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Immaculate Conception, erected in 1895, will be razed to make room for the construction. There are no immediate plans for St. David, which dates to the 1960s, but it could eventually be sold, according to a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of 最新杏吧原创.

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski issued a decree this month to shutter the two churches.

The parishes of Immaculate Conception and St. David were merged a couple of years ago to form Holy Family. Initially, weekend Masses were split between St. David, on Tenbrook Road, and Immaculate Conception, on Church Road.

Last fall, all weekend Masses were moved to Immaculate Conception. Its campus also houses a cemetery and Holy Family grade school. The decision was both pastoral and practical, the Rev. Gerald Blessing, pastor of Holy Family, said at the time. St. David鈥檚 air conditioning was not working, and the volunteer maintenance staff was stretched thin.

鈥淲hen the congregation is dispersed, it鈥檚 hard to be as excited as when we鈥檙e all celebrating and worshipping together,鈥� Blessing told the Post-Dispatch last year.

In Rozanski鈥檚 2023 decree about the merger, part of the archdiocese鈥檚 鈥淎ll Things New鈥� downsizing plan, the archbishop hinted at the possibility that Immaculate Conception would need a new church 鈥渁t some point.鈥�

Flooding over the years had compromised the mortar, weakening its walls. Rods had been installed to reinforce them.

Storms that tore through Jefferson County on March 14 hastened the decline. A structural engineer found cracks in the church鈥檚 bell tower and recommended fortifying it with steel. The cost was estimated at $100,000, Blessing wrote to parishioners in an April letter.

An additional $30,000 for tuckpointing and plastering would also be required. Insurance would cover the bell tower work but not the extra repairs, Blessing said.

The finance council and other leaders decided 鈥渋t would not be in the best interest of the parish to pour more resources into such an ailing structure,鈥� the pastor wrote in his letter to families.

After the March storms, church services were shifted to the parish center on the Church Road campus. St. David was still available for weddings and funerals, but leaders decided it would not resume hosting weekend Masses.

鈥淲e do not want to disrupt the unity we now experience,鈥� Blessing wrote in the letter. 鈥淔or the same reasons we chose to move all Masses to this (Church Road) campus last fall, we believe it is in the best interest of our parish to continue worshipping here.鈥�

Immaculate Conception, with its landmark Gothic spire, has a long history in Arnold. The parish was founded in 1840 by German and French immigrants. Its school, now called Holy Family, was formed in 1857, making it one of the oldest schools in the archdiocese.

St. David, about a mile and a half to the northeast, was established in the 1960s to accommodate a booming population in Jefferson County. It was constructed as a 鈥渢emporary place of worship鈥� until a 鈥渕ore worthy鈥� church could be built, according to Rozanski鈥檚 closure decree.

But in the 21st century, church attendance has declined at most parishes across the 最新杏吧原创 region and throughout the country. At the time of the All Things New merger, according to archdiocese documents, Immaculate Conception averaged about 430 people at weekend Masses, almost half the attendance it had 10 years before. St. David averaged fewer than 300, down from more than 500 a decade earlier.

Plans for the new Holy Family church are in the early stages, Blessing announced in the parish bulletin. The building will likely remain in the footprint as the existing church, with seating for 400. Parish assets and reserves can cover half of the estimated $5 million price tag. The rest will come from fundraising.

The new facility could be ready by the end of 2027, Blessing said.

In posts on the Holy Family Facebook page, of the historic church, but many pledged their support through what one parishioner described as 鈥渁 bit of a rocky road ahead.鈥�

No plans have been made yet for the sale of St. David. All Things New merged or closed 50 of the archdiocese鈥檚 178 parishes. So far, none of the affected churches have been sold, but the Missouri Air National Guard has expressed interest in purchasing St. Bernadette in south 最新杏吧原创 County.