Province of st. louis

Pope Pius IX created the Province of St. Louis in 1847. The Province consists of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and three dioceses in Missouri—Kansas City-St. Joseph, Jefferson City, and Springfield-Cape Girardeau. The Province has 789,000 Catholics, 13 percent of the total population. It is the third oldest Province in the United States. In 2000, the Province had 859,000 Catholics or 16 percent of the total population.

I have visited both the “old” and the “new” cathedrals in St. Louis and the cathedrals in Kansas City and Cape Girardeau. In my humble opinion, the current Cathedral of St. Louis is the most beautiful and spectacular cathedral in the United States. I first saw it over 25 years ago and have seen it a couple of times since. It is awesome in every sense of the word. And I am not alone in this belief. A friend told me he was in a taxi going to the St. Louis airport a few years ago when the driver asked him if he had seen the Cathedral. My friend said no, so the taxi driver took him there and turned off the meter while my friend visited the church. He told me he was greatly impressed with the Cathedral’s beauty.

Map of the Province

Catholic History of Missouri

Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette had explored the Mississippi River near what is now Missouri in 1673; and LaSalle claimed the Mississippi River valley for France in 1682; but the first French settlements in the area were on the east side (Illinois) of the river. A French mining engineer, Phillippe Renault, came to the west side of the river to conduct mining operations in what is now Old Mines in 1723. He built a Catholic chapel and priests from Illinois would periodically come to minister to the miners. Ste. Genevieve was founded in 1735 and was the first permanent settlement in what is now Missouri. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended French colonization in what is now the United States and the Mississippi River became the dividing line between English territory on the east and Spanish on the west. St. Louis was established as a trading post in 1764 and received an influx of French-speaking people who preferred to live under the rule of Catholic Spain rather than that of Protestant England.

Missouri became part of the United States as a result of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. At that time, Missouri also became part of the Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas. This Diocese stretched from Florida to the Canadian border and from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains covering almost 900,000 square miles and for many years it had no bishop. Archbishop Carroll of Baltimore administered the Diocese until 1812, when he appointed Louis Dubourg as diocesan administrator. Dubourg was consecrated Bishop of the Diocese in 1815 in Europe and remained in Europe until 1818 raising money and recruiting priests and nuns for his Diocese. When he returned to the United States, he chose not to live in New Orleans, the seat of the Diocese, but rather in St. Louis, due to conflicts with some members of the clergy and laity in New Orleans. He resided in St. Louis until 1823 when he moved to New Orleans.

While in St. Louis, Dubourg started what is now Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and St. Louis University, built a brick St. Louis Church, and invited several religious orders to the Diocese including Vincentian and Jesuit priests and Sacred Heart nuns. The Jesuits started missions to the Native American peoples and the Sacred Heart sisters started schools and did missionary work among the Native Americans. The Sisters were led by Mother Rose Duchesne, who was canonized in 1988.

Missouri was organized as a Territory in 1812 and it became the 24^th State in 1821. Missouri had about 70,000 people when it became a State and over 10,000 of those people lived in St. Louis. By 1821, St. Louis was becoming less French and more Irish and German. The Diocese of St. Louis was established in 1826—the 10^th diocese in the United States. By the late 1840s, Missouri had over 600,000 residents and St. Louis had a population of about 75,000. Pope Pius IX raised St. Louis to an Archdiocese in 1847—the third in the United States.

Catholic fur traders had been coming to Western Missouri since at least the early 1700s and missionaries had traveled through the area as well. Kansas City and St. Joseph both began as trading posts—Kansas City in 1821 and St. Joseph in 1826. Both were founded by French Catholics. In 1860, St. Joseph had a population of 9,000 and Kansas City of 4,000. In 1868, Pope Pius IX created a new Diocese for Western Missouri—the Diocese of St. Joseph. By 1880, Kansas City had grown significantly larger than St. Joseph—56,000 people versus 32,000—and Pope Leo XIII created a second diocese in Western Missouri in 1880—the Diocese of Kansas City. Missouri continued to grow—from 2.2 million people in 1880 to 4 million in 1950. Pope Pius XII created two new dioceses in Missouri in 1956—the Diocese of Jefferson City and the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau—and merged the Dioceses of Kansas City and St. Joseph into a single diocese.

Archdiocese of St. Louis

The Archdiocese of St. Louis consists of 10 counties and the City of St. Louis in eastern Missouri. The archdiocese has 517,000 Catholics (23 percent of the total population) in 195 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishop of St. Louis

Joseph Rosati, C.M. (1789-1843)

· Born in Italy and ordained a Vincentian priest in 1811.

· Appointed Vicar Apostolic of Mississippi and Alabama in 1822, but he declined and the appointment was rescinded.

· Also served as coadjutor bishop of Louisiana (1823-1826), Apostolic Administrator of New Orleans, with residence in St. Louis (1826-1829), and Apostolic Administrator of St. Louis (1826-1827).

· First Bishop of St. Louis (1827-1843).

Joseph Rosati was one of the priests recruited by Bishop Louis Dubourg to come to the United States. Rosati was named coadjutor to Dubourg (then Bishop of Louisiana) in 1823 and became the first Bishop of St. Louis in 1827. His new Diocese covered territory from Arkansas to the Canadian border and from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. It also included western Illinois. At the time of its creation, this vast territory had about 25,000 Catholics served by about 40 churches and 20 priests. Rosati invited additional religious orders to the Diocese (including the Jesuits who opened St. Louis University), opened the first hospital west of the Mississippi River, and started a Catholic newspaper published in both English and French (Rosati spoke seven languages). He also built what is now called the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral). He attended several Provincial Councils in Baltimore (and wrote many of the resulting documents) and along with another bishop translated St. Robert Bellarmine’s catechism into English. He traveled to Europe in 1840 to raise funds and recruit priests and nuns for his Diocese and died in Rome in 1843.

Archbishops of St. Louis

Peter R. Kenrick (1806-1896)

· Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in Ireland in 1832.

