An ornate Catholic church in St. Louis, Missouri, once on the verge of closure, is now experiencing a revival with hundreds of faithful attending its services each week. St Francis de Sales Oratory, founded in 1867 by German immigrants, faced a significant decline in parishioners as families moved to the suburbs, leading the Archdiocese of St. Louis to close it in June 2005 and schedule it for demolition.
However, the church was saved in July 2005 when Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke established it as an Oratory, where Mass is strictly administered in Latin. This move has positioned St Francis de Sales as one of approximately 450 churches across the United States that regularly celebrate the traditional Latin Mass.
Resurgence in Attendance
Each Sunday, the cathedral now attracts over 700 attendees for a nearly two-hour service where English is minimally used. The Mass is characterized by Gregorian chants led by a choir, with the priest facing the altar. Communion is distributed at a rail, and female parishioners often wear veils. Despite lacking air conditioning, the church draws worshippers who use fans to stay cool.
Membership at St Francis de Sales has tripled in the last six years, with a notable majority of parishioners being young families and members of Generation Z. Parishioners interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch expressed that worshipping in Latin has fostered a deeper connection to their faith. Some find the "mystery" of the Latin service encourages greater reverence, while others appreciate a form of worship that transcends language barriers.
National Trend
The resurgence at St Francis de Sales aligns with a broader global trend of increased Catholic engagement among Generation Z. Data from the Barna Group indicates that while older adults still form the majority of Mass-goers, Gen Z is attending services more regularly. Furthermore, Harvard University’s Cooperative Election Study reported an increase in the number of young Americans identifying as Catholic, rising from 15 percent in 2022 to 21 percent in 2023.
This trend is also visible in other urban centers. St. Joseph's Church in Manhattan's Greenwich Village has gained attention, with queues of over 100 people reportedly waiting for Sunday services. Catholic churches have also seen their popularity surge on social media platforms, amplified by "Catholic influencers."
