The church originally met in Ruddiman Terrace, a WWII-era federally constructed building.

[6] The church's new building quickly proved inadequate for the parish's growing membership and by 1958 plans for another structure were underway.

[3] St. Francis de Sales commissioned modernist architect Marcel Breuer to design the structure in 1961; construction on the building began three years later in 1964.

Given the structure's unconventional forms, contractors known for expertise in poured concrete were specifically selected for the project.

[3] In 1989 the parish executed a round of renovations that included the addition of south and main entrances and construction of Shepherds Hall, a social center.