· Also served as coadjutor bishop of St. Louis (1841-1843).

· Bishop of St. Louis (1843-1847) and first Archbishop of St. Louis (1847-1895).

· His older brother, Francis, served as Bishop of Philadelphia and Archbishop of Baltimore.

Peter Kenrick was appointed coadjutor bishop of St. Louis in 1841 after serving as a priest in Philadelphia, where his older brother, Francis, was Bishop. He became the Bishop of St. Louis upon the death of Bishop Rosati. Kenrick inherited a large Diocesan debt, which he paid off with little help from prominent local Catholics. In 1845, Kenrick established the first

U.S.

chapter of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society at the Old St. Louis Cathedral in 1845 and the first U.S. chapter of the Ladies of Charity at St. Vincent de Paul parish in St. Louis in 1857. Kenrick became Archbishop in 1847 and immediately began a 10-week trip to parishes throughout Missouri. Immigrants, especially from Germany, were coming to St. Louis in large numbers during the middle of the 19^th Century and Kenrick invited religious orders to build parishes, schools, and charitable organizations for them and he also established a successful immigrants’ bank. Kenrick remained neutral during the Civil War but took a strong stand against the doctrine of papal infallibility on matters of Faith during the First Vatican Council in 1870. His argument was based on the theological point that infallibility was shared by the Pope with the other bishops and on the practical point that such a proclamation would be unpopular in countries, such as the United States, where Catholics were a minority. He left before the vote. His opposition led him to cede management of the Archdiocese to Patrick Ryan, who was appointed coadjutor Archbishop in 1872. For twelve years, until Ryan was appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia in 1884, Kenrick spent much of his time devoted to spiritual and scholarly activities. Kenrick resumed his role as Archbishop after the departure of Ryan. John Kain was appointed coadjutor archbishop in 1893 (at the request of some of the Archdiocese’s priests), but the two did not enjoy a good relationship. Kenrick resigned in 1895 and died the next year. Kenrick served as Bishop and Archbishop of St. Louis for almost 52 years—longer than any other U.S. bishop in a single diocese. Even though the Archdiocese was much smaller in size, the number of Catholics doubled to 200,000 in the period from 1843 to 1895 and the number of parishes increased from 75 to 175.

John J. Kain (1841-1903)

· Born in Virginia and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1866.

· Also served as Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia (1875-1893) and coadjutor archbishop of St. Louis (1893-1895).

· Archbishop of St. Louis (1895-1903).

John Kain, as coadjutor archbishop, succeeded Kenrick as Archbishop in 1895 and faced a crisis the following year when a tornado damaged much of St. Louis, including several Catholic churches and other Catholic properties, which Kain rebuilt. Kain implemented several of the decrees of the Third Plenary Council of the U.S. bishops held in Baltimore in 1884. These included establishing parochial schools in each parish, if possible, and granting full parish status to National (ethnic) churches. He also required each parish to submit an annual report on its activities. Kain called for the building of a new cathedral, bought the land on which the current Cathedral is located, and donated his estate to the building fund. Kain died in 1903.

John J. Glennon (1862-1946)

· Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1884.

· Also served as coadjutor bishop of Kansas City, Missouri (1896-1903) and coadjutor bishop of St. Louis (1903).

· Archbishop of St. Louis (1903-1946).

As coadjutor archbishop, Glennon became Archbishop upon the death of Archbishop Kain. Glennon is perhaps best known as the builder of the magnificent Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on Lindell Boulevard. Glennon built many other buildings as well, including a new Kenrick Seminary, seven high schools, many parishes and elementary schools, hospitals, and homes for the needy. He did all of this without incurring debt for the Archdiocese. He also established the Colonization Movement, which created rural communities for ethnic Catholics, and his interest in rural Catholics led to his hosting of the first meeting in 1923 of what is now the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. Glennon also provided improved healthcare and other charitable services for the poor and disadvantaged. He established the first newspaper for the Archdiocese, appointed the first superintendent for Archdiocesan schools, and started many programs for the laity. Archbishop Glennon also opened two colleges for women and insisted that Catholic school teachers have adequate academic training. He was known for his oratorical skills and gave the homily at the funeral of Cardinal James Gibbons in 1922—then the most prominent American Catholic. He led the Archdiocese through two world wars and the Great Depression. Pope Pius XII consecrated him as a Cardinal in 1946 in Rome, but Glennon died in Ireland on his way home to St. Louis. Glennon’s tenure as Archbishop was the 9^th longest of any U.S. bishop serving as bishop of a single diocese.

Joseph E. Ritter (1892-1967)

Born in Indiana, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Indianapolis in 1917.
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Indianapolis (1933-1934), Bishop of Indianapolis (1934-1944), and first Archbishop of Indianapolis (1944-46).
Archbishop of St. Louis (1946-1967).

Joseph Ritter became Archbishop at a time when St. Louis was one of the largest cities in the Nation. It was also highly segregated, including Catholic churches, schools, and even the Archdiocesan seminary. Ritter moved quickly to change this and ordered all Catholic organizations, including schools, to integrate in September 1947—almost seven years before the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the end of segregation in all U.S. schools. Ritter overcame the opposition of some Catholics to his ruling through the threat of excommunication. Ritter led the Archdiocese during the great population shift from city to suburbs that occurred throughout the nation after the Second World War. He built several new parishes and schools and the Cardinal Glennon Memorial Children’s Medical Center and established a fundraising appeal and parish banking system to facilitate the construction. He also sent Archdiocesan clergy and religious to establish a mission in Bolivia. Ritter was named a Cardinal by Pope John XXIII in 1961. As a new Cardinal and a long-time advocate of liturgical reform and ecumenism, Ritter became a leader at the Second Vatican Council which began in 1962. He also began the implementation of the decrees of the Council within the Archdiocese (in part through the establishment of study groups), including the celebration in St. Louis in 1964 of the first Catholic Mass in English. He also advocated for the creation of stronger national conferences of bishops. Cardinal Ritter died of a heart attack in 1967.

