St. Mary's Parish (Bridgeton, Missouri) facts for kids

St. Mary of the Assumption Parish was a Catholic church community in Bridgeton, Missouri. It was located in northwestern St. Louis County. This church was part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. St. Mary's started in 1851. Many families moved to the area in the 1950s and 1960s. Because of this, seven new church communities were created nearby.

St. Mary's Parish closed in 2001. This happened because the St. Louis Lambert Airport needed more space. The airport bought the church and its buildings. They were taken down in 2004.

The History of St. Mary's Church

St. Mary's was started in 1851 by Jesuit priests. These priests came from St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant, Missouri. St. Mary's also had a school called St. Mary's School. It taught students from 1886 until 1999. The church and school were at the corner of Natural Bridge Road and Long Road.

New Buildings and Growth

The Jesuits managed the parish from the start. In 1954, new buildings were put up. These included a new school and a rectory, which is where the priests live. Father J.T. Morrell, a Jesuit, was the pastor then. The new school had 14 classrooms. It also had a cafeteria and a lounge. The church building was connected to the school. This allowed space for a gym. A bigger, separate church was planned, but it was never built. This was because there wasn't enough money.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet helped at the school. They taught there until 1987. They also ran St. Mary's High School. The high school was open from 1944 to 1956. In the 1950s and 1960s, many more people moved to the area. The number of families at St. Mary's grew a lot. Because of this, the Archdiocese of St. Louis created seven new parishes. These new churches helped serve all the growing communities. At one point in the late 1960s, St. Mary's School had over 720 students.

High School Choices for Students

Most students who finished St. Mary's School went to St. Thomas Aquinas High School. This school was in Florissant. Later, it became St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy. This happened when it joined with Mercy High School in University City in 1985. Many girls went to Incarnate Word Academy in Normandy, Missouri. Boys often went to Christian Brothers College in Clayton. Other choices included De Smet Jesuit High School in Creve Coeur. Some also went to St. Louis University High in St. Louis City. Local public schools included Pattonville Senior High School and Ritenour Senior High School.

Churches Started from St. Mary's

The following church communities were formed from families who first belonged to St. Mary's Parish. When St. Mary's closed, many families joined these nearby churches:

• Our Lady of Mercy, Hazelwood, MO
• St. Blaise, St. Louis County, MO
• St. Gregory (the Great), St. Ann, MO (now Holy Trinity)
• St. Jude, St. Louis County, MO
• St. Kevin, St. Ann, MO (now Holy Trinity)
• St. Lawrence the Martyr, Bridgeton, MO
• St. William, Woodson Terrace, MO (now Holy Trinity)

How Parishes Combined

After St. Mary's closed, its members joined other churches. Many went to the parishes listed above. These were churches that had originally grown from St. Mary's. Later, some of these churches combined. This happened because fewer Catholics lived in the area. Also, the airport needed more land.

Holy Trinity Parish

In 2003, three churches joined together. These were St. Gregory, St. Kevin, and St. Williams. The new church community is called Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity's main church, offices, and youth center are at the old St. Gregory Parish. Its school is at the old St. Kevin Parish.

Holy Spirit Parish and Other Changes

In 2004, St. Lawrence the Martyr church was also bought by the airport. St. Lawrence the Martyr then joined with St. Blaise. They formed a new church called Holy Spirit Parish in 2004. Holy Spirit is located at the old St. Blaise Parish. In the same week, Our Lady of Mercy church in Hazelwood closed. Its members joined St. Martin de Poerres in Hazelwood. St. Jude church continues to operate today.