BISHOP RICE ANNOUNCES Annual Pastoral Appointments
Springfield, MO
Bishop Edward M. Rice recently made the following clergy assignments effective Tue., July 1, 2025, unless otherwise noted. This information was made available the weekend of May 17, 2025.
in Carthage, and Sacred Heart Parish, in Webb City. He will conclude his assignment as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, in Poplar Bluff, St. Benedict Parish, in Doniphan, and his role as diocesan Dean of Deanery Seven.
OF
One Church, East to West: Loving Jesus, Serving Jesus, Sharing Jesus
“Please keep these priests in your prayers as they adjust to their new assignments,” said Bishop Rice. “Please pray, too, for their former parishioners and new parishioners during this time of transition.”
RETIREMENT
After 33 years of excellent and dedicated service to the diocese, Reverend Matthew Rehrauer will retire from active ministry and conclude his assignment as Pastor of St. Mary Parish, in Pierce City, and St. Agnes Parish, in Sarcoxie.
NEW PASTORAL CHANGES
Vol. LXI, No. 3
Reverend Simon Enudu is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, in Willow Springs; Sacred Heart Parish, in Mountain Grove, and St. Michael Mission Church, in Cabool. He will conclude his assignment as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, in Conway, and St. William Parish, in Buffalo.
Reverend Jose Kumblumkal, CMI, is appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish, in Billings; St. Susanne Parish, in Mount Vernon, and Chaplain to the Missouri Veterans Home, in Mount Vernon. He will conclude his assignment as Pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, in Lebanon, and Sportsman’s Chapel, in Bennett Springs.
The next issue of The Mirror will be June 6, 2025 Sign up to receive the diocesan newspaper via Email in digital format: Contact Debbie Thompson at (417) 866-0841, or Email: dthompson@dioscg.org.
The Very Rev. Patrick Nwokoye is appointed Rector of St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, in Cape Girardeau, and Pastor of Old St. Vincent Chapel of Ease, in Cape Girardeau. He will conclude his assignment as Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, in Springfield, and diocesan Dean of Deanery Four. He will continue his assignment as diocesan Director of Ecumenism and Director of Health Affairs.
The Very Rev. Daniel Robles is appointed Pastor of St. Ann Parish,
The Very Rev. Allan Saunders is appointed Pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, in Lebanon; St. William Parish, in Buffalo, and Sportsman’s Chapel, in Bennett Springs. He will conclude his assignment as Rector of St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, in Cape Girardeau, Pastor of Old St. Vincent Chapel of Ease, in Cape Girardeau, and diocesan Dean of Deanery Six.
The Very Rev. Shoby M. Chettiyath, JCL, Vicar General of the Diocese, is appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, in Springfield, and St. Francis of Assisi Parish, in Nixa. He will continue his assignment as Vicar General of the Diocese.
NAMED PASTOR
Reverend Daniel Belken, Parochial Administrator of St. Denis Parish, in Benton, and St. Lawrence Parish, in New Hamburg, is now appointed Pastor of those same communities. He will continue his assignment as diocesan Director of Worship and Liturgy.
Reverend Vincent Joseph, VC, Parochial Administrator of St. John Parish, in Leopold, and St. Anthony Mission Church, in Glennon, is now appointed Pastor of those same communities.
Reverend Allen Kirchner is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, in Poplar Bluff, and St. Benedict Parish, in Doniphan. He concludes his assignment as Parochial Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish, in Webb City; St. Ann Parish, in Carthage, and as a diocesan Regional Vocation Promoter.
Vianney Parish, in Mountain View; St. Sylvester Mission Church, in Eminence, and Sacred Heart Parish, in Willow Springs, is now appointed Pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, in Mountain View; St. Sylvester Mission Church, in Eminence, and St. Joseph Mission Church, in White Church. He concludes his appointment as Parochial Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish, in Willow Springs.
Reverend Charles Peirano, Parochial Administrator of St. Leo the Great Mission Church, in Ava; St. William Mission Church, in Gainesville; Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, in Mansfield, and Sacred Heart Parish, in Mountain Grove, is now appointed Pastor of St. Leo the Great Mission Church, in Ava; St. William Mission Church, in Gainesville, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, in Mansfield. He concludes his assignment as Parochial Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish, in Mountain Grove.