John J. Carberry (1904-1998)

Born in New York, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1929.
Also served as coadjutor bishop of Lafayette, Indiana (1956-1957), Bishop of Lafayette (1957-1965), and Bishop of Columbus, Ohio (1965-1968).
Archbishop of St. Louis (1968-1979).

Pope Paul VI named Carberry a Cardinal in 1969. Cardinal Carberry tried to keep up with the continued migration of Catholics out of St. Louis and into the suburbs by establishing five new suburban parishes, but was also forced to close parishes in the city—St. Louis lost more than a quarter of its population during the time Carberry served as Archbishop. Carberry led the Archdiocese through the changes resulting from the Second Vatican Council and served as Vice President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Just two months after the Supreme Court legalized abortion, he created a Pro-Life Committee for the Archdiocese—the nation’s first. He encouraged Marian devotion and approved lay movements, such as Marriage Encounter. Cardinal Carberry retired in 1979.

John L. May (1922-1994)

Born in Illinois and ordained a priest in 1947 for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago (1967-1969) and Bishop of Mobile, Alabama (1969-1980).
Archbishop of St. Louis (1980-1992).

John May took a number of steps to improve management of the Archdiocese, including the appointment of a chief financial officer and consolidation of the Archdiocese’s seminaries. He also appointed the first female school superintendent and upgraded the retirement system for lay employees. May encouraged lay participation through pastoral councils at the Archdiocesan, deanery, and parish levels. He worked to improve ecumenical and race relations and ordained the Archdiocese’s first African-American auxiliary bishop. Through Catholic Charities, Archbishop May increased support for the poor and others in need of assistance, including pregnant women who might otherwise have sought an abortion. May completed the Cathedral and served as both vice president and president of what is now the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop May resigned in 1992 due to poor health.

Justin F. Rigali (born 1935)

Born in Los Angeles and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1961.
Also served as Vatican official (1964-1994) becoming a titular archbishop in 1985.
Archbishop of St. Louis (1994-2003).
Later served as Archbishop of Philadelphia (2003-2011).

Archbishop Rigali eliminated the Archdiocese’s budget deficit and established an endowment fund for the Archdiocese. He also worked with Catholic school teachers to increase their salaries while still making Catholic schools affordable. Rigali relocated a high school to better serve those living in the inner city and emphasized youth ministry. He surveyed the laity to determine their concerns and desires regarding the Church. He sought to increase spiritual renewal of Catholics through teaching about the Catechism of the Catholic Church and encouraging participation in the Sacrament of Penance. Archbishop Rigali also increased support for the poor and needy, led Pro-Life marches, and opened an Office of Evangelization to spread the message of the Gospel. Rigali hosted Pope John Paul II during his visit to St. Louis in 1999. Pope John Paul II appointed Rigali as Archbishop of Philadelphia in 2003 and named him a Cardinal the same year.

Raymond L. Burke (born 1948)

· Born in Wisconsin and ordained a priest in 1975 for the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

· Also served as Bishop of La Crosse (1994-2003).

· Archbishop of St. Louis (2003-2008).

· Later served as the Vatican’s Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (2008-2014) and serves as patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Pope Benedict XVI named him Cardinal in 2010.

Archbishop Burke promoted vocations to the priesthood and established an oratory for the celebration of the Tridentine Mass. Burke also spoke out against a Missouri law that allowed embryonic stem cell research. He is considered an authority on Roman Catholic canon law. Archbishop Burke was appointed to be the Vatican’s Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in 2008 and was named a Cardinal in 2010.

Current Archbishop

Robert J. Carlson was appointed Archbishop of St. Louis by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. He was born in Minnesota in 1944 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1970. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis (1984-1994), coadjutor bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1994-1995), Bishop of Sioux Falls (1995-2004), Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan (2004-2009).

The Cathedral

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
4431 Lindell Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63108

Louis (1214-1270) was born in France and became King Louis IX of France in 1226 upon his father’s death. Louis led a pious life due at least in part to his Mother’s admonition that she “would rather see you dead at my feet than guilty of a mortal sin.” Louis prayed and fasted regularly and frequently ministered personally to the poor, the sick, and the hungry. He established hospitals and homes for the disadvantaged. Louis was also a patron of the University of Paris and built Sainte-Chapelle, one of the most beautiful buildings ever constructed. He was a leader of the Seventh Crusade which began in 1248. King Louis was captured in battle and was held prisoner for a time before he returned to France in 1254. He died of typhoid fever in North Africa leading the Eighth Crusade. His feast day is August 25.

Father, You called Saint Louis to be a wise and just ruler. By the help of his prayers may we help build your eternal Kingdom through our works of justice and mercy here on earth. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pierre Laclede established St. Louis in 1764 and for the first several years, the Catholics of the town were served by priests who visited the area periodically. A small log church was built in 1770, which was replaced by a second log church in 1776, the same year that the parish of St. Louis was established. Bishop DuBourg built a brick church in 1820 that became the first Cathedral for the Diocese of St. Louis when Joseph Rosati arrived in 1827 as the first Bishop. Rosati soon made plans for a grander Cathedral and in 1831 laid the cornerstone for what is now the Old Cathedral in downtown St. Louis. This Greek Revival building was dedicated in 1834 and was considered the grandest building for hundreds of miles in any direction. The Old Cathedral was the first Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi River. The Old Cathedral became the home of the first St. Vincent de Paul Society in the United States in 1845 and the first radio broadcast of a Mass took place there in 1922. Pope John XXIII honored the Old Cathedral with the title of a minor basilica in 1961, and it is now known as the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France. Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.

Old Cathedral from its website.

