St. Agnes Cathedral (Springfield, Missouri) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St. Agnes Cathedral
East façade
Location in Missouri Show map of Missouri Location in the United States Show map of the United States
37°12′15″N 93°17′25″W / 37.2041°N 93.2902°W / 37.2041; -93.2902
Location	533 S. Jefferson Ave. Springfield, Missouri
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	saintagnescathedral.org
History
Status	Cathedral/Parish
Founded	1908
Dedication	November 24, 1910
Architecture
Style	Neoclassical
Completed	1910
Specifications
Materials	Brick
Administration
Diocese	Springfield-Cape Girardeau

St. Agnes Cathedral is a beautiful Catholic church. It is located in Springfield, Missouri, in the United States. This special church is a cathedral. This means it is the main church for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Another important church, the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, also serves as a main church for the diocese.

History of St. Agnes
Leaders of St. Agnes
More to Explore
See also

History of St. Agnes

View of the inside of the church looking towards the altar.

Starting the Catholic Community

Catholicism first came to Springfield in 1866. Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick from St. Louis sent Father Graham to the area. He held the first Mass in the city on March 6. This Mass took place in the home of William Dailey. After this, Father Graham helped start the Immaculate Conception Parish.

Growth of St. Agnes Parish

In 1870, the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad came through Springfield. This brought more Irish and German immigrants, which meant more Catholics. The railroad tracks also split the city. Crossing them was seen as dangerous, especially for children going to school.

So, H.A. and L.S. Meyer bought a house south of the tracks. This house became St. Agnes Elementary School. It opened with 35 students. The Sisters of Loretto taught at the school. As more Catholics moved to the south side, people asked Bishop John Joseph Hogan to create a new parish for them.

St. Agnes Parish officially started in 1908. Father Dennis J. O’Driscoll arrived on September 18. For the first year, the parish used a vacant church building.

Building the First Church

A new church building was dedicated on November 24, 1910. Bishop Thomas Francis Lillis led the dedication. The school also moved to the new church property that same year.

St. Agnes High School opened in 1916. Today, it is known as Springfield Catholic High School. In 1921, beautiful stained glass windows were added. These windows showed Our Lady of the Lillies and Saint Agnes. Stanley Uthwatt and Bernard Schahuber created them.

In 1935, a fire in the church basement damaged the wooden floor. A new concrete floor was then put in. A new high school building was built in 1938. During World War II, the old high school building was used as a U.S.O. Center for soldiers. After the war, it became a recreation center for the parish before it was taken down. In 1954, the Christmas Mass from St. Agnes was special. It was the first religious service from a church in Springfield to be shown on television.

Becoming a Cathedral

In 1956, Pope Pius XII created the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. St. Agnes was chosen to be the new main church, or cathedral, for this diocese. St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau was chosen to be a co-cathedral.

St. Louis Auxiliary Bishop Charles Herman Helmsing became the first bishop of the new diocese. He was officially welcomed at St. Agnes Cathedral on November 28, 1956.

The current elementary school building was built in 1958. In 1986, St. Agnes Chapel was added to the cathedral. This happened during a big renovation of the church building. That same year, the old elementary building was taken down.

Leaders of St. Agnes

Many priests have served St. Agnes Parish. After 1956, they also served as the Cathedral Rector. Here is a list of some of them:

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. 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 (2003-2014)
Rev. Lewis Hejna (2014-present)

St. Agnes Cathedral (Springfield, Missouri) facts for kids

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