Genevieve, Missouri, the first organized European settlement west of the Mississippi River in the United States of America .

[4] Christian and Catholic history in the region goes back at least until the 1750s, although missionary priests from Kaskaskia, Illinois, and across the Mississippi River may have visited the area earlier.

The first regular pastor, Jean Baptiste de la Morinie, served from November 10, 1761, until October 15, 1763.

The present church was designed by Francis Xavier Weiss, a legendary pastor who served the parish of Ste.

In 1911, the church was enlarged with the rear wall removed and a hexagonal apse and two small transepts erected.

Commandant Francois Valle II and a few of his family members and pastors are buried below the church nave.