Weekly Bulletin

Events Calendar

Parish Registration

Daily Readings

Archdiocese of   St. Louis

About Our Church

Pastor's Corner

Groups & Ministries

Sacraments

Links

Contact Us

Directory

Location & Service Times     Parish Staff     History     On-Line Church Tour    

Location & Service Times

St. Pius V Catholic Church is located in the heart of South St. Louis City, in the South Wedge area of the Tower Grove East Neighborhood.  Situated at the corner of S. Grand and Utah, St. Pius serves as an anchor to the neighborhood, and to the recently rejuvenated business district located along S. Grand Boulevard.  We invite you to join our worshipping community:

Masses:

Sunday:  7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., Vigil (Saturday), 4:30 p.m.

Holy Days:  8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Weekdays:  Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. (in Rectory Chapel)

Major Civil Holidays:  9:00 a.m.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: 

Saturday, 3:30 - 4:15, or by appointment (please call 772-1525)

Driving directions to St. Pius V Catholic Church

return to top

Parish Staff

Pastoral Staff

St. Pius V Parish has one full-time priest, its Pastor, Fr. John Rogers Vien.  Rev. Mr. Walter Christ and Rev. Mr. Tom Buhr serve as Deacons.  Women religious have always filled key positions on the Parish Pastoral staff.  Sr. Dorothy Ann Katke, CPPS serves as a Pastoral Associate, responsible for the Ministry of Care to the Sick and the Homebound.  Sr. Paulette Weindel, CPPS, serves as Pastoral Associate, responsible for the Immigrant and Refugee Support Ministry.  Sr. Mary Henry, CCVI, serves as a Pastoral Associate.  Sr. Loretta Sigler, CPPS (775-5905) is director of the South City Deanery Parish School of Religion (PSR).  return to top

Support Staff

The laity also serve in important roles at St. Pius V:  Mrs. Maureen DePriest is Principal of our school, St. Frances Cabrini Academy; Barb Loeb serves as our accountant, and Shirley Tabaka serves as Parish Secretary.  Steve Campbell & Joe Fontana provide maintenance at St. Pius.  St. Pius' vibrant liturgies are supported by music leaders Ruth Ehresman (10:00 a.m.), Gail Planer (4:30 p.m.).  Many other laity serve the St. Pius community in various volunteer capacities.  return to top

History of St. Pius V Parish

St. Pius V began humbly a century ago as an Irish immigrant church, but by World War II had grown to be one of the largest, most prestigious parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The post-war baby boom swelled its membership and school enrollment, and prompted expansion and improvements of the church and grounds by the mid-1950s.

But by the 1970s, south St. Louis' ethnic makeup was beginning to change again as middle-class whites fled for the suburbs. Blacks, and Asian and African immigrants and refugees took their place in the 1980s. The dramatic demographic shift during the 1980s and '90s created social tension and demanded a response. In the '90s, parishioners were mobilized to advocate for social change, a value still held today.

If St. Pius' members are fewer today, they are more diverse - a mix of old, young, refugee, immigrant, longtime neighborhood residents and suburbanites. In the '90s, the 10 a.m. liturgy became more vital with warmer hospitality, livelier music and more dynamic preaching. St. Pius' ministries to the elderly, homebound, immigrant and poor grew. Parish finances were stabilized; stewardship was emphasized.

As St. Pius neared its centennial, it took the painful step of closing its school and merging with another in 2003 to form St. Frances Cabrini Academy. In late 2004, St. Pius learned it would close as part of a realignment of south-side parishes. The parish strenuously defended its viability and purpose and the archbishop allowed it to remain open.

A century after its founding, St. Pius V finds itself at a crossroads. It must grow in numbers and continue proving its purpose, or risk being shuttered. It remains one of the smallest territorial parishes in south St. Louis and made only a small net gain in membership from the recent parish consolidations. St. Pius must seize the opportunity to demonstrate
it was the right choice for staying open and attract new members from the city and suburbs.  return to top