Since 2005 the church has been operated by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which practices the Latin liturgy and emphasizes the liturgical arts, with a strong music program.

St. Francis de Sales parish was formed in 1867 to serve a growing German Catholic community,[2] whose members, at that time, were attending the church of Saints Peter and Paul in Soulard.

[3] In 1903, Frederick George Holweck, German-American scholar and church historian, returned as pastor to St. Francis De Sales, where he had earlier served as curate.

Saint Francis de Sales Church was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style according to the design of Berlin architect Viktor Klutho.

In 1968, St. Francis de Sales was named a significant historic building by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The hall church plan permits exceptionally tall windows; the stained glass is the work of the eminent St. Louis glazier Emil Frei, Sr., at that time recently arrived from Munich.

Founded in the 1860s to serve the German immigrant community, today Saint Francis de Sales is home to a growing congregation from several backgrounds.

In accord with the Institute of Christ the King’s emphasis on the solemnity of the sacred liturgy and the beauty of liturgical arts, the Oratory has a highly developed music program, with several choirs specializing in Gregorian chant and polyphony.

"[7] In September 2015, the Choir of Saint Francis de Sales Oratory, under the direction of Mr. Nicholas Botkins released a recording of polyphonic music entitled O Lux Beatissima.

A 2019 press release announced the purchase of a Karl Wilhelm Opus 123, a three-manual and pedal, 58-rank freestanding mechanical action organ.

This earlier instrument survives today and continues to serve St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church of Altus, Arkansas, where it was installed in 1925.

Like the original instrument by Pfeffer & Sons, the new Wilhelm organ contains entirely mechanical key-and-stop action and is hand built using the most traditional construction techniques so that it can withstand centuries of use.

[10] St. Francis de Sales Oratory won the 'Church Madness 2017' vote for the most beautiful Roman Catholic Church in the United States.