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This year marks the 800^th anniversary of the birth of King Louis IX of France, also known as St. Louis and the namesake of our city now celebrating its own 250^th anniversary. In honor of the feast day of St. Louis, the archbishop of Reims, France, site of King Louis IX’s coronation, will visit the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine in Florissant at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26.

Archbishop Thierry Jordan will receive a private tour of the shrine Tuesday morning. He will conclude his visit with a public celebration of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 10:30 a.m. The public is welcome to attend the Benediction.

“We are honored to welcome Archbishop Thierry to Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, where one of America’s saints, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, mentored famous pioneer Jesuit priest Peter DeSmet,” said Florissant Mayor Thomas P. Schneider. “St. Rose Philippine Duchesne served the Florissant Valley community with her school for girls for many years in the early 19^th century.”

Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, located at 1 Rue St. Francois in Old Town Florissant just west of Graham Road, is located on the site where St. Rose Philippine Duchesne lived and taught at the school she established in the early 19^th century.   Archbishop Thierry is a descendant of the same family as St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.

A monstrance (liturgical vessel used for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament) that was given to Old St. Ferdinand by the Spanish Bishop of New Orleans, Penelvar y Cardenas, in 1799 and recently returned to the shrine, will be used for this celebration of Benediction.

Archbishop Thierry is scheduled to participate in a number of Archdiocesan celebrations at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica as well as at the tomb of St. Rose in St. Charles.

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