St. Ferdinand Catholic School and Parish is located in Florissant, Missouri within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. St. Ferdinand has a rich tradition and missionary heritage. In the mid 1700's the French entered the Mississippi Valley as settlers, farmers, and merchants. They named the area "Valley of Flowers" or "Florissant" due to the beauty of the valley. A French Catholic village was established and named St. Ferdinand de Florissant after St. Ferdinand III, who was King of Castile, Spain from 1217 to 1252. The first church was built in 1789. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne founded the first Society of the Sacred Heart motherhouse in the United States on the parish grounds. She also established the first Indian school for girls in the U.S. and a free school for boys and girls at St. Ferdinand's. Also, Father Peter DeSmet, known as the Apostle of the Indians, was ordained at St. Ferdinand's in 1827. The combination church and school building at the new site was used until December 1960, when a new church was built. From 1958 to 1961 the parish tripled in population. Several additions to the school were built in the late 1950's and 1960's. In 2018 the All Saints Academy was formed. All Saints Academy and St. Ferdinand Parish partnered with the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the two parishes at St. Norbert and St. Rose Philipppine Duchesne to create a partnership school with shared student, staff and parent resources. Our school is now known as All Saints Academy - St. Ferdinand Campus. Currently, there are roughly 225 students are enrolled in the school. ASA-St. Ferdinand students are continuing their rich tradition and missionary spirit through their studies, worship, and service to the community. Our Parish School of Religion has combined with St. Sabina Parish. All grades attend St. Sabina but continue to receive their sacraments here at St. Ferdinand. Succession of Priests of St. Ferdinand
Pastors Bernard de Limpach, O.M. (Capuchin) – 1789 Jean Antoine Le Dru dit Jacobin – 1789-1792 Pierre Joseph Didier, O.S.B. (Benedictine) – 1792-1798 Leander Lusson (Recollect) – 1798-1804 Thomas Flynn, O.M. (Capuchin) – 1806-1808 M. Bernard Langlois, O.C.R. (Trappist) – 1809-1810 Urban Guillet, O.C.R. (Trappist) – 1810-1811 Marie Joseph Dunand, O.C.R. (Trappist) – 1811-1820 Charles De La Crois, 1820-1823 Charles F. Van Quickenbourn, S.J. 1823-1827 Theodore de Theux, S.J. – 1827-1829 Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1829-1835 James G. Busschotts, S.J. – 1835-1836 Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1836-1838 Victor Paillasson, S.J. – 1838 John Gelizal, S.J. – 1838-1840 James Cotting, S.J. – 1840 Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1840-1853 Florian Sautois, S.J. – 1853-1857 Judocus Van Assche, S.J. – 1857-1877 Adrian M. Hayden, S.J. – 1877-1884 Adrian Sweere, S.J. – 1884-1885 William F. Boex, S.J. – 1885-1893 Joseph P. DeSmedt, S.J. – 1893-1895 Joseph R. Real (Riehl), S.J. – 1895-1896 Francis Hillman (Heuvelmans), S.J. 1896-1911 Michael Speich, S.J. – 1911-1919 Joseph M. Milet, S.J. – 1919-1925 William H. Trentman, S.J. – 1925-1944 James V. Fallon, S.J. – 1944-1949 Lawrence L. Cusak, S.J. – 1949-1953 Harry B. Crimmins, S.J. – 1949-1953 Edward W. Courtney, S.J. – 1955-1958 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John R. Phelan – 1958-1967 Joseph A. O’Brien – 1968-1974 John P. Holland – 1975-1991 Gary M. Gebelein – 1991-2002 John G. Dempsey – 2002-2008 A. John Schuler – 2008-2017 Thomas J. Haley – 2014-2016 Michael G. Murphy – 2016 – present
Associates Charles Bell – 1894 Joseph G. Kernion – 1895 Peter Bouige – 1898-1899 James Paulus – 1913-1921 Michael Eicher – 1924-1927 Michael R. Speist – 1928-1937 Charles A. Imbs – 1938-1941 Alfred F. Schneider – 1942 Francis J. Coffey – 1943-1944 Joseph F. Kiefer – 1944-1947 William F. Trentman – 1945-1946 Stephen J. Egan – 1947 Anthony J. Adams – 1948-1950 Joseph A. Herbers – 1951-1952 George T. Andrews – 1951 Marion B. Budzinski – 1942-1954 Henry H. Regnet – 1956-1957 Edward A. Thro – 1958 John H. Knittel – 1958-1963 John J. Houlehin – 1960-1961 Gregory L. Schmidt – 1961-1967 Joseph T. Shocklee – 1964-1965 Robert Foley – 1966-1967 Alexander Lippert – 1967-1968 Norman C. Schrodi – 1968-1969; 1971-1974 John. F. Fitzgerald – 1968-1969 John L. Mayer – 1970 – 1973 James W. Schaefer – 1969-1970 James F. Stauber – 1972-1975 Joseph W. Banden – 1974-1978 Adolph H. Ayd – 1974-1979 Michael S. McGrath – 1975-1977 George Galovich – 1976-1977 Eugene E. Utrup – 1978-1979 Robert Samson – 1979-1984 Gerald T. Will – 1980-1983 Kevin V. Schmittgens – 1983-1984 Mark L. Fuller – 1983-1984 Paul J. Rothschild – 1985-1990 Raymond B. Leirmann – 1987 James P. Grady – 1988-1992 Donald Heck – 1990 Joseph J. Ryan – 1990-1992 Timothy Cronin – 1991-1993 Patrick Christopher – 1992-1996 Glennon Goellner – 1993-2000 Michael G. Murphy – 1996-1998 Richard J. Rath – 1998-2001 Eugene G. Robertson – 2001-2004 William J. Baier – 2004-2013 Timothy J. Henderson – 2004-2007 Joseph S. Post – 2007-2011 John C. Nickolai – 2013-2016 David E. Rauch - 2016-2019 Nicholas J. Muenks - 2019 - present |
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