A Brief History of St. Clement of Rome Parish

St. Clement Parish was founded on March 19, 1952, when Archbishop Joseph Ritter assigned Father Luke Naes as pastor. The six acres purchased by the Archdiocese of St. Louis from the Deutschmann family in 1951 were augmented by an additional three and one-half acres in 1955.

Initially, Mass was celebrated at St. Agnes Home on Manchester and Warson Roads on Sundays and Holy Days and at the temporary rectory at 1134 Bopp Road on weekdays. Ground was broken on July l9, 1953, for the first structure on the premises: the eight classroom school, the cafeteria, and the temporary church. Within a few years, an eight-room addition was added to the school and the rectory was built.

By 1959, the parish had grown to 400 families and the school enrollment peaked at 683 students. The Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O'Fallon), who staffed the school, had been living in quarters within the school building, and the decision was made to construct a convent. The sisters took up residence in their new quarters on Passion Sunday 1960. In 1965, the church was built and the former church was converted into a gymnasium. In 1998, the parish purchased the house at 1456 Bopp Road, immediately south of the rectory, to house the newly-instituted Youth Ministry Program and to provide temporary quarters for the school library. In 2001-2002, a four-classroom addition to the school was constructed, along with a parish center, a new kitchen, principal's offices and a music/assembly room.

In February 1974, due to deteriorating health, Father Naes asked Cardinal Carberry for permission to retire from active ministry. On June 5, 1974, Father John Freiberger assumed the pastorate of St. Clement. During his 16-year tenure, the parish continued to prosper. A second floor addition to the rectory was completed (1979-1980), and a beautiful addition made to the school, consisting of a new kindergarten room and ''Mary’s Room'' (1986). After a lengthy illness, Father Freiberger died on December 30, 1989. Msgr. James Pieper was appointed pastor on January 3l, 1990.

Presently, St. Clement Parish numbers just under 5000 parishioners. There are 330 students enrolled in the elementary school and 180 in the Parish School of Religion.

These facts and statistics are easy to recount, but the richest aspect of our parish's history is impossible to quantify. The friendships that have been formed, the mutual support that has been experienced, the works of charity that have been extended, the memories that have been stored, the praise and glory given to Almighty God are all among the most important factors that make St. Clement parish the warm spiritual home we are so privileged to call our own.