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About 1890 the present parish began and was just a mission to Bonne Terre. The first pastor was Rev. Father C. F. O'Leary. The mission was next carried on by Father Shaw, followed by Father Cannon. Services were held in a building which was located about one block west of where the Desloge Cash and Carry Store is now.
The first resident pastor was Rev. Father James Shield, during whose pastorate the first church was built in 1902. Among the first members were Noah Winston, Mrs. Griffard, Alex Boyer, J. J. Bradley, Michael Farris, Mrs. J. A. Perry, Mrs. T. B. Smith, Firmin Desloge, Sr., N. Thomure, Wm. Boyer, Mrs. Helen Viredaz and Mrs. F. P. Kenner. The four last mentioned are still living.
Rev. Father Joseph Casey was pastor from 1909 to 1916.
Father J. A. Cunningham, the present pastor, followed Father Casey in 1916 and on January 14, 1919, the church and rectory were totally destroyed by fire. From this date until June, 1922, services were held in the Educational Building of the Greek Church in Desloge.
On August 1, 1921, ground was broken for the new parish buildings, which are of reinforced concrete construction without forms and absolutely fireproof. Those buildings were completed in June, 1922, at a cost of about $40,000.00. Both rectory and church are equipped with modern steam heating plants. Present membership of the parish is estimated at 185 families.
On May 21, 1957, a tornado swept through Desloge which
made the Catholic Church structurally unsafe. It was then decided to relocate the
church to its present location (pictured below) at the junction of Highway 8 and Highway Z
near Desloge, Missouri (actually the church is now located in the city limits of Park
Hills, formerly known as Flat River).
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