Reverend Suresh Samala, Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, in New Madrid, and Sacred Heart Parish, in Caruthersville, is now appointed Pastor of those same communities.
Reverend Joseph Stoverink, Parochial Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield, is now appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, in Springfield. He will continue his role as diocesan Director of Vocations and Seminarians.
Reverend Nicholas Newton, Parochial Administrator of St. John
Reverend Alexander Sutachan, Parochial Administrator of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, in Fredericktown, is now appointed Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, in Fredericktown.
Reverend Pompeyo Tan, Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Springfield, is now appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Springfield.
ENUDU
KUMBLUMKAL
NWOKOYE
REHRAUER
ROBLES
SAUNDERS
CHETTIYATH
BELKEN
JOSEPH
KIRCHNER
NEWTON
PEIRANO
SAMALA
STOVERINK
SUTACHAN TAN
OAND YOU WILL SEE
Bp. Edward M. Rice
A holy servant, one of sacrifice not glory COME,
n Sun., May 11, I watched “Meet the Press,” and they were dissecting, and I use that word purposefully, they were dissecting our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. They commented that when he came out on the balcony for the first time, he was wearing the proper papal attire, which Pope Francis did not, he just wore a simple white cassock. So Pope Leo must be more conservative than Francis. But then they noted that he was not wearing papal slippers, so maybe he wasn’t so conservative. And since he is from the South-side of Chicago he must be a Liberal Democrat, but since he worked down in the missions in South America, Peru, maybe he is some type of a Marxist.
Apostolic unity that has persisted for 2,000 years. His is a monumental task, to look at the landscape of today and to propose Jesus Christ as the answer to all the problems that we face.
These comments are from the same pundits who analyzed the papal frontrunners prior to the Conclave and they were all wrong.
Let’s not do that! As Catholics, we rejoice that the Holy Spirit has given us our Chief Shepherd, our Supreme Pontiff, which means “bridge builder.” He will have his hands full building bridges within the Church herself, between the Church and the culture, between the Church and governments, between the Church and those of other faiths or between the Church and those who have no faith.
As head of the Catholic Church, he has a monumental task: to be a sign of unity in a world and sometimes in a Church that can be fractured by dissenting opinions and agendas. His motto is perfect, “In Illo uno unum,” (“In the One (Jesus), we are one”). Picking him apart is the way of the world, and not our way, not the way of believers. He has a monumental task, as head of the Catholic Church, to maintain the
On Fri., May 9, I got up at 3:00 in the morning to watch his First Mass as Pope. In his homily, Pope Leo recognizes that there are people who are attracted to Jesus until he makes demands upon us, “… then the world will not hesitate to reject and eliminate him.” For others, he says, “…they will follow him at least for as long as they can do so without too much risk or inconvenience.” And then with greater intensity in his words he said, “There are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.”
Our Holy Father knows the landscape that we are trying to navigate and he says it in the midst of all these situations, “When we may even … be mocked, oppressed, despised, or at best tolerated and pitied,” that is the very place where we need to preach the Gospel. We preach the Gospel in season and out of season, when it’s accepted and when it is rejected; when we have religious freedom and when we are persecuted for our faith – his task, our task is to preach the Gospel.
One of my staff put a reflection on my desk the day the Holy Father was elected, a reflection entitled, “When You See The White Smoke.” When you see the white smoke, don’t rush to post, to speculate or to celebrate power. Don’t let the moment be reduced to pageantry or headlines. Kneel. And pray. The man on the balcony
of Saint Peter’s is not ascending to a throne—he is accepting a cross. He is not a victor in the worldly sense, but a servant called to bear the burdens of a broken and weary world. Pray for him. He is not stepping into glory—he is walking into sacrifice.