After the Civil War, Archbishop Kenrick moved to the parish of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, located near 16^th and Chestnut Streets, and began using that church as his Cathedral. Archbishop Kain purchased the property on Lindell Boulevard on which the current Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis now stands, but it was left to Archbishop Glennon to undertake the construction. Construction began in 1907 and the first Mass was celebrated in 1914, although work would continue for many more decades. The Cathedral Basilica, one of the greatest Catholic cathedrals in the United States, has a Romanesque exterior with a Byzantine interior, and was designed by George Barnett, a St. Louis architect. Pope John Paul II honored the Cathedral with the title of a minor basilica in 1997 and visited the Cathedral Basilica two years later.

The first picture is from the Archdiocesan website, the second from Flickr, and the last two from Wikipedia.

The City of St. Louis is one of only five counties or independent cities in the United States to have two or more basilicas.

The Cathedral’s twin towers each rise 157 feet above the street and the cross on top of the dome is 227 feet above the street. The Cathedral has over 44,000 square feet of floor space, but the size of the Cathedral is not its most impressive feature—it is the mosaics. Designed by various artists, the mosaics show events from the Old and New Testaments and the lives of the saints. Mosaics cover 83,000 square feet in the Cathedral—almost two acres. Over 41 million individual pieces of glass in 8,000 colors were installed mostly by a father and son team over a 75-year period. The Cathedral’s mosaics have no rival in the United States. Two of the Cathedral’s chapels were designed by New York’s Tiffany and Company. The Kilgen organ has four manuals 118 ranks and 7,621 pipes. The baldachin over the main altar is supported by 14 columns of Italian marble.

The following is from a website for which I no longer have a reference.

“The Cathedral Basilica is perhaps the singular showstopper of ecclesiastical mosaics in the entire nation. With the mosaic artistry of Tiffany Studios and Hildreth Meiere, among others, on display, the Basilica of St. Louis provides a who’s who of American mosaicists’ art—one of the largest collections of mosaics in the Western Hemisphere. The interior immediately grasps the Catholic imagination as a building that sacramentalizes the experience of entering the heavenly Jerusalem described in the Book of Revelation. Horizontal layers of golden stone indicate the city walls, while above them float Christ in glory, saints, angels, the Blessed Virgin, and figures from history. The canopy over the original high altar is indeed the cathedral’s most spectacular construction, with the intersection of multicolored marbles, gold mosaic, figure and image. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is truly stunning, as every square inch delights the eye with light, color, reflection and a palpably mystical atmosphere, which will make you want to kneel and pray.”

The cathedral website—cathedralstl.com—has additional information, as does the Archdiocese’s website at archstl.org. The Cathedral is located three miles west of downtown St. Louis and has five weekend masses.

All pictures are from the Cathedral website.

Also located in the Archdiocese

St. Raymond’s Cathedral of the Catholic Maronite-rite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon in located in St. Louis and is one of two Maronite-rite dioceses in the United States. The diocese has 46,000 members in 33 parishes and several missions located in 17 states west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Diocese also has a Cathedral in Los Angeles.

Diocese of Kansas City—St. Joseph

The diocese consists of 27 counties in northwestern Missouri. The diocese has 126,000 Catholics (8 percent of the total population) in 88 parishes, as of 2015.

Pope Pius IX created the Diocese of St. Joseph in 1868 for western Missouri. Pope Leo XIII created a second diocese in western Missouri in 1880—the Diocese of Kansas City. Pope Pius XII merged the Dioceses of Kansas City and St. Joseph into a single diocese in 1956.

Bishops of St. Joseph

John J. Hogan (1829-1913)

Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1852 for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
First Bishop of St. Joseph (1868-1880)
Later served as the first Bishop of Kansas City (1880-1913) and as administrator of the Diocese of St. Joseph (1880-1893).

John Hogan was appointed the first Bishop of St. Joseph in 1868. There were only about 3,000 Catholics in his northwest Missouri Diocese in 1868, but Bishop Hogan built new churches (including the current Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph), schools, and charitable institutions. Hogan was appointed the first Bishop of Kansas City in 1880, but continued to administer the Diocese of St. Joseph until 1893.

Maurice F. Burke (1845-1923)

Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Chicago in 1875.
Also served as first Bishop of Cheyenne, Wyoming (1887-1893).
Bishop of St. Joseph (1893-1923).

Bishop Burke paid off the debt for the construction of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph and built new churches and schools for a Diocese that covered all of northern Missouri. He died in 1923.

Francis Gilfillan (1872-1933)

Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1895.
Also served as coadjutor bishop of St. Joseph (1922-1923).
Bishop of St. Joseph (1923-1933).

As coadjutor bishop, Gilfillan became Bishop of St. Joseph upon the death of Bishop Burke. Bishop Gilfillan opened an orphanage and built Christian Brothers High School (now a middle school). He died in 1933.

Charles H. LeBlond (1883-1958)

Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cleveland in 1909.
Bishop of St. Joseph (1933-1956).

Bishop LeBlond sought to help the poor and needy, especially during the Great Depression and he was very active with Community Chest activities. He was able to increase the number of priests in the Diocese by 30 percent. Bishop LeBlond resigned in 1956 due to poor health—it was the same year the Dioceses of St. Joseph and Kansas City were merged.

Bishops of Kansas City

John J. Hogan (1829-1913)

Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1852 for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Served as first Bishop of St. Joseph (1868-1880) and as administrator of the Diocese of St. Joseph (1880-1893).
First Bishop of Kansas City (1880-1913).

Bishop Hogan’s new Diocese of Kansas City had 12,000 Catholics served by 30 priests and 42 churches. He built the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and increased the number of priests and religious. He died in 1913.

Thomas F. Lillis (1861-1938)

Born in Lexington, Missouri and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Kansas City in 1885.
Also served as Bishop of Leavenworth, Kansas (1904-1910) and coadjutor bishop of Kansas City (1910-1913).
Bishop of Kansas City (1913-1938).

As coadjutor bishop, Lillis became Bishop of Kansas City upon the death of Bishop Hogan in 1913. He opened many new churches and schools. He delivered a prayer at the 1928 Republican Convention in Kansas City and worked to end lynching in Missouri. He died in 1938.

