About the Guild
A Catholic fraternal organization for tradesmen, based at Saint Mary of Victories in St. Louis. Consecrated to St. Joseph the Worker and St. Louis IX.
What a guild is
A Catholic tradesmen's guild is an association of men engaged in the skilled trades who, under the social teaching of the Church, unite their professional, fraternal, and spiritual lives. They seek holiness through their work, mutual assistance through brotherhood, and the flourishing of their families, trades, parishes, and communities.
Catholic workers' guilds were once near the heart of maintaining the fabric of Christian society. They served workers, the people, and the Church alike. Worker's guilds were the very soul of pre-modern Catholic civilization, and they may be again.
- Purpose
- We exist to build a brotherhood where Catholic tradesmen and their families can flourish.
- How
- We unite our members through mutual assistance, spiritual formation, networking, and practical resources.
- Who
- Catholic men in the skilled trades, working or retired, and their families.
“We greatly wish, for the salvation of the people, that these guilds may be generally restored. To help the honest workman, to protect and guard his children and family, and to promote in them piety, Christian knowledge, and a moral life.”
Why a guild is needed again
Skilled tradesmen keep the water running, the lights on, the heat working, and the roofs over our heads. For those with limited means, a small independent tradesman may be the last person willing to answer the call. Yet the men who faithfully care for others are often left to carry their own burdens alone.
- Highest suicide rate
- The CDC identifies construction and extraction as the occupational group with the highest suicide rate in the nation.
- Second in fatal injury
- Construction and extraction ranks second in fatal workplace injury, with 12.6 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2024, nearly four times the rate across all occupations. This is the Bureau of Labor Statistics figure by occupation group, not by industry.
- Isolating work
- Construction ranks among the industries with the highest rates of substance-use disorder, and research increasingly points to loneliness and lack of social support as serious concerns for the trades.
- No safety net
- Among the Guild's own members, more than 90% have no employer-sponsored health insurance, and at least 20% have no health coverage at all.
Sources: CDC, suicide rates by occupational group; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2024. Membership figures are the Guild's own.
We have seen the consequences, and the difference a brotherhood makes. One member was enduring the slowest month of his business when his wife suffered a medical emergency, leaving the family facing roughly $12,000 in medical costs. It could have put him out of business. Within two weeks, fellow Catholics had raised the funds. Another young father, caught between careers and struggling to provide for his family, was given work, mentorship, and generous wages by fellow Catholic tradesmen. In both cases what sustained a family was not an institution, but a community willing to say: you are not alone.
Names withheld at the members’ request.
What the Guild does
Five areas of work. Spiritual growth comes first because everything else depends on it.
Spiritual growth
- Consecration to St. Joseph the Worker and St. Louis IX as patrons.
- Monthly tradesmen-focused Masses, adoration, and spiritual direction.
- An annual tradesmen’s retreat.
- The annual St. Joseph the Worker Holy Day procession.
Business networking and fraternity
- A member directory for referrals and a public directory of vetted Catholic tradesmen.
- A monthly newsletter, and pricing advocacy that accounts for local costs of living, for clients, employees, and owners alike.
- Monthly formation meetings to foster Catholic business ethics and strengthen bonds between members.
Corporal works of mercy
- Discounted and pro bono work for families, parishes, schools, and shrines in need.
- Emergency response: storm cleanup, tarping, and manual labor.
- Every member gives at least 16 hours, two service days, of designated charity work a year.
Education and opportunity
- Career guidance and enrichment courses for members, and introductory classes for Catholic homeowners.
- Come-and-see visits and career consultation for families and prospective members discerning a future in the trades.
Practical resources
- A shared workshop and tool library, stocked and maintained by member donations, so no tradesman has to buy alone what the Guild can provide together. Used in part to discount material costs for work serving disadvantaged clients.
- Healthcare options and financial relief for members between jobs, recently laid off, or supporting a family through a hard season.
Done so far at Saint Mary of Victories
Since the Guild began serving at Saint Mary of Victories, the parish's operating costs are down 8% year over year. The Guild has given countless hours of discounted and pro bono labor on behalf of the church.
Our values
- Steadfast endurance
- We work diligently, follow through on our commitments, and pursue excellence in everything entrusted to us. (2 Peter 1:6)
- Humble service
- We lead and contribute with humility, putting our talents to work for the benefit of others.
- Faithful integrity
- We act honestly and transparently, ensuring our words, decisions, and conduct remain faithful to Catholic teaching.
- Proactive ownership
- We approach obstacles with resourcefulness, personal responsibility, and a determination to move forward.
Where we are headed
- This year
- Build the founding board, welcome the first 60 dues-paying members, stand up the referral and networking system members have been asking for, secure access to tradesmen's Masses and the sacraments, and put a concrete healthcare plan on the table to be implemented in 2028.
- By 2029
- 350 active members, monthly Mass and Holy Hour, an annual retreat, an established tradesmen education program, a working referral directory, healthcare options for members, and a governing board of five to seven.
- By 2031
- 500 Guild members with a 75% year-over-year retention rate.
Leadership: Thomas Reilly, president. Daniel Kovach, secretary. Fr. Michael Novak, chaplain.
Join us
There is a fallen plaque in the ancient corridors of the Catholic Church. A plaque lying dusty, trampled, and forgotten. It was forged over centuries by the hands of thousands of devout workmen. Upon it, the words still faintly glimmer: Tradesman's Guild.
A guild that sees man not merely as an economic unit, but as body and soul, created in the image of God. A guild that sees labor and family not as competitors, but as intimately bound together. A guild that sees work not as a means to grow rich, but as a calling to grow holy.
Will you join us in breathing new life into the Catholic guild tradition, and restoring Christ to His rightful place in our work, our communities, and our families?