Photos of Saint Theodore Church, in Flint Hill, Missouri

HERE ARE PHOTOS of Saint Theodore Church, in Flint Hill, Missouri. The parish is located about 49 miles northwest of downtown Saint Louis, in rural Saint Charles County.



The parish dates from 1883, and the church from 1900. This parish is in rapidly-growing Saint Charles County, Missouri, and a parishioner said that this growth will probably require the construction of a larger church. She otherwise hoped that this old church could remain open.

From a history of Flint Hill:

Flint Hill was officially founded in 1836 by Captain Taliferro P. Grantham. Captain Grantham purchased 160 acres of land from Benjamin Pierce and then donated 10 acres for the town of Flint Hill. Settlers from Flinthill, Virginia, were moving west in 1833 and came upon this area. It so reminded them of their home in Virginia, that they settled the area and named it Flint Hill after the town they had left. It was not long and they realized the area could produce the crops they were accustom to growing- tobacco...

Flint Hill was originally settled by people of the Methodist faith. Between 1848 and 1855, there were a number of Catholic families in the Flint Hill community. The nearest Catholic congregation was in Josephville and was organized in 1848. As early as 1854, a missionary priest would travel from St. Charles and say Mass in a Methodist home in Flint Hill for area Catholics. The Methodist opened their homes to the priest because their houses were more adaptable for the crowds than the Catholic homes. In the early 1880's, Reverend Theodore Krainhardt, pastor of St. Joseph's of Josephville, traveled to Flint Hill to say Sunday Mass for the growing Catholic population. Seeing a need, the first Catholic church in Flint Hill was completed in 1883 and name in honor of Father Theodore Krainhardt [sic].

Flint Hill became a tobacco producing community in the early years. Some of the leading tobacco producers had their start in Flint Hill....

These photos were taken on April 24^th, 2007, and the church is shown decorated for the season of Easter.



The church during Eucharistic Adoration, which is held on Tuesdays from 8:45 a.m. until Perpetual Help Devotions and Benediction at 7:00 p.m.



Praise and beauty are before him: holiness and majesty in his sanctuary. — Psalm 95:6

Monstrance and tabernacle of Our Lord, in His sanctuary.





Baptismal font.



· In · honorem · S. · Theodori ·

Saint Theodore was a Roman soldier, martyred in A.D. 306.



Rose window in the sanctuary.



Symbols of the Papacy, including the triple tiara, the Keys of Saint Peter, crosier, and Papal cross.



The Immaculate Heart of Mary. The sword imagery comes from scripture:

And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.

— Luke 2:34-35



These windows let in a rich golden light.



The IX^th Station of the Cross: Jesus falls the third time. Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps though He hardly had strength to move.

The X^th Station of the Cross: Jesus is stripped of his garments. Consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so cruelly treated...





This is one of the few remaining wood-frame churches in the Archdiocese.



The rectory. Father here told me about some history of the parish buildings.



The old school building dates from 1913; the new school building on the left dates from 2000.

Address:
5059 Highway P
Wentzville, Missouri 63385