Incarnate Word Heritage

Incarnate Word parish was established on August 15, 1965. At that time, the area was composed of sprawling farmlands in West St. Louis County. These lands had become the center of an expansive home building program, which resulted in a rapid influx of Catholic families to the area. The majority of the territory encompassed by Incarnate Word parish was formerly within the boundaries of St. Monica's parish, which is located further East on Olive Boulevard in Creve Coeur. Incarnate Word parish grew rapidly. In 1967, its southern portion became part of St. Anselm's parish. In 1972, a segment near the northern boundary became part of the new St. John Bosco parish.

Father Paul Kaletta, the founding pastor of Incarnate Word, held masses in the chapel at Maryville College while living in an apartment in Four Season's subdivision. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart at Maryville College were gracious and generous hosts who shared their chapel with the ever-increasing number of Incarnate Word parishioners. The chapel easily accommodated the original 325 families as they awaited completion of the Incarnate Word school building. The first Incarnate Word church was housed in what would later become the gymnasium of the current school. The rectory and school building were completed in late 1966.

Archdiocesan policy during the sixties did not promote the opening of new Catholic schools. The school building was rented to Villa Maria Montessori and the Parkway School District, but was reserved for use of the parish school of religion (P.S.R.) in the afternoon and evenings.

Father Kaletta placed the P.S.R. program under the direction of two Incarnate Word Sisters, Sister Joan Holden and Sister Jane Grail. The Incarnate Word P.S.R. program reached an enrollment of over 1500 pupils, which made it the largest in the Archdiocese at that time. Parishioners volunteered their services to teach the elementary, junior high and high school classes.