ORDAINED IS SET IN ST. LOUIS! A St. Louis Native's Guide to the Comic That's Bringing Our City to the Big Screen
ORDAINED IS SET IN ST. LOUIS!
A St. Louis Native's Guide to the Comic That's Bringing Our City to the Big Screen
Hold Up... THIS IS SET IN ST. LOUIS?!
Yes.
For the first time in what feels like forever, a comic book with major Hollywood backing is actually set in OUR CITY. Not New York. Not LA. St. Louis.
Ordained #1 is set right here in St. Louis, featuring Father Royston Craig's church and the streets of our city.
The catch? While Venditti never officially names the church, all evidence points to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in South St. Louis's Dutchtown neighborhood. An actual 1863 Franciscan parish that perfectly matches the story's location and geography. This hasn't been officially confirmed by the creator, but the geographic fit is too good to ignore.
This isn't just a crime story that happens to mention St. Louis in passing. The entire narrative is built around St. Louis. The church. The hospital. The streets. The Irish mafia. Our city is the actual character in the story.
How Did This Happen? A Possible Connection
Here's something cool: Robert Venditti visited St. Louis in person on May 6, 2023, for Free Comic Book Day at Apotheosis Comics & Lounge in South City (3206 S Grand Blvd). He was there signing books and meeting with the local comic community from 10am to 2pm.
Could that visit have sparked the inspiration for setting Ordained here? Timing-wise, it's very possible. Venditti spent time walking through St. Louis neighborhoods, talking with local readers, experiencing the city's character firsthand. Sometimes all a writer needs is a few hours in a place to feel its energy and want to build a story around it.
Whatever the origin, the result is this: A writer who visited St. Louis created a story that's now bringing Hollywood back to St. Louis.
The Film Adaptation
The Creative Team Behind the Film Adaptation
Colin Farrell: Star | Playing Father Roy
Derek Kolstad: Screenwriter | Creator of John Wick
The Russo Brothers: Producers | AGBO Films
The Story
Father Royston Craig is a priest doing his thing in a St. Louis church. He performs last rites. He helps people. He's got faith, he's got purpose, he's got a collar.
One day, he's called to the hospital to give last rites to a dying man. Standard stuff. Except that man? Cormac Byrne. Head of the Irish mafia. Not really the church-going type.
Father Roy hears his confession. Absolves him. The guy dies... and then doesn't. Miraculous recovery. Byrne finds out that Father Roy knows EVERYTHING about his crimes. So he puts out a hit on the priest.
But here's what makes it complicated: Father Roy used to be Chief Petty Officer Royston Craig. A Navy SEAL. A trained killer. He made a vow to never kill again when he found God in combat. Now he has to protect himself and innocent people while keeping that vow.
Who's Behind This? (Meet Robert Venditti)
Father Roy: The Contradiction That Makes This Work
The Real Drama Isn't External. It's Internal.
It's not just "guy fights bad guys." It's "guy who trained his entire life to be a weapon, but promised God he'd never use that weapon again, now facing impossible choices that test that promise."
See It For Yourself: Preview Pages
Here's what the actual comic looks like. Artist Trevor Hairsine and colorist Dave Stewart made this thing gorgeous:
Page 1: The Setup
Page 2: Hospital Scene
Page 3: The Confession
Page 4: Darkness
Page 5: The Revelation
Page 6: The Threat
Where in St. Louis Is Father Roy's Church?
Robert Venditti never officially names the specific church in any interviews. It's just "his St. Louis church." But based on the story's location details, we can narrow it down.
Based on the narrative elements—a working priest performing last rites at a nearby hospital, the Irish mafia presence, the noir atmosphere, and South St. Louis geography—the story almost certainly takes place in South City's Dutchtown neighborhood.
The Leading Theory: St. Anthony of Padua
The most likely candidate? St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at 3140 Meramec Street in South St. Louis (Dutchtown neighborhood).
Why this makes sense: St. Anthony was established in 1863, is a working-class Franciscan parish, sits in the exact South City location that matches the story's geography, and has the historical authenticity Venditti clearly values. A priest at this real church performing last rites at nearby hospitals? That's pure St. Louis authenticity.
Important note: This has NOT been officially confirmed by Robert Venditti, Bad Idea Comics, or any official source. This is based on careful analysis of the story's location details and neighborhood geography. Venditti may have used a different church as inspiration, a fictionalized version of St. Anthony's, or another real parish entirely.
Visual Evidence: The Architectural Match
In Ordained's artwork, Venditti depicts the church with unmistakable architectural details: red brick construction, a distinctive square Romanesque tower with a cupola, and arched windows. This isn't generic church imagery—it's specific Romanesque architecture that directly echoes St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.
St. Anthony of Padua's Architecture (Built 1908-1910):
- Two square, well-proportioned Romanesque towers
- Red brick and stone construction
- Distinctive cupolas on each tower
- Multiple tiers and architectural detail
- Creates an impression of "massiveness" from exterior
The architectural match between Ordained's illustrated church and St. Anthony of Padua is striking enough to suggest Venditti either used the real church as direct reference or was heavily inspired by Romanesque churches in South St. Louis like St. Anthony's.
St. Louis Locations Throughout Ordained
Venditti grounds the story in specific St. Louis landmarks and settings. Look for these recognizable elements throughout the comic:
Church Exterior
Catholic Church
Mercy Hospital
MetroLink Station
Want to See the Comparison Yourself? View exterior photos of the real St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at Rome of the West's Photo Archive and compare them to the church depicted in Ordained's pages.
Either way, one thing is certain: Venditti set this story in a real St. Louis neighborhood with real historic churches. That's what makes Ordained feel so grounded and authentic.
Explore St. Louis on the Map
Zoom in and imagine Father Roy walking these streets, phone ringing with his next assignment...
Could They Actually Film This in St. Louis?
The Short Answer: YES, PLEASE.
Derek Kolstad is writing the screenplay. Colin Farrell is playing Father Roy. This isn't some indie project. This is a major motion picture in development.
And it's specifically set in St. Louis in the source material, which means...