Saint Gianna Parish

As part of my "pastoral formation" here in the seminary, I spend my Sunday mornings assisting a pastor at a parish in the Saint Louis area. This year, I have been assigned to St. Gianna Parish in Wentzville, MO.

This parish is brand new. Last weekend was the first weekend masses were held at this parish. Wentzville is an area where people are flooding in, building new homes, and constructing new businesses. There is a brand new Wal-Mart or Home Depot within view no matter where you are in Wentzville it seems.

This means the existing parishes are filling up with new families. To fill the need, Fr. Tim Elliott and the Archdiocese worked to start up a brand new parish. They are renting an warehouse-like space in a strip mall, pictured here as it was last Friday. The space has been renovated nicely as a temporary church. The parish council estimates that in three or four years either a school or a church building would be constructed.

Last weekend I served at the eight o'clock and eleven o'clock Masses. I had the privilege of meeting many of the new parishioners. It's exciting to be here at the very beginning of this parish and I look forward to the time I spend there over the next months.