st. francis xavier church

This is just a gorgeous space. The architecture and paintings are beautifully kept and maintained. They day we were there someone was playing the piano and the sound filled the entire room. it's a nice place to rest and appreciate art on your way to your next stop in Missoula.

Beautiful church with a friendly, welcoming community! Clear that service to the community is encouraged. Nice Sunday Mass stop on our trip.

St.Francis is a delightful prayer oasis in the heart of Downtown Missoula.The interior historic paintings themselves are worth a visit to the church. You'll find solitude here and will cherish the quiet moments as well.

The paintings, the windows ... OMIGOD. This unknown gem, at least unknown outside Missoula is one of the most beautiful old churches I've ever seen. The paintings could have kept us there for hours.

I must admit to being a bit biased regarding this review as my company did the restoration on the ceiling of the St. Francis many years ago. The church is one of a kind and it was built in the 1890's. It is a testament to the culture of the times and the amazing commitment of one man, Brother Carignano(sp), to do all the painting in this and other buildings across Montana, Idaho, and Washington State.All the artwork and painting in the church were originally painted by him and to be selected to do the restoration of the ceiling was truly an honor. The ceiling was painted over post WWII and we had the task of restoring it to its original condition. The murals are a wonderful representation of Brothers work, and the stencil work is truly something to behold. As you walk through the church, be aware of the fact that the murals on the ceilings and walls, were the early works of Brother Carignano. The individual "Stations of the Cross" that sit on the walls around the church, are works he did in oils and much later in his career. The point I am making here is that the artists works can be seen to improve greatly from his early days painting in egg tempura, to his masterful works done in the end of his career. You will note the difference easily as he truly evolved into a master painter. By the way, consider if you will the fact that egg tempura requires a large number of eggs to create the paint. the process in itself is an interesting one. Take and egg and crack it open, leaving the yolk behind and eliminating the egg white. A piece of silk s used to hold onto the egg while pricking the underside of the yolk with a pin, thereby allowing the liquid yolk to run into a bowl. Natural dry pigments are then introduced into the yolk to create the color and eventually the paint used in all the murals in the church. Now you can get some idea of the number of eggs used in the painting of this church. There is much to see and appreciate at the St. Francis Church and I encourage everyone to take in yet another of Missoula's wonderful treasures.

The St. Francis Xavier Church in Downtown Missoula is beautiful. The time and energy that went into this beautiful building should be celebrated and enjoyed, no matter what your faith is.