May 27 2026RELIGION
A look at how St. Louis became a city of faith and firsts
Back in the early 1800s, St. Louis wasn't exactly known for piety. When a man named Stephen Hempstead moved to this small trading post in 1811, he called it "the worst place I've ever seen. " The city's reputation troubled church leaders too. Roman Catholic Bishop Benedict Flaget visited in 1814 and
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