A resolution honoring the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of St. Louis was unanimously adopted by the St. Louis County Council at its meeting on June 23.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis is composed of 178 parishes encompassing the city of St. Louis and 10 surrounding counties, including St. Louis County.
Sponsored by Sixth District Councilman Mike Archer (R-Oakville), Second District Councilwoman Gretchen Bangert (D-Hazelwood) and Third District Councilman Dennis Hancock (R-Fenton), the resolution went over the vast history of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, highlighting milestones. Specifically emphasized was “that over the course of two centuries, the Archdiocese of St. Louis has founded and sustained parishes, elementary schools, high schools, universities, hospitals, orphanages and social service agencies in every neighborhood of the region, and has educated millions and served countless families, especially the poor and vulnerable.”
“I know how important the diocese and the Catholic Church and the faith has been with my family. I can’t imagine just all the families in the St. Louis area that the diocese has touched and ministered to,” Archer, the resolution’s author, said after it was read in full.
He later expounded on this to The Call, sharing about his collaboration with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital through his Guardian ad Litem work with abused and neglected children, as well as his work at St. Patrick’s Center, helping the unhoused.
“The outreach through the medical, through the social … I’ve seen a lot of the benefits within the community,” Archer said.
Following the council’s unanimous adoption, the resolution was accepted by Very Rev. Scott Jones, Vicar for the Northern Vicariate, on behalf of the Archbishop of St. Louis. In his address to the council and community in attendance, Jones stressed that while it is important to celebrate the past, it is equally relevant to acknowledge shortcomings, noting the fact that the church, at one time, participated in slavery.
“As we reflect on some of our low moments, it helps us to take a look at what we need to look at today, such as preservation of human life from conception to natural death, the plight of our undocumented brothers and sisters and what’s going on with them, ongoing tornado relief, and just making sure all of our young people have every opportunity to be safe and to succeed in life,” Jones said.
Despite passing early in the meeting, the resolution was brought up again during public comment by speaker Shira Truitt. Truitt — the council’s legislative researcher, who has served in that capacity since April 2025, and a practicing Catholic — spoke in opposition.
“The resolution purposefully and conveniently fails to mention the contributions of enslaved Africans … but it does mention the influx of immigrants. Except for a lone saint … no women religious were mentioned,” Truitt said.
Truitt then shared that she had offered different language in writing, but it was rejected.
“I didn’t agree with her. I was focusing on the diocese, and she wanted to expand it to the different orders here in St. Louis. I thought that that became too expansive and too unwieldy,” Archer said. “If you got into that, we’d still be reading the resolution … I can appreciate her passion, but within these resolutions … you’ve got so much information, and you want to have so much there, but you’ve only got so much space to do it in.”
