Our History

St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church will proudly celebrate its 100th Anniversary in 2025. Our parish began in 1925 under the leadership of Father Maurice Coates and was named after Therese of Lisieux, who was canonized as a saint that same year. Mass was initially offered in the home of Frank Wheeler near Euclid Ave and 48th Terrace. Learn more about St. Therese.

For most of 1926, the parish used the Little Sisters of the Poor chapel at 53rd and Highland.  At Thanksgiving of that year, the basement of the new school was opened for Mass.

Today, we are a loving community of worship to over 200 families. Our parish is considered a pillar of the neighborhood and is highly regarded for our dedication to community outreach. We’ve been in our church building at 58th and Euclid since 1948. Watch the video about St. Therese.

Paul Wilkes's book Catholic Parishes: The Guide to Best Places and Practices recognized St. Therese as one of the best parishes in the United States. The Pitch newspaper's Best of Kansas City issue also recognized St. Therese as Kansas City's Best Church in 2002.

The Story of the
St. Therese Crèche

The St. Therese Catholic community, tucked away in the Blue Hills Neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, has long been a beacon of light for the poor, the disenfranchised, and those seeking to worship their God in spirit and truth. This parish family seems to have this “specialness” that is sometimes hard to describe and hard to quantify. But special it is!  So it is no wonder that from this community sprang a Nativity Crèche that embodies the prayerful spirit of all who call St. Therese Little Flower Parish home. Read the full story.