St. Francis de Sales Oratory, the 19th-century Gothic landmark rising over Fox Park, is mounting a serious save-the-steeple effort. The oratory has kicked off a multi-million-dollar restoration push to safeguard its 300-foot spire and revive a richly detailed interior that has seen better days. Powered by a booming Latin Mass crowd that now comes in from all over the region, church leaders say the building needs significant work to protect its stained-glass windows, historic organ and original finishes so it can stay a neighborhood anchor for decades to come.
The Beauty Reborn campaign
The restoration drive is branded as “Beauty Reborn,” and organizers are tackling the work in stages so progress can keep pace with fundraising. The campaign site notes that the first phase centers on upgrading HVAC and electrical systems to shield the structure and its historic Wilhelm organ. Recent leadership gifts have helped the parish reach its initial fundraising benchmark, according to Tradition for Tomorrow.
A growing crowd keeps the pews full
Parish leaders say a surge in attendance at the Traditional Latin Mass is helping underwrite the restoration and funnel fresh visitors into South City. As reported by St. Louis Magazine, the oratory now counts roughly 5,000 members and typically draws between 700 and 800 people to Sunday Mass, more than twice its size from five years ago. The average congregant is about 29 years old, a strikingly young profile for a historic parish. Canon Benjamin Coggeshall told St. Louis Magazine, “I discovered the Catholicism that my heart always longed for, but I never knew existed.” The same report notes that around 3,000 visitors came last year for weddings and events and that a commissioned study pegs the oratory’s local economic impact at about $6.9 million.
Why the spire matters
The signature 300-foot spire dominates the South City skyline and is tied as the sixth-tallest church spire in the United States, according to Wikipedia. Nationally, however, the Traditional Latin Mass remains a small slice of Catholic life. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that roughly 2 percent of U.S. Catholics attend a TLM weekly, which underscores just how unusual St. Francis de Sales’ turnout is for this rite, per the Pew Research Center.
How neighbors and visitors benefit
Church leaders say the restoration is about more than shoring up bricks and mortar. The campaign site frames the work as a way to protect high art and historic architecture while continuing to draw visitors and worshippers whose spending helps nearby shops and restaurants. Donation, naming and sponsorship options are outlined online, and the parish lists contact information and Mass times through the Archdiocese of St. Louis at 2653 Ohio Ave., where Canon Benjamin Coggeshall serves as rector. For details on the campaign and ways to contribute, supporters are directed to both Tradition for Tomorrow and the Archdiocese site.
For supporters, preserving St. Francis de Sales is about a lot more than the height of a steeple. It is a statement about neighborhood identity, rooted in an architectural landmark that has outlasted plenty of surrounding change. Whether the money comes from longtime parishioners, new Latin Mass regulars or curious visitors, the “Beauty Reborn” push is framed as a long-term bet on Fox Park’s aesthetic and economic comeback.
