In February of 1891, the Most Reverend Peter R. Kenrick, Archbishop of St. Louis, granted permission to a group of German residents to establish a new parish and school. The plans for the parish were developed in the home of Engelbert Schaper, after whose name-saint, St. Engelbert, the church was named. A few days after the dedication of the church, the first floor was opened for a parochial school with 36 students in attendance.
The parish had five pastors between the years of 1891-1922. With the appointment of Reverend A.J. Von Brunn, the parish began to grow. In December of 1927, the Most Reverend Archbishop John Glennon dedicated the present Tudor-Gothic style church building. After the dedication of the new church, the old building was converted into four classrooms, which were needed because of the increase of the number families in the parish. The number of students increased from 200 to 350 in two years, and a portable school was added to relieve the congestion of the overcrowded classrooms. By 1930, the number of students attending the school was nearly 500. The present school building was dedicated on October 25, 1931.
By the 1960s, a great change took place in the northeastern section of St. Louis. Many of the old families moved to the County, and the community changed from a German to an African-American community, which it remains today. The school became St. Engelbert Focus School in July 1989 as a direct result of a consolidation of six north area parishes: Most Holy Rosary, St. Adalbert, Visitation, St. Anne’s Shrine, St. Engelbert, and St. Philip Neri. In 2003, St. Engelbert Focus School merged with Bishop Healy to become St. Louis Catholic Academy. The merger included both faculty and students.
Today, St. Louis Catholic Academy serves over 180 students in Kindergarten – 8th Grade.