Our History

Incarnate Word Parish was established August 15, 1965, with 325 families by the founding pastor, Father Paul Kaletta. The first Incarnate Word church, rectory, and school buildings were completed in late 1966. Following Father Paul Kaletta’s untimely death on Christmas night of 1974, Father Joseph A. O’Brien was made pastor in the spring of 1975. Under his direction, the Incarnate Word Parish School opened in the fall with an enrollment of 146 students.

In the fall of 1980, Archbishop John L. May granted Father O’Brien permission to build a permanent church. Msgr. Norbert Dietz became pastor in the spring of 1981. Under his leadership, the parish built a new 750-seat church and church hall adjacent to the existing church and school. The new church was completed in time for the first Mass to be offered on Christmas Eve of 1983.

Fr. Robert J. Hermann became pastor of the parish in June of 1988. Through the use of three Parish Vision Weekends and a survey, parish priorities were quickly identified and used to develop a Parish Vision and a Mission. A stewardship program was implemented to generate the personal and financial resources needed to support the unfolding vision with its opportunity for new ministries. The number one priority, identified at this time, was the desire to get high school students to Sunday Masses. The introduction of the National Life Teen program has been an incredible blessing to Incarnate Word parish.

In June of 2001, Incarnate Word Parish completed a five-million-dollar expansion of its facilities. The new facilities included additional classrooms, a parish center that includes a gym and stage, parish offices, multipurpose and meeting rooms, and an Adoration Chapel. On September 9th, 2001, Archbishop Justin Rigali celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving and initiated Perpetual Adoration in the new chapel.

In August of 2002, Fr. Robert Hermann was appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Fr. Hermann was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis on December 12, 2002. Fr. G. Timothy Vowels was appointed the new pastor of Incarnate Word in August 2002.

In June 2017, Fr. Kevin Schroeder was appointed the new pastor of Incarnate Word as Fr. Vowels was placed on medical leave and Fr. David Hogan was appointed Associate Pastor. On September 18, 2017, Deacon Ron Reuther, a longtime member of Incarnate Word, was reassigned to Incarnate Word after Deacon Larry Stallings retired.

In August 2020, two hand-carved and hand-painted statues from Italy, St Joseph the Worker and Madonna with Child and Crown were donated to the Adoration Chapel. A St. Joseph statue, created by Julie Sesti, was commissioned in 2019 by Fr. Schroeder to add to the Madonna and Child statue already in church to form the Holy Family. The Holy Family sculpture was dedicated on the Feast of the Holy Family on December 27, 2020.