St. Augustine Catholic Church

The laying of the cornerstone of a massive new Gothic-Revival St. Augustine Catholic Church happened on May 3, 1896. The church that would be called St. Augustine was designed by German immigrant architect Louis Wessbecher. Construction of the awe-inspiring building cost around $60,ooo and was done by contractor John Hacker. The ceremony was officiated by Archbishop J.J. Kain and assisted by Vicar General H. Muehlsiepen. Rev. Joseph Schraeder of Holy Trinity and Rev. George Reis of St. Liborius’ Church served as deacons with Rev. Anton Pauch of St. Engelberts and Rev. Peter Bremerick of St. Bernards serving as sub-deacons. A sermon was given in German by John Hoffman of St. Henry’s and another in English by Rev. James McCabe.

The official dedication of the church was on August 29, 1897, with full services and celebration. The entire sanctuary was filled with parishioners and admirers. The celebration started with a 9 o’clock parade, led by St. Augustine’s Aid Society. About forty five of the clergymen were in attendance, most representing St. Louis parishes. At 9:30 dedicatory services began with Rev. J.J. Jansen, assisted by Rev. G.H. Reis and Rev. August Schilling. Mass commenced at 10am led by Rev. Mgr. Muehisiepen.

Some of the noteworthy architectural pieces to the property to dive into is the 1928 Tudor-style rectory immediately south of the church that also still stands today. It was constructed by contractor W. Diemert & Son, and architect Henry P. Hess. The iconic stained glass windows are the works of Emil Frei Art Glass Company.

St. Augustine’s supported a large parish until around the 1970s when the neighborhood began to drastically change and decline. Without the population to frequent the massive building it became too costly to keep up with. This dilemma led to it being sold on May 2, 1982 to the fifty-member congregation of Christ Baptist Church by the St. Louis Archdiocese for just $25,000.

At the time the church was already starting to deteriorate with 4/7 of the stained glass windows being covered by plywood, the organ not functioning and more. But Rev. Jordan made it his mission to bring back this structure as a functioning piece of the community. A new sign was hung that read “Historic Christ Baptist Church” along with the Reverend’s name and their mission, Love, Forgiveness and Reconciliation. At the time of its construction, it served a German congregation whereas now it would serve the predominantly Black neighborhood that it sat in.

An official dedication ceremony was held in July by Rev. D.W. Jordan. The congregation also went through the process of getting the building City Landmark status and on the National Register of Historic Places.

But the biggest accomplishment that would help keep the struggling church afloat was the “D.W. Jordan Educational Center. The DWJEC was held inside the 1928 rectory, students there would learn carpentry, plumbing, cleaning techniques, electrical work,and other types of building maintenance. And the best part? They utilized these skills on the church. The estimated restoration at the time was around $250,000 but with the help of the center kids it was estimated to get down to $50,000. The academy had around 45 students enrolled and made about $100 per student, per session.

But realizing they were in over their head, it just wasn’t sustainable and they sold the church in 1988 to the Last Awakening Outreach Center, which utilized both the church and rectory until 2014. It was then that the church was left abandoned and began to deteriorate with vandals, graffiti artists, and break-ins in addition to natural decay.

Brittany Breeden and her husband Chris Gloyd have taken on the large task of trying to save the structure which is one of the last existing examples of Gothic-Revival Architecture and German parishes in Northern St. Louis. The former owners of the church agreed in 2020 to transfer the title to them and they got to work on revisioning the space with the help of the communities input.“We’re not going to restore the plaster and all the grandeur of a Roman Catholic church,” Breeden told me, recognizing the sheer cost of a complete renovation versus stabilization. “We’re going to keep what vaulting and architectural details that remain [when] we turn it into a community center. Now the idea is sort of fluid because we want to keep it about what the community wants and needs, rather than what we see and envision.” Breedon was quoted as saying. With restoration estimated at $10 million, the church was put on the Missouri Places in Peril list of 2021 allowing for the church to have a better chance of receiving grant money for restoration.

For more information, to make a donation and keep up with the project Click Here!

A fire in December 2022 has deeply hindered and threatened to end the efforts entirely. But Brittany and her team still have hope as well as lots of amazing intern, and community opportunities through Project Augustine so get involved today!

Gallery Below of St. Augustine Catholic Church

If you wish to support our current and future work, please consider making a donation or purchasing one of our many books. Any and all donations are appreciated.

Donate to our cause Check out our books!