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Initially, the Shrine was a freestanding building and was not connected to the Academy until the south wing of the school was added in 1961. The Shrine remains unfinished according to its original plan, which called for a cross-shaped building with the longest nave stretching out to the south. When funds were exhausted, however, the building was finished to its present size. Description The Shrine’s two outside entrances represent its Roman
and St. Louis connections. Pope Pius XII, who beatified Philippine, is
represented with his coat of arms over the door of the Rose Garden (north)
entrance; also featured is a mosaic of St. Peter and the quote, “The
work of justice is peace.” The Second Street (east) entrance includes
Cardinal Glennon’s coat of arms, a mosaic of St. Louis, king of France,
and the quote, “I am a soldier of Christ.”
 In the choir loft can be seen a large reproduction of a
stained glass window in Mound City, Kansas, where Mother Duchesne worked
among the Potawatomi Indians for one year. This piece hung on the façade
of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome the morning of her Canonization, July 3,
1988.Pilgrims from around the world come annually to this site, bringing their prayers and petitions to the fourth United States saint. In addition to the Shrine, visitors can see the parlors of the early brick convent building (“the house where charity dwells,” as Philippine described it), the corridors frequented by the saint, and the little cell in which she died at the age of 82. The log cabin which housed the 1818 school is no longer in existence, but primitive relics of the pioneer convent are on exhibit. Books that were brought from France by Philippine and her four fellow missionaries, as well as other meager articles of their religious and academic lives, are preserved here. Hours and ToursThe Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne is open daily for visitation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Docents are available for tours as follows:
Legacy MemorialsNames that are enrolled on the Legacy Memorial Roster are remembered in every Mass that is celebrated in the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne. Any donation is acceptable for these enrollments; however, the suggested offering for an annual enrollment is a minimum of $5. Those in whose name $100 or more has been given are enrolled on the perpetual roster. To request further information, large group reservations, or a Legacy Memorial—or if you are interested in serving as a docent—please contact the Shrine Director. Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne
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St. Philippine Duchesne made her first establishment in the
New World in 1818, opening what was to become the first free school west
of the Mississippi. From that time until her death in 1852, she
established a foothold for Sacred Heart education in America by founding
schools not only in St. Charles but also in Florissant, New Orleans and
St. Louis.
The Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne was begun in 1951
to honor this pioneer Religious of the Sacred Heart. Cardinal Glennon of
St. Louis was one of the strong proponents of the building of the Shrine,
which he envisioned as a basilica to honor the new Beata. However, he died
in 1946 and so it was Archbishop Ritter who presided over the
groundbreaking. On June 13, 1952, the sarcophagus was moved into the
finished Shrine.
The Shrine’s modern interior was designed in 1964 by
William Schickel. The Missouri granite used for the sanctuary furnishings
reflects the hard life the pioneer saint had lived on this site. The
marble sarcophagus is in an alcove facing the altar. Other features of
interest include primitive relics of Philippine’s log cabin days and a
crucifix that once hung in the Visitation convent in Grenoble, where she
attended school as a young girl.