Edwin V. O’Hara (1881-1956)

Born in Oregon and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Oregon City, Oregon (now Portland), in 1905.
Also served as Bishop of Great Falls, Montana (1930-1939). Pope Pius XII gave him the personal title of Archbishop in 1954.
Bishop of Kansas City (1939-1956).

O’Hara was known nationally for his work in promoting social justice and improving the lives of rural Catholics, among many other accomplishments. As Bishop of Kansas City, O’Hara built many new buildings including 42 churches—many in rural counties that did not have a Catholic church—more than 20 schools, and started six hospitals. He also opened the first racially integrated health clinic in Kansas City in 1955. He appointed many lay people to leadership positions in the Diocese—long before this was common. Archbishop O’Hara (he had been given this honorary title in 1954) died in 1956, less than two weeks after the two Dioceses merged to become the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

Bishops of Kansas City-St. Joseph

John P. Cody (1907-1982)

· Born in St. Louis and ordained a priest in 1931 for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

· Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Louis (1947-1954), and coadjutor bishop of St. Joseph (1954-1956).

· First Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (1956-1961).
· Later served as coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans (1961-1964), Archbishop of New Orleans (1964-1965), and Archbishop of Chicago (1965-1982). Pope Paul VI named Cody a Cardinal in 1967.

Cody unified the two Dioceses into the new Diocese. He was named coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans in 1961.

Charles H. Helmsing (1908-1993)

· Born in Shrewsbury, Missouri, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1933.

· Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Louis (1949-1956) and first Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (1956-1962).

· Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (1962-1977).

Bishop Helmsing participated in all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and was influential in the composition of the Council’s Decree on Ecumenism. He implemented the decrees of the Council in the Diocese and signed an ecumenical covenant with the local Episcopal Diocese. Helmsing also supported civil rights for African Americans. Bishop Helmsing retired in 1977.

John J. Sullivan (1920-2001)

· Born in Kansas and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oklahoma City in 1944.

· Also served as Bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska (1972-1977).

· Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (1977-1993).

Bishop Sullivan established a center to train lay pastoral ministers. He had a great concern for the poor and he established a fund to allow poor children to attend Catholic schools. Bishop Sullivan retired in 1993 due to Parkinson’s disease.

Raymond J. Boland (1932-2014)

· Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1957 for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

· Also served as Bishop of Birmingham, Alabama (1988-1993).

· Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (1993-2005).

Bishop Boland started a capital campaign which allowed the Diocese to renovate and upgrade the four Diocesan high schools and to renovate the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He also built 14 new churches and other parish buildings. He established endowments to ensure the financial viability of Catholic schools and to open Cristo Rey High School to serve disadvantaged children. He started the permanent diaconate program and new initiatives for lay people. Boland also provided financing, with others, to build housing for the elderly poor. He also was active in the Virtus Program designed to educate church personnel about the problems associated with sex abuse within the Church and society. Bishop Boland retired in 2005. His younger brother, Kevin, served as Bishop of Savannah, Georgia.

Robert W. Finn (born 1953)

· Born in St. Louis and ordained a priest in 1979 for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

· Also served as coadjutor Bishop of Kansas City—St. Joseph (2004-2005).

· Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (2005-2015).

As coadjutor bishop, Robert W. Finn became Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph in 2005 upon the retirement of Bishop Boland. Bishop Finn increased the number of diocesan seminarians from 9 to 24 in four years and invited a group of Benedictine nuns to serve in the Diocese. Bishop Finn was found guilty in 2012 of failure to report suspected child abuse and was ordered to spend two years on probation. Finn apologized for his failure to report the abuse in a timely manner. Finn appointed an independent investigator to review diocesan policies and procedures used to address sexual misconduct by church personnel. He resigned in 2015.

Current Bishop

James V. Johnston was appointed Bishop of Kansas City—St. Joseph by Pope Francis in 2015. He was born in Tennessee in 1959 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville in 1990. He previously served as Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (2008-2015).

The Cathedrals

The Diocese of Kansas City—St. Joseph has a cathedral in each city.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
416 West 12th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64105

Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known as original sin. This sin is erased through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Mary, through the grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate Conception. She was given the honor because of her role as the Mother of God. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.

Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by his death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Father Benedict Roux built the first Catholic church in Kansas City in 1835—a log structure at 11^th and Broadway dedicated to St. John Francis Regis. Father Bernard Donnelly built a brick church on the same site in 1857 and renamed the church for the Immaculate Conception. When John Hogan became the first Bishop of Kansas City in 1880, he selected this church to be his Cathedral, but quickly made plans to build a new Cathedral. The cornerstone of the current Cathedral was laid in 1882 and services were first held the following year. At that time, it was the tallest building in Kansas City. The bell tower has 11 bells that were installed in 1895.

First two pictures are by me and the third is from pinterest.

The Sanctuary is designed in a modern neo-classical style. The altar, the tabernacle, the cathedra (the Bishop’s chair), the ambo, the baptismal font, and other sanctuary pieces are made from golden Kasota stone from Minnesota and a high grade of sandstone. The base of the altar uses carvings of wheat shocks and grapevines to symbolize the Eucharist. The stained glass windows were made by a German craftsmen in 1912 and depict scenes from the life of Jesus. A recent renovation added a rose window titled “Mystical Rose,” which is an abstract depiction of Mary as the Immaculate Conception. It was designed by Michael Pilla of Minnesota. Pilla also designed the window in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel depicting Jesus feeding the Five Thousand. The renovation also commissioned a glass crystal statue of Our Lady of the Universe. The artist, Claire Wing, portrays Mary as a “mature, multi-racial woman” with strong hands leading us to her Son.

The Stations of the Cross are from the early 20^th Century and come from a former church in Pennsylvania. The beautiful oil paintings and frames were renovated by Evergreene Studios in New York. The Cathedral’s 50 rank pipe organ was built in 2003 by the Ruffatti brothers in Padua, Italy. The Cathedral also has an icon depicting Christ’s Descent into Hell—when Christ’ between His death and resurrection, shattered the doors of hell.

