been used in South America before it came to St. Louis in the 1500s.
Relics of St. Valentine, thought to be a gift of the King of France to Bishop Louis DuBourg, are in a wax replica of St. Valentine in front of the altar.
Exceptionally beautiful stained glass windows dating from the 1800s flank the main part of the church.
The ceiling of the church is an unusual arch design uncovered when a dropped ceiling was removed during a restoration following a fire in 1966. Because of this unusual arch, the acoustics allow normal conversation to be heard in the rear of the church. Stencils on the ceiling were copied from the original design found when tin and canvas coverings were removed.
Paintings on three 1960 wood panels on either side of the altar are thought to be from the school of Reuben. During the 1966 restoration, 17 coats of varnish were removed revealing pieces of Spanish moss in an early layer leading experts to theorize the pictures came from Europe and may have been brought up the Mississippi from New Orleans by Father DeSmet or Bishop Louis Dutoung.
The crystal chandeliers hanging in the sanctuary were made by Landesman Galleries and were installed during the 1966 restoration.
All of the buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a cultural inventory of our nation's irreplaceable resources, and form St. Ferdinand's Shrine Historic District.
The Shrine is operated and maintained by the Friends of Old St. Ferdinand, a non-profit agency.
Tour Information
Tours are available on Saturday and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, donations accepted.
Group Tours are available all year upon request. Phone (314) 837-2110 or submit our Group Tour Request Form online. Reserved Group Tour is $2.00 per person, with lunch served is $10.00 per person (15 person minimum group for a served lunch). Lunch includes: roast beef, ham, turkey, two cheeses, lettuce and tomatoes, condiments, two types of bread, fruit bowl, chips donuts, coffee, tea, lemonade, chocolate milk and bottle water. After lunch is served there is a trip to the 2nd floor of the Schoolhouse to view more history and experience our Book Fair.
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