The Oblates of Wisdom Era (2005–2023)
One of the most distinctive chapters in the recent life of Saint Mary of Victories began in July 2005, when then-Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke established the Oblates of Wisdom Study Center in the upper floor of the chapel rectory and formally reduced Saint Mary of Victories from a parish to the status of a chapel.
Msgr. John Francis McCarthy, P.A.
May 7, 1930 — March 11, 2024
Monsignor John Francis McCarthy, P.A. (1930–2024)
A Vatican theologian, founder of the Oblates of Wisdom and the Roman Theological Forum, and a prolific scholar who helped bring 28 men to the priesthood. Monsignor served as Director of the Oblates of Wisdom Study Center here from 2005 to 2019 and passed away on March 11, 2024, age 93. A memorial Mass was celebrated here on April 20, 2024.
Fr. Brian W. Harrison, O.S.
Australian-born, ordained in Saint Peter’s Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1985, and a prolific theologian with over 120 published articles. Fr. Harrison introduced the Latin Ordinary Form Mass with Gregorian Chant at SMV — one of the only such Masses in the Archdiocese — and celebrated it 417 consecutive times. He served as Chaplain from 2012 until his retirement. Learn about the Latin Mass →
Read the full biographies of Monsignor McCarthy and Fr. Harrison, including their scholarly works and links to their books, on the Oblates of Wisdom Biographies page →
The Society of the Oblates of Wisdom
Founded in 1979, the Oblates of Wisdom is a priestly society dedicated to fostering love for Jesus through Mary and promoting the Church’s teaching in the light of her dogmatic, moral, and mystical tradition. Their charism — uniting priests to the Heart of Jesus, the Eternal Wisdom, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Seat of Wisdom — found a natural home at a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Victories.
Learn more about the Oblates of Wisdom →
The Marian Academy — Oblates of Holy Tradition
The Marian Academy of the Oblates of Holy Tradition, founded in 1983, is the lay affiliate of the Oblates of Wisdom — an association of Roman Catholic men and women dedicated to the glorification of God and the sanctification of its members. The Immaculate Conception Chapter remains present at Saint Mary of Victories today.
Learn more about the Marian Academy →
Joseph Vincent O’Toole — In Memoriam
Joseph Vincent O’Toole
Sept. 6, 1949 – June 22, 2025
Joseph Vincent O’Toole (September 6, 1949 – June 22, 2025) was a member of the Chapel Leadership Council at Saint Mary of Victories and one of its most generous and trusted friends. A man of deep Catholic faith, Joe brought exceptional business acumen and operational expertise to the challenges facing the chapel, serving as a trusted advisor to the Director and Council on business and operational matters.
Joe’s generosity to Saint Mary of Victories was extraordinary, and his counsel was invaluable. His calm judgment, his willingness to give of his time, and his commitment to the chapel’s mission made him indispensable during a critical period in its life. His wife Mary and family remain supportive of the chapel and we hold them in our prayers.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
The Visit of Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine — November 2020
A Church With Nine Lives
Saint Mary of Victories has survived demolition, highway construction, epidemic, and the long erosion of its surrounding neighborhoods across 180 years. After the German community dispersed, the Hungarians breathed new life into the chapel in 1957. After the parish was reduced to a chapel in 2005, the Oblates of Wisdom brought a new liturgical character and scholarly community. After Covid silenced public events, the chapel opened again. Each chapter of near-extinction has been followed by renewal.
The resilience of this place is not accidental. It is the fruit of generations of faithful men and women who refused to let it go — German immigrants, Hungarian refugees, Oblate priests, lay volunteers, and friends of the chapel from across the region.
The All Things New Archdiocesan Reorganization
In May 2023, Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski announced the final version of a sweeping pastoral reorganization of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, formally titled All Things New. The plan reduced the number of parishes from 178 to 134, responding to a decline in priests, shifting Catholic populations, and changing pastoral needs.
“The church experience in our parishes today is not the same as it was 50 years ago. Yet we are still functioning in many ways out of the same mode of evangelization with the same structures. We have inherited a great treasure of Catholic institutions from previous generations, but many of them are no longer as effective or sustainable as they once were.”
— Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, May 27, 2023
The Archdiocese was divided into three new vicariates. Saint Mary of Victories falls within the Northern Vicariate, within the territorial boundaries of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish.
Saint Mary of Victories as a Chapel
Saint Mary of Victories did not close under All Things New. We are grateful to the Archdiocese for the opportunity to continue operating as a chapel — open for worship, pilgrimage, heritage tours, and our monthly Sunday Mass.
The chapel is guided by an unpaid Director who serves as an Archdiocesan employee, keeping Saint Mary of Victories connected to the broader life of the Church. The day-to-day life of the chapel is sustained entirely by a group of dedicated volunteers who operate the chapel, maintain safety and security, perform maintenance and upkeep, and coordinate events — all without compensation, out of love for this sacred place.
Help Us Continue
Saint Mary of Victories depends entirely on the generosity of the faithful. There is no parish income, no school, no collection beyond what visitors and friends contribute. Every donation goes directly to the preservation of this irreplaceable historic church and the continuation of its sacred mission.
If this place has meant something to you — if you have prayed here, been married here, toured here, or simply felt the weight of its history — please consider making a gift.