As Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, we are called by our Lord, Jesus Christ, to be His Church and live His Gospel. With joy, we strive to fulfill our Baptismal calling by prayer and worship, teaching and sharing our faith, serving others, and fostering unity in diversity. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to the responsible stewardship of all God's gifts.

The Archdiocese By the Numbers

Below is the 2018 statistical data for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Location

Population

Total Population: 2,251,000

Total Number of Catholics: 511,134

Percent of Population that is Catholic: 23%

Keys

Religious

Bishops: 3

Diocesan Priests: 324

Religious Priests: 284

Religious Sisters: 1,197

Religious Brothers: 103

Permanent Deacons: 262

Books

Catholic Education

Elementary Schools (K-8): 106

Elementary School Enrollment: 22,256

Elementary PSR Enrollment: 15,135

Pre-School Enrollment: 3,620

High Schools: 26

High School Enrollment: 11,093

High School PSR Enrollment: 183

Children in (K-8) Special Education Schools & Learning Centers: 83

Parish

Parishes

Number of Parishes: 181

Baptism

Baptisms

Baptisms (Age 0-6): 4,609

Received into the Church (including Baptisms Age 7+): 961

FirstCommunion

First Holy Communion

First Communions: 5,237

Confirmation

Confirmations: 5,194

Marriage

Catholic Marriages: 1,156

Interfaith Marriages: 459

Total: 1,615

Funerals

End of Life

Funerals: 3,739

Our Patron Saints

Saint Louis, King of France, Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, and Saint Vincent de Paul are the patron saints of our archdiocese.

STL

St. Louis, King of France

"I think more of the place where I was baptized than of Rheims Cathedral where I was crowned. It is a greater thing to be a child of God than to be the ruler of a Kingdom. This last I shall lose at death but the other will be my passport to an everlasting glory."

SRPD

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

"I am where God wills me to be, and so I have found rest and security. His wisdom governs me, His power defends me, His grace sanctifies me, His mercy encompasses me, His joy sustains me and all will go well with me."

SVDP

St. Vincent de Paul

"We cannot better assure our eternal happiness than by living and dying in the service of the poor, in the arms of Providence, and with genuine renouncement of ourselves in order to follow Jesus Christ."

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The Coat of Arms of the Archdiocese of St. Louis

The blazon and significance of the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, as written by William F. J. Ryan to Rev. Msgr. John P. Cody, on September 12, 1946:

Archdiocese of St. Louis Shield

Shield is ornamented with a large gold cross, as the central figure. The Latin cross fleury is displayed in honor of the French origin of the city of St. Louis. This cross is replete with significance; the French missionaires; the penance, fasting, and heroic sanctity of Louis IX of France, saint and King; a commemoration of the true Crown of Thorns and a portion of the Cross of Calvary in Jerusalem, and their reservation in St. Chapelle in Paris; the two crusades of St. Louis.

The crown fleury represents Louis IX as King, rather than as saint.

The tinctures, blue and gold, are those of the arms of Pope Leo XII who established the diocese. A crown, also, is contained in this coat-of-arms of Pope Leo XII.

The bar wavy, of course, is for the Mississippi river.

The silver crescent has a double significance. It is from the coat-of-arms in the Seal of Missouri, and also represents our Blessed Mother, Patroness of the United States under the title of the Immaculate Conception.

The Rome of the west

The Archdiocese of St. Louis has historically been referred to as "The Rome of the West."

This moniker was attached to our Archdiocese because, just as Rome had evangelized the continent, St. Louis sent innumerable missionaries to the American West, evangelizing as they traveled.

Additionally, because of its strong Catholic identity and having been the mother diocese of many dioceses in the midwest,
the Archdiocese was often referred to as "The Rome of the West" -- a nickname it wears with pride for its history of evangelization
as well as zeal for the missionary discipleship and evangelization it will spread now and for generations to come.

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Mission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis

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The Archdiocese By the Numbers

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Population

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Religious

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Catholic Education

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Parishes

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Baptisms

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First Holy Communion

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Confirmation

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Marriage

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End of Life

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Our Patron Saints

St. Louis, King of France

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Vincent de Paul

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The Coat of Arms of the Archdiocese of St. Louis

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The Rome of the west

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