The Cathedral is listed on the Nation Register of Historic Places. The Cathedral website, kcgolddome.org has a tour of the Cathedral. Additional information can be obtained on the Diocesan website: diocese-kcsj.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Kansas City. It has four weekend masses, including a 2:30 pm anticipatory mass on Saturday.

All pictures are by me.

Picture by Flickr.

Cathedral of St. Joseph

519 North 10^th Street

St. Joseph, Missouri 64501

St. Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus. He was a carpenter and taught this trade to Jesus. Devotion to St. Joseph dates to the early days of Christianity in the Eastern churches, but only in the last 500 or so years has Joseph gained his deserved respect in Western Christendom. He is the patron saint of many countries, as well as being the patron saint of workers and fathers. He is also known as the patron of a happy death, since he presumably died in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God, and Mary, the Mother of God. His feast day is March 19.

Watchful Guardian St. Joseph, you felt sorrow at having to flee with Jesus and Mary into Egypt to escape King Herod's murder of The Holy Innocents, but you felt joy at having God with you. Glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

The City of St. Joseph was established by Joseph Robidoux as a fur trading post in 1826. Robidoux incorporated the town in 1843 and named it in honor of his patron saint. Jesuit missionaries served the Catholic population in the area until Father Thomas Scanlan arrived in 1845. He built the first St. Joseph’s church—a 600 square foot brick building completed in 1847 located at the northeast corner of 5th and Felix Streets. This church became the first Cathedral for the new Diocese of St. Joseph in 1868, but the first Bishop of St. Joseph—John Hogan—immediately began to plan for a larger Cathedral. Construction of the current Romanesque Cathedral began in 1869 and was completed in 1871. The two towers—the south tower is a bell tower—and portico entrance were added in 1900. St. Joseph’s is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The front doors feature glass insets illustrating events from the life of St. Joseph. Inside the Cathedral, the predominant colors are red, blue, and gold. The main stained glass windows were installed over 100 years ago and show symbols from the Old and New Testaments. Ten windows in the upper vestibule come from a former convent and were installed in 1995. The Stations of the Cross are painted copper plates made by the Daprato studio of Paris, France, in 1933. Above the tabernacle is an Oberammergau crucifix with a red background. The Cathedral’s pipe organ was installed in 1929 by the Kilgen Organ Company and has 24 ranks of pipes.

The Cathedral has shrines dedicated to St. Joseph, Our Blessed Mother and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Marian Shrine features a mural of a western Missouri landscape with sunflowers and a dove, representing the Holy Spirit. Near the Sacred Heart Shrine is a statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. The Cathedral also has a wooden Pieta, a statue of St. Therese of Lisieux, and icons of St. Joseph, St. Anne, and the archangels Gabriel and Michael. Outside the Cathedral, there is a grotto dedicated to St. Joseph and a Marian garden. The Cathedral’s website, cathedralsj.org, has a more detailed description, but has few pictures.

The Cathedral is located one mile north of downtown St. Joseph and has three weekend masses. The parish elementary school has an enrollment of 275 students.

From Snipview.

Also located in the Diocese

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is located in Conception. Conception Abbey was founded by Abbot Frowin Conrad and seven Benedictine novices from Switzerland in 1873. They came to serve the Irish and German settlers in northwestern Missouri. Construction began on the Romanesque abbey church in 1883 and was completed in 1891. The monks decorated the church with murals depicting the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints in a style known as Beuronese. Pope Pius XII designated the church as a minor basilica in 1941, the fifth U.S. church to be so honored. The Basilica’s website is conceptionabbey.org.

The top picture is from the Basilica website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Jefferson City

The diocese consists of 38 counties in central and northeastern Missouri. The diocese has 81,000 Catholics (9 percent of the total population) in 95 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Jefferson City

Joseph Marling, C.Pp.S. (1904-1979)

Born in West Virginia and ordained a priest for the Society of the Precious Blood in 1929.
Also served as provincial of the Society of the Precious Blood (1939-1947) and auxiliary bishop of Kansas City, Missouri (1947-1956).
First Bishop of Jefferson City (1956-1969).

Bishop Marling built more than 100 parish buildings including churches and schools, and the Cathedral of St. Joseph. He also built a seminary, a Carmelite Monastery, and several Newman centers. He established the diocesan newspaper and missions in Peru and he attended all sessions of the Second Vatican Council. Marling also served as President of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. He was noted for his scholarship and preaching. Bishop Marling retired in 1969.

Michael F. McAuliffe (1920-2006)

Born in Kansas and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1945.
Bishop of Jefferson City (1969-1997).

Bishop McAuliffe implemented the reforms of the Second Vatican Council including the establishment of the permanent diaconate and a diocesan pastoral council. He was a national leader in pushing for increased roles for women in the Church. He started spiritual renewal programs for clergy and laity and encouraged Catholic education. Bishop McAuliffe ordained 78 priests and 84 permanent deacons and built 21 churches. He served nationally as the Episcopal Moderator to the Catholic Scouts. Bishop McAuliffe retired in 1997.

John R. Gaydos (born 1943)

Born in St. Louis and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1968.
Bishop of Jefferson City (1997-2017).

Bishop Gaydos instituted a policy in 2017 that many in the Diocese thought violated Church teachings. Bishop Gaydos retired later that year due to heart problems.

Current Bishop

Shawn McKnight was appointed Bishop of Jefferson City by Pope Francis in 2017. He was born in Kansas in 1968 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, in 1994. He previously served pastor in the Diocese of Wichita and as a staff member for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Cathedral

Cathedral of St. Joseph

2303 West Main Street

Jefferson City, Missouri 65109

St. Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus. He was a carpenter and taught this trade to Jesus. Devotion to St. Joseph dates to the early days of Christianity in the Eastern churches, but only in the last 500 or so years has Joseph gained his deserved respect in Western Christendom. He is the patron saint of many countries, as well as being the patron saint of workers and fathers. He is also known as the patron of a happy death, since he presumably died in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God, and Mary, the Mother of God. His feast day is March 19.

