This church is destined to become one of the most important in the city, although it is situated today in a very sparsely populated district. Father O’Connor says that he had this in mind and builded a church which will be a credit to the parish and city as well in years to come.
… Norman style of architecture used … construction of the structure has … by critics as being a … of the style. An ear-… part of the archi-… which would … and quite re-… churches of Europe … workmen. … interest in … Study of the Study & Farrar and William P. McMahon, say there is instantly distinguishable in the edifice a marked quality that only can come from the hand of the artisan who had a sense of pride in his work and a personal interest.
The walls of the building are of solid masonry, varying from two to three feet thick. Old Irish and French walls were picked as patterns for this type of construction. The architects worked with the masons, using photographs and drawing of the churches in the old country, their walls and designs, until the desired result was obtained.
There is no woodwork on the exterior of the building. All tracery, mullions and cornices are of
stone and the glass windows are set directly into the stone work without wooden frames.
The great wheel window over the main entrance, the gift of the late D. D. Walker, comes from the workshops of Charles Connick of Boston, who is one of the greatest workers in stained glass of modern times. The Eastern critics who viewed this window while it was still in Connick’s shop pronounced it to be the finest wheel window in America. The window measures 22 feet in diameter, and is composed of eight panels formed by stone tracery. The glass gives the effect of a great mass of jewels held suspended in air, and surrounding the crowned head of the Virgin as queen of heaven.
The crowning motive, up to which every line in the architecture leads and upon which all interest centers in this church, is the beautiful carved screen, reredos and alter, made of Texas cream stone. In beauty of design and in exquisite execution of detail this screen must be looked upon as a marvelous piece of work. The screen in design recalls the tomb of Bishop Fox in Wir…chester Cathedral. The reredos, composed of richly carved niches, shoes statues, unfortunately, are not yet in place, and canopies, rises as the center mass of this very remarkable piece of Gothic design.
The magnificent reredos in Ch… Church Cathedral of this city, which is much larger and richer in design, influenced the architects in designing … altar. While the former was carved … the workshops of Harry Hems in E…ter, England, the reredos, screen and altar of Our Lady of Lourdes Church may be regarded as more wonderful being executed entirely in St. Louis … T. G. Schrader Sons Company.
Article courtesy of the Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, Missouri, Clayton Branch. Published Friday, October 31, 1919.