It’s obvious who the influences were in the life of Pope Francis, God be good to him: His namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, of course, and the founder of the Jesuit order, St. Ignatius of Loyola. And what of Pope Leo? Well, as a member of the Augustinian Order, St. Augustine would have been a major influence all these years. And I’ve always been captivated by one of St. Augustine’s quotes, one I’ve used often as it is as relevant now as it was 1,600 years ago. In this post COVID world where people are trying to navigate what it means to be in community and what it means to have faith, living in a culture searching for deeper meaning, and trying to discover the meaning and purpose in life, St. Augustine wrote, “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; To seek Him the greatest adventure; To find Him, the greatest human achievement.”
What I’m about to say might sound strange, but I hope Pope Leo will bring romance, beauty, and truth to the world. I hope he will bring a sense of adventure and zeal and excitement about the faith. I hope he will proclaim Jesus as the greatest treasure, the pearl of great price, and affirm that Jesus is the answer to a searching world.
We give thanks to Almighty God for this Augustinian priest who is now our Holy Father, our supreme Pontiff, our bridge-builder.
Pray for him. He is not stepping into glory—he is walking into sacrifice. ©TM
ANOTHER WALK THROUGH: ‘Walking Together’
By Bishop Emeritus John J. Leibrecht
Before his retirement in 2008 as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Bishop John Leibrecht wrote a standing column in The Mirror entitled, “Walking Together.” At the end of each article, Bp. Leibrecht would normally share a funny story referencing his travels to the schools, or time with friends, family, or other bishops. The Mirror has decided to share a few of these in an ongoing series entitled, “Another walk through: ‘Walking Together.’” We hope you enjoy them.
April 23, 1993 While talking in the back seat of the car on their way to church, a little girl told her small brother, “You know, they won’t let you talk in church.” The boy asked, “Who won’t let me talk in there?” The little girl responded “The Hushers!” April 30, 1993 Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, (and) sued the farmer and his daughter.
May 7, 1993 Irish Catholic Timothy O’Brien came to America and found a job as a laborer for a demolition company. After his first day at work, he came home dirty but with a big grin on his face. “Guess what,” he told his wife, “they’re payin’ me to tear down a Protestant church.”
CONGRATS
Rev. Oliver Clavin
Rev. Oliver Clavin will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 6. Fr. Clavin is retired.
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Clavin!
CONGRATS
Msgr. Normand Varone
Msgr. Normand Varone will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 7. Fr. Varone is retired.
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Varone!
PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS //
Continued from page 1
PAROCHIAL ADMINISTRATORS
Reverend David Hulshof is appointed Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, in Springfield.
Reverend Jobimon Joseph, MCBS, is appointed Parochial Administrator of Holy Trinity Parish, in Marshfield, and Chaplain to the Ozark Correctional Center, in Fordland, effective June 16, 2025. He is appointed Parochial Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish, in Conway, effective July 1, 2025. He concludes his assignment as Parochial Vicar of St. Agnes Cathedral, in Springfield.
Reverend Sanoop Thomas, OSB, is appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Mary Parish, in Pierce City, and St. Agnes Parish, in Sarcoxie. He concludes his assignment as Parochial Vicar of Holy Trinity Parish, in Aurora; SS. Peter and Paul Parish, in Pulaskifield; St. Joseph Parish, in Billings, and St. Susanne Parish, in Mount Vernon.
PAROCHIAL VICARS
Reverend Vineesh Jose, OSB, is appointed Parochial Vicar of Holy Trinity Parish, in Springfield, and St. Francis of Assisi Parish, in Nixa.
He concludes his assignment as Parochial Vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, in Cape Girardeau.
CAMPUS MINISTRY
DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING
OTHER
Reverend Victor Anokwute, Pastor of St. Teresa Parish, in Glennonville, and St. Ann Parish, in Malden, is appointed diocesan Dean of Deanery Seven and therefore be referred to as The Very Rev. Victor Anokwute.
Reverend Jesse Hiett is appointed Director of Catholic Campus Ministry, at Southeast Missouri State University, in Cape Girardeau. He concludes his role as Parochial Vicar of St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral, in Cape Girardeau, and Old St. Vincent Chapel of Ease, in Cape Girardeau. He will continue his role as a diocesan Regional Vocation Promoter and Lead Chaplain at Notre Dame Regional High School, with residence at the rectory of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, in Cape Girardeau.
