Being non-Catholic in St. Louis

[Dan1Dad]

Speaking of city schools, if you do have children you should get the applications for the Magnet schools. Mine go there and they are great! They were started as a test about 20 years ago, and I think its been successful, so I hope they will finally change the rest of the schools to the Magnet format. I doubt it thought because then who would they have to brag about. Anyway, if you have kids, get the application ASAP and fill it out. The cut off date for next year is coming up, but Ive discovered they are kind of liberal with that date. Then again, that might be because we've been in the magnet schools for a while. Might not be the same for newbies.
From what Ive seen living very close to a public school in south st. louis and knowing people who work both for the board of education downtown and at the public schools themselves, and its best to avoid the public school if you can. When Jr high girls get into knock down drag out fights with blood and heads being bashed on the blacktop, its not the kind of place I want my daughter at. I watched that one myself. about 25 girls right out in front of the school, and no one tried to stop it. Some public schools the students are escorted to the buses one route at a time from the building because kids would cross over and start fights just going from the school building to the buses in the parking lots. And this in South St. Louis, were its suppose to be a much calmer atmosphere.
Go Magnet or Charter. From my experience, avoid public like the plague.

[visitorgirl]

Hi,

I am a native St. Louisan and also a Baptist, though not of the Southern Baptists specifically. As a Protestant in a largely Catholic city, I have often felt like a minority, but never isolated. Most of my friends are Catholic, but I also have many friends who are Lutheran, Methodist, Assembly of God, and Presbyterian, just to name a few. As with any new town, you'll have to shop around a bit, but I am sure you'll find what you are looking for. If you like larger churches, you might try Family Church in Chesterfield, they are well-liked and well-attended, and I hear they put on a great Christmas Pageant!

I also wanted to respond to the poster who portrayed public schools as trashy and one-way tickets to juvee - I went to Rockwood School District schools and Parkway Schools, and I have to say that I am confident I got as good an education and preparation for college as I would have at any private/parochial school. Sure, Rockwood and Parkway are well-funded, highly-acclaimed and award winning districts, and there are some not so well off ones, mostly in the city, unfortunately. However, Kirkwood, Ladue, Clayton, Rockwood and Parkway districts, as well as several others, are all exemplary school districts with very high standards for teachers, programs and facilities, not to mention sports teams.

My sister and I, as well as many other friends and classmates who also attended area public schools, have done much better in college and in our careers than many friends who attended some of the priciest and most elite parochial schools in the area. I also have many friends who went to private schools who have done just fine too. Please don't believe the scare-mongering. There are plenty of excellent, top-notch schools here, both public and private.

[Bobster]

One of the cool things about living in a city as big as St. Louis is that just about every ethnic or religious group is represented.

[fieldstriper]

We won't knock on your door and tell you "we are the true church" if you don't knock on ours and ask us "if you died today do you know for sure that you would go to heaven".This is a huge Catholic town, but not much evangelizing going on. You'll be fine as long as you don't get crazy and try to take away our beer on Sunday or something like that.If that happens, we will treat you like Jerry The King Lawler treated the late Andy Kauffman when he visited Memphis.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by fieldstriper

We won't knock on your door and tell you "we are the true church" if you don't knock on ours and ask us "if you died today do you know for sure that you would go to heaven".This is a huge Catholic town, but not much evangelizing going on. You'll be fine as long as you don't get crazy and try to take away our beer on Sunday or something like that.If that happens, we will treat you like Jerry The King Lawler treated the late Andy Kauffman when he visited Memphis.

What turned me off to Memphis within the first week was the number of times I was asked where do I go to church. It seemed to be done in such away of "selling my church" instead of "evangelizing".

[Kanick]

I moved to St. Louis when I was 8 and was raised Christian Scientist. Believe it or not, even the Christian Scientists have their own private school here, called The Principia. I went to public schools and had friends of all religions. The high school I graduated from was about 50% Jewish. My husband is Lutheran and right in our area we have 3 large Lutheran Churches, one with a school. The public elementary school my son attends is about 10% Muslim (we live near a Mosque). One my street alone we have 2 Jewish families, 3 Muslim families, 2 Christian Science families (4 if you count the me and another exer) and a Chinese Baptist. Also a lot of people in my neighborhood attend an EFree Church? I think it's sort of like Baptist maybe and there is a huge Presbyterian Church with a school nearby as well. Most of our kids play sports at the local Catholic parish and it's no big deal.

Over 50% of St. Louis is non-Catholic.

[WestCoDude]

I'm Catholic and go to a local parish here in Chesterfield AND I go to a local Baptist church (with non-Catholic family members).

St. Louis is very, very Catholic--but it is a religiously rich community for those of evangelical, Catholic, and Jewish faiths. It's a great experience being in an area where religious faith is taking so seriously.