Photos of Saint Cecilia Church, in Saint Louis, Missouri

Here are photos of Saint Cecilia Church, located in the City of Saint Louis about 6-1/2 road miles southwest of downtown, and less than a mile from the banks of the Mississippi River.



The parish dates from 1906, and its Romanesque-style church was completed in 1927. The architect was Henry P. Hess (1884-1957), who worked for three years under William B. Ittner; Hess also designed the Rosati-Kain High School, the old Christian Brothers College High School building on Clayton Road (now owned by the Lutheran Concordia Seminary), the Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, All Saints in University City, Immaculate Conception in Maplewood, as well as other churches. Hess' firm is now known as LePique & Orne Architects, which still does work for the Archdiocese. The design of this church was inspired by the nearby Saint Anthony of Padua parish.

This was a mixed German and Irish parish at its founding. It now is one of seven archdiocesan parishes that has a Hispanic ministry.



The stained glass windows were executed by Emil Frei, Sr. (1869-1942); his descendants still run Emil Frei Associates, and have worked locally and nationally. Mosaics are by the Ravenna Mosaic Company, which also did the interior of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

The columns are of polished stone.



The main altar.



Mosaic of Saint Cecilia, Roman martyr (beheaded ca. A.D. 117) holding a small pipe organ. Cecilia is patroness of church music.



The tabernacle.



Altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary; note the gold mosaics in the background.



Altar of Saint Joseph.



Saint Juan Diego with Our Lady of Guadeloupe.



A view to the back of the church. The Wicks organ dates from 1928, and has 23 ranks with over 1500 pipes.



A confessional.







Masses are in English and Spanish.

Address:
5418 Louisiana Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63111