Head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph, you felt horrible sorrow when Jesus was lost to you and Mary in Jerusalem. However your joy was unspeakable when you found him after three days, among the teachers in the temple (Luke 2:41-51), and when Jesus and Mary were at your side during your old age and at the hour of your death. Glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

Bishop Marling selected Jefferson City’s oldest parish—St. Peter—to be the first cathedral for the new Diocese in 1956. The need for a third parish in Jefferson City was soon apparent and St. Joseph parish was established in 1959. A multipurpose building served as the first church until the current building was completed in 1968. Bishop McAuliffe made St. Joseph the new Cathedral for the Diocese in 1970.

Both pictures are of St. Peter's Church, the former Cathedral. The top picture is from the Diocesan website and the bottom picture is from Flickr.

The Cathedral of St. Joseph was designed by Maguolo and Quick Architects of St. Louis, in a modern circular style, and its exterior made of Indiana limestone. There are 16 gables and the design is intended to look like a crown. The Cathedral seats 1,200 and a spire with a cross tops the building. The main doors of the Cathedral weigh 500 pounds each and depict various images of Christ. They were designed by Brother Stephen Erspammer of St. Louis.

The top picture is from Wikipedia and the second from the Diocesan website.

The Douglas fir ceiling is supported by 12 pillars (representing the Apostles) covered in walnut. The terrazzo flooring covers 19,000 square feet. These features and others give the Cathedral excellent acoustics. The sanctuary wall is made of buff travertine marble and the steps and raised areas of the sanctuary are made of walnut travertine. The corpus of the large crucifix is also made of walnut travertine and the altar is made of a single 7,000 pound block of marble. The design of the marble and the stained glass windows is the work of Robert Brunelli of Kansas City, Missouri. The Stations of the Cross (imported from Italy) and baptistery are also made from marble.

The Cathedral’s Blessed Sacrament Chapel has five faceted glass windows depicting the functions of a priest. They were designed by Jacoby Studios of St. Louis. The Chapel’s Jubilee Cross contains a relic of the True Cross. The Cathedral also has a perpetual adoration chapel and a Wicks pipe organ with 1,758 pipes. Italian artisans also made the travertine marble statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin, as well as mosaics of the Infant Jesus of Prague, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and St. Anne. Outside the Cathedral, there is a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima as well as several statues.

Additional information about the Cathedral can be obtained on its website at cathedraljc.org. The Diocesan website is diojeffcity.org. The Cathedral is located two miles northwest of the State Capitol and has four weekend masses to serve 1,400 parish families. The parish elementary school has an enrollment of 450.

The top picture is from Wikipedia and the bottom from Yelp.

Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

The diocese consists of 39 counties in southern Missouri. The diocese has 66,000 Catholics (5 percent of the total population) in 66 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

Charles H. Helmsing (1908-1993)

· Born in Shrewsbury, Missouri, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1933.

· Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Louis (1949-1956).

· First Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (1956-1962).

· Later served as Bishop of Kansas City—St. Joseph (1962-1977).

Bishop Helmsing promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus not only for spiritual reasons, but also to unite the clergy and laity of his new Diocese—which had been formed from parts of two other dioceses. He also encouraged the formation or expansion of lay organizations such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Legion of Mary and organized Diocesan Councils of Catholic Men and of Catholic Women. Helmsing started annual fundraising campaigns for the Diocese and encouraged evangelization efforts to counter anti-Catholic sentiment in the area. Bishop Helmsing also purchased a residence in Springfield and leased space for Diocesan offices. Helmsing was appointed Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph in 1962.

Ignatius J. Strecker (1917-2003)

· Born in Kansas and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita in 1942.

· Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (1962-1969).

· Also served as Archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas (1969-1993).

Bishop Ignatius Strecker encouraged the formation or expansion of lay activities such as the Apostleship of Prayer, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the Daughters of Isabella, and the Knights of Columbus—all of which grew in membership. He also endorsed the Papal Volunteers of Latin America—which sent professional men and women to serve the poor, sick, and needy in Latin American countries for three years after completing a training program. Bishop Strecker invited religious sisters to help with Confraternity of Christian Doctrine instruction in the diocese, which was especially helpful because the Sisters would visit children in rural areas far from a Catholic church or school. Looking to improve spirituality in the Diocese, Bishop Strecker opened the St. Jane de Chantal Retreat House in 1964, encouraged the Cursillo Movement, and opened Newman Centers on college campuses. He also emphasized the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, and the Bishops’ Committee for Migrant Workers. Bishop Strecker started a Diocesan newspaper in 1965 and began a Diocesan radio and television apostolate. Strecker attended the Second Vatican Council, during which he sat next to Archbishop Karol Wojtyła—the future Pope John Paul II. Strecker was appointed Archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas, in 1969.

William W. Baum (1926-2015)

· Born in Texas, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and ordained a priest in 1951 for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

· Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (1970-1973).

· Later served as Archbishop of Washington, DC (1973-1980), Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education (1980-1990), and the Vatican’s Major Penitentiary (1990-2001). Pope Paul VI named him a Cardinal in 1976.

Bishop Baum divided the Diocese into nine regions for better coordination and collaboration given the large east-west expanse of the Diocese. He also established an office of social concern to focus attention on the poor and disadvantaged and started a Diocesan pastoral council to seek advice from the laity. Bishop Baum started a statewide program with goals of evangelization and improved ecumenical relations with other churches. Bishop Baum was named Archbishop of Washington, DC, in 1973.

Bernard F. Law (1931-2017)

· Born in Mexico and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson in Mississippi in 1961.

· Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (1973-1984).

· Later served as Archbishop of Boston (1984-2002). Pope John Paul II named him a Cardinal in 1985.

