St. Agnes Cathedral (Springfield, Missouri)
Encyclopedia
St. Agnes Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral
in Springfield, Missouri
, United States
. Along with the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation
in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
it is the seat of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
.
of St. Louis
sent Father Graham to the area in 1866. He celebrated the first Mass in the city on March 6 in the home of William Dailey, and then went on to establish Immaculate Conception Parish.
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
came through Springfield in 1870 and the number of Irish and German immigrants increased the number of Catholics. The railroad tracks also divided the city and crossing them, especially for school children, was considered dangerous. H.A. and L.S. Meyer bought a house south of the tracks at South and Elm Streets. It became St. Agnes Elementary School. The school opened with an enrollment of 35 children and the Sisters of Loretto
as teachers. As the Catholic population increased on the south side Bishop John J. Hogan
of Kansas City
was petitioned to establish a new parish to serve their needs. St. Agnes Parish was established in 1908. The Rev. Dennis J. O’Driscoll arrived on September 18 and the parish leased the vacant Central Congregational Church for the first year.
A new church was dedicated on November 24, 1909 by Bishop Thomas F. Lillis
. The school was relocated to the parish property the same year. St. Agnes High School, now Springfield Catholic High School
, was established in 1916. The stained glass
windows of Our Lady of the Lillies and Saint Agnes were created by Stanley Uthwatt and Bernard Schahuber in 1921. In 1935 a fire in the basement of the church building destroyed the wood floor and a new concrete floor was installed. A new high school building was constructed in 1938. During World War II
the old high school building was used as a U.S.O. Center
. After the war it was used as a parish recreation center before it was torn down. The Solemn High Mass of Christmas in 1954 from St. Agnes was the first televised religious service from a church on Springfield.
established the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. St. Agnes was chosen as the new diocesan cathedral and St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau was chosen as the co-cathedral. St. Louis Auxiliary Bishop
Charles H. Hemsing
was chosen as the diocese’s first bishop and he was installed in St. Agnes Cathedral on November 28.
The present elementary school building was constructed in 1958. St. Agnes Chapel was added to the cathedral in 1986 when the church building underwent a major renovation. The same year the old elementary building was torn down.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Along with the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation (Cape Girardeau, Missouri)
The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation, also known as St. Mary’s Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States. Along with St. Agnes Cathedral in Springfield, Missouri it is the seat of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. -History:Plans were made as...
in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
it is the seat of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau is a Roman Catholic diocese in Missouri. It was founded on August 24, 1956. The current bishop is the Most Reverend James Vann Johnston, Jr., appointed January 24, 2008, and installed March 31, 2008....
.
St. Agnes Parish
Catholicism was established in Springfield when Archbishop Peter Richard KenrickPeter Richard Kenrick
Peter Richard Kenrick was the first Catholic archbishop west of the Mississippi River.-Early life and ordination:He was born and educated in Dublin, Ireland and ordained to the priesthood in 1832...
of St. Louis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis
The Archdiocese of St. Louis is the Roman Catholic archdiocese that covers the City of St. Louis as well as the following Missouri counties: Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Perry, Saint Charles, Saint Francois, Ste. Genevieve, St...
sent Father Graham to the area in 1866. He celebrated the first Mass in the city on March 6 in the home of William Dailey, and then went on to establish Immaculate Conception Parish.
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. railroad that owned or operated two disjoint segments, one connecting St. Louis, Missouri with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connecting Albuquerque, New Mexico with Southern California. It was incorporated by the U.S. Congress in 1866 as a...
came through Springfield in 1870 and the number of Irish and German immigrants increased the number of Catholics. The railroad tracks also divided the city and crossing them, especially for school children, was considered dangerous. H.A. and L.S. Meyer bought a house south of the tracks at South and Elm Streets. It became St. Agnes Elementary School. The school opened with an enrollment of 35 children and the Sisters of Loretto
Sisters of Loretto
Sisters of Loretto or the Loretto Community is a Catholic religious institution, which, according to their mission statement, "strive[s] to bring the healing Spirit of God into our world" and is committed "to improving the conditions of those who suffer from injustice, oppression, and deprivation...
as teachers. As the Catholic population increased on the south side Bishop John J. Hogan
John Joseph Hogan
Bishop John Joseph Hogan was a Catholic priest and missionary in Missouri in the American Civil War era. He was the first Bishop of the Dioceses of Saint Joseph, Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri.-History:...
of Kansas City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the state of Missouri in the United States, erected on September 10, 1880, as the Diocese of Kansas City, with territories taken from the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. ...
was petitioned to establish a new parish to serve their needs. St. Agnes Parish was established in 1908. The Rev. Dennis J. O’Driscoll arrived on September 18 and the parish leased the vacant Central Congregational Church for the first year.
A new church was dedicated on November 24, 1909 by Bishop Thomas F. Lillis
Thomas Francis Lillis
Thomas Francis Lillis was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Leavenworth, Kansas and Bishop of Kansas City, Missouri .-Biography:...
. The school was relocated to the parish property the same year. St. Agnes High School, now Springfield Catholic High School
Springfield Catholic High School (Missouri)
Springfield Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Springfield, Missouri, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.-Background:...
, was established in 1916. The stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows of Our Lady of the Lillies and Saint Agnes were created by Stanley Uthwatt and Bernard Schahuber in 1921. In 1935 a fire in the basement of the church building destroyed the wood floor and a new concrete floor was installed. A new high school building was constructed in 1938. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the old high school building was used as a U.S.O. Center
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
. After the war it was used as a parish recreation center before it was torn down. The Solemn High Mass of Christmas in 1954 from St. Agnes was the first televised religious service from a church on Springfield.
St. Agnes Cathedral
On 1956 Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
established the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. St. Agnes was chosen as the new diocesan cathedral and St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau was chosen as the co-cathedral. St. Louis Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
Charles H. Hemsing
Charles Herman Helmsing
The Most Reverend Charles Herman Helmsing was an American Roman Catholic bishop.- History :...
was chosen as the diocese’s first bishop and he was installed in St. Agnes Cathedral on November 28.
The present elementary school building was constructed in 1958. St. Agnes Chapel was added to the cathedral in 1986 when the church building underwent a major renovation. The same year the old elementary building was torn down.
Pastors/Rectors
The following priests have served St. Agnes Parish as Pastor and as Cathedral Rector after 1956:- Rev. Dennis J. O’Driscoll (1908)
- Rev. John M. Sheridan (1908–1921)
- Rev. Patrick J. Downey (1921–1922)
- Rev. L. Curtis Tiernan (1922—1928)
- Rev. Robert F. Hayes (1928)
- Rev. Rev. Frank D. McCardle (1928–1931)
- Rev. Charles A. Dibbins (1931–1935)
- Rev. James J. Hally (1935–1937)
- Rev. Paul D. Dunn (1937–1944)
- Msgr. Valentine A. Schroeger (1944–1966)
- Msgr. John H. Westhues (1966–1978)
- Msgr. Sylvester H. Bauer (1978–1981)
- Msgr. Thomas E. Reidy (1981–1992)
- Rev. Thomas P. Kiefer (1992–2003)
- Rev. Mike McDevitt (2003-