About Our Parish

Humble Beginnings

HISTORY

In March of 1948 St. Louis Parish was formed from two parishes, the southeastern portion of Our Lady of Solitude in Palm Springs and the northwestern portion of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Indio. This was an area covering 12 miles long and 24 miles wide. Reverend Joseph Leissler was appointed as the founding Pastor and served this community for 24 years.

The first Mass celebrated of this newly formed parish was on February 29, 1948 in the home of Mrs. Emma Hamill. Many of the following Masses were also celebrated in homes throughout the area until a permanent church building was established on May 23, 1948.

The original St. Louis Church building was an old military hospital ward measuring 150x30 feet which had been stationed where Desert Regional Hospital now stands. It was brought to Cathedral City and was placed on the southeast corner of Glenn Avenue and “B” Street. One third of the building was partitioned and became the church; the other two thirds of the building became the parish hall. On February 10, 1949 St. Louis Catholic Church was dedicated and blessed by Bishop Charles T. Buddy, Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego.

On April 6, 1973 the St. Louis parish community celebrated groundbreaking ceremonies with Bishop Leo T. Maher of the Diocese of San Diego for what was to be the new St. Louis Church building and rectory which would be located at 37220 Glenn Avenue, corner with “C” Street. On May 7, 1973 construction began on the new buildings and included fifteen stained glass windows depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary. These were designed and made by Gabriel Loire in Chartes, France. The steeple of the church was designed to imitate the Eiffel Tower. On March 3, 1974 the new St. Louis Catholic Church building was dedicated and blessed by Bishop Maher.

In 1981 the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary were invited to staff St. Louis Parish and stayed until 2013.

Administrator:

Rev. Patrick Crowley, ss.cc            1981-1982

Due to illness, Rev. Maher decided to retire before reaching the end of his final term as Pastor. He would be the last priest of the religious order to staff the parish.

In February 2013, Rev. Arnel Macabio, MS (Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette) was sent to us by Bishop Gerald Barnes, to cover the period left void by Fr. Mike Maher. What was supposed to have been a 5-month assignment turned into 1 ½ years.

Effective July 2017, Rev. Luis A. Guido was appointed Pastor of St. Louis, King of France for a period of 6 years with Rev. Anthony Waturuocha as Parochial Vicar. Fr. Waturuocha was later re-assigned to a different parish and we received Rev. Anthony Ibegbunam who now serves as the Parochial Vicar.