Shortly after becoming Bishop, Law appointed several women to leadership positions in the Diocese. He also started a camp program so that children from rural parts of the Diocese could meet other Catholic children and reinforce their Faith. Law purchased property in Carthage to house Vietnamese refugees, including priests, and began a resettlement program. About the same time, large numbers of Hispanics settled in the Diocese to work in the poultry industry. Law established pastoral councils and RENEW programs in the parishes and gave the laity a greater role in the Church. He brought in religious orders to work in the parishes, and established Catholic television programming. Bishop Law was attentive to the needs of the poor and disadvantaged and opened soup kitchens in some parishes, including the Cathedral in Springfield. Law started an ecumenical conference and developed a nation-wide program to allow married Episcopal priests to become Catholic priests. Law was appointed Archbishop of Boston in 1984 and was named a Cardinal the following year.

John J. Leibrecht (born 1930)

· Born in Overland, Missouri and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1956.

· Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (1984-2008).

Bishop Leibrecht took several actions to increase laity involvement and spirituality, including introducing the RENEW program in the Diocese and increasing the number of chapters of the St. Francis de Sales Society. The Bishop also met with religious and lay people throughout the Diocese to better understand their needs and problems and he brought the Vincentian Fathers to the Diocese to travel to parishes to improve lay spirituality and leadership. The Bishop started a column in the Diocesan newspaper to answer questions about Catholic doctrine. Leibrecht supported efforts to evangelize in a Diocese that is only 5 percent Catholic, started youth ministry and rural ministry programs, spoke out about the sanctity of life, and supported housing for abused women. Bishop Leibrecht retired in 2008.

James V. Johnston (born 1959)

· Born in Tennessee and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville in 1990.

· Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (2008-2015).

· Now serves as Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (since 2015).

Bishop Johnson sought to reach out to inactive Catholics and those people who were unchurched. He also spoke out against abortion and in favor of traditional marriage. Bishop Johnson was named Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph in 2015.

Current Bishop

Edward M. Rice was appointed Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau by Pope Francis in 2016. He was born in St. Louis in 1960 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1987. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of St. Louis (2010-2016).

The Cathedrals

The Diocese has cathedrals in both Springfield and Cape Girardeau.

Cathedral of St. Agnes

533 South Jefferson Avenue

Springfield, Missouri 65806

St. Agnes was a young girl, aged 10 to 13, who was martyred for the Faith during the persecution of the Church by the Emperor Diocletian in about 305 A.D. Her feast day is January 21. On that day each year, Church officials bless lambs whose wool will be used to make pallia—woolen garments that the Pope gives to each archbishop as a symbol of his office. Agnes is the patron saint of young girls. This is one of only two U.S. cathedrals named for Agnes—the other is in Rockville Centre, New York.

St. Agnes, although you were only a child, you believed that Jesus was always with you; help us to remember that he is also with us, and to remain true to his presence. St. Agnes, you refused to give up your faith; help us to be proud of our faith, to love it, to be strong in it, and to give witness to it daily. St. Agnes, patron saint of children, watch over the children of the world; keep them safe from harm; be with them in their hour of need; and always pray for them.

Immaculate Conception parish was established in 1868 as Springfield’s first parish. German and Irish Catholics continued to settle in Springfield and two more parishes were created by the end of the century. St. Agnes parish was created in 1908 as Springfield’s fourth parish. The parish initially met in a former Protestant church prior to the completion of the current building in 1909. This church became a Cathedral for the newly formed Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in 1956.

From Wikipedia

The Cathedral is a Classical Revival building made from brick. It features stained glass windows depicting St. Agnes and Our Lady of the Lilies, created in 1921 by Stanley Uthwatt, with the help of Bernard Schahuber. The Cathedral pipe organ was built and installed by Casavant Freres in 2005 and features 23 ranks and 1,333 pipes. For more information, see the Cathedral website at saintagnescathedral.org or the Diocesan website at dioscg.org.

The Cathedral is located slightly south of downtown Springfield near the campus of Missouri State University and has six weekend masses, including one in Vietnamese. The parish elementary school has an enrollment of 200.

The first picture is from the Cathedral's website and the second is from Wikipedia.

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation
615 William Street

Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63703

The Cathedral is named for Mary, the Mother of God. The Annunciation refers to the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary informing her that God had chosen her to be the Mother of Christ, the Redeemer. With her assent, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, she became pregnant with the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-38). The Annunciation has been celebrated since the early days of Christianity. The Solemnity of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25.

Jesus, for our salvation You willingly humbled Yourself, becoming Man in the womb of the Virgin Mother, grant me through the mystery of Your holy Incarnation, the virtue of humility that I may ever please God as Your Mother did, by meekness and lowliness in this world, and be exalted by You in eternity. Mary, dear Mother of my Savior, I greet you and I thank you for having received the message of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke 1:28) and for having answered with your consent, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) Intercede for me that God the Father, who accepted you as His Daughter and the Mother of His Son because of your humility at the Annunciation, may accept me as His humble child. Amen

The first parish in Cape Girardeau was established in 1833 and is now known as Old St. Vincent’s Church located on Main Street. This church served a congregation that was predominately French and Spanish. Eventually German Catholics wanted their own church and this second parish, dedicated to St. Mary of the Annunciation, was created in 1868. The current building was completed a year later. St. Mary’s church became one of two Cathedrals for the newly formed Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in 1956.

The top picture is from the Cathedral's website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

The Cathedral is built of red brick in the Romanesque Revival style. Bells were installed in the bell tower in 1891 and the stained glass windows depicting Mary’s Magnificat were installed in 1954. A new pipe organ was purchased in 1991 and two murals by Esteban Murillo—“The Annunciation” and “The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities”—were completed in 2014. The cathedral website is stmarycathedral.net.

The Cathedral is located in downtown Cape Girardeau and has five weekend masses. The parish also includes St. Vincent’s church which has one Mass on Sunday. The parish elementary school has an enrollment of 270.