The Saint Francis de Sales Church is located in central Muskegon in an area containing a mix of single-family residential dwellings and large industrial and commercial buildings. The church shares its large lot with a small parish school. The facade of the church, or "banner" as it is sometimes referred to, evolves from a simple trapezoidal plan, narrow at its base and widening as it rises some seventy-five feet in height. In the center of the vast gray expanse of the front wall is a bold cross set in relief. Above this, the church's bells are suspended between two concrete arms that cantilever out from the roof ridge. The gray concrete of the facade has a smooth finish created by the subtle texture of the grained surfaces of the wood forms. By contrast the deep ribbed finish of the hyperbolic paraboloid sidewalls was created by staggering the edges of regular boards that served as the formwork. The original one-story narthex that extended from the base of the facade has been expanded by the construction of two wings that extend out in each direction and contain various support spaces for the church. The rectory is a one-story, rectangular wing with a central courtyard located at the rear of the building. The primary elevation of the rectory has a screen wall of hollow clay tile that provides privacy and shade from direct sunlight to the occupants. (Michigan Modern)