Reverend Deacon Thomas Schumer concludes his role as Director of Catholic Campus Ministry, at Southeast Missouri State University, in Cape Girardeau.
LEAVING THE DIOCESE
Reverend Francis Theetla will conclude his assignment as Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, in Marshfield, and Chaplain to the Ozark Correctional Center, in Fordland, effective June 15, 2025
Reverend Rayappa Chinnabathini will conclude his assignment as Pastor of St. Michael Mission Church, in Cabool. He will continue his assignment as Pastor of St. Mark Parish, in Houston; St. John the Baptist Mission Church, in Licking, and St. Vincent de Paul Mission Church, in Roby.
Reverend David Hulshof, Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, in Springfield, is appointed diocesan Dean of Deanery Four and therefore be referred to as The Very Rev. David Hulshof.
The Very Rev. Thomas Kiefer, JCL, will conclude his assignment as Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, in Springfield. He will continue his assignment as Pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, in Springfield.
Reverend Mathukutty Naduchirayil, VC, will conclude his assignment as Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Mission Church, in
White Church. He will continue his assignment as Parochial Administrator of St. Mary Parish, in West Plains, and Sacred Heart Mission Church, in Thayer.
Reverend Paul Pudhota will conclude his assignment as Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Parish, in Billings, and St. Susanne Parish, in Mount Vernon. He will continue his assignment as Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, in Aurora, and SS. Peter and Paul Parish, in Pulaskifield.
Reverend Brian Straus, Pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Joplin, is appointed a diocesan Regional Vocation Promoter.
Reverend James Unterreiner will conclude his role as Sacramental Priest at St. Joseph Mission Church, in White Church.
Reverend Tomasz Wilk, Pastor of St. Augustine Parish, in Kelso, and St. Joseph Parish, in Scott City, is appointed diocean Dean of Deanery Six and therefore be referred to as The Very Rev. Tomasz Wilk. ©TM
CONGRATS
Rev.
Joseph Kelly
Rev. Joseph Kelly will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 12. Fr. Kelly is Pastor of Guardian Angel Parish, Oran & St. Ambrose Parish, Chaffee. Happy Anniversary!
CONGRATS
Rev. Victor
Anokwute
Rev. Victor Anokwute will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 19. Fr. Anokwute is Pastor of St. Teresa Parish, Glennonville & St. Ann Parish, Malden. Happy Anniversary!
A Mass of Thanksgiving is planned to celebrate Fr. Anokwute’s 10th anniversary on Thu., June 19, at 5 p.m., in St. Teresa Parish, in Glennonville. There will be a reception after Mass in the parish center. RSVP by Mon., June 16, to St. Teresa’s (573) 328-4544 or stteresa.stann@ gmail.com. Priests are invited to concelebrate.
HULSHOF
JOSEPH
THOMAS
JOSE HIETT
SCHUMER
THEETLA
DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING
CONGRATS
Rev. Daniel Belken
Rev. Daniel Belken will celebrate the 5th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 12. Fr. Belken is Parochial Administrator of St. Denis Parish, Benton & St. Lawrence Parish, New Hamburg.
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Belken!
CONGRATS
Rev. Allen Kirchner
Rev. Allen Kirchner will celebrate the 5th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 12. Fr. Kirchner is Parochial Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish, Webb City and St. Ann Parish, Carthage.
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Kirchner!
CATHEDRAL YOUTH MARK FIRST EUCHARIST
FIRST COMMUNION
St. Agnes Cathedral celebrated First Eucharist on Sun., May 4, with a special liturgy for family and friends. Pictured with the youth in the back row are Fr. Jobimon Joseph, MCBS, Bishop Edward Rice, and the Very Rev. Lewis Hejna, pastor (Photo by Cassie Renda Fowler)
NIXA YOUTH CELEBRATE FIRST COMMUNION
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Eleven youngsters in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Nixa, joyfully marked their First Communion on Sun., May 10, with Deacon Gary Steffes, The Very Rev. Shoby Chettiyath, JCL, V.G., parochial administrator; Rachel Lechner, second grade PSR teacher, and Kristen Lantz, assistant PSR teacher for second grade (The Mirror)
CONGRATS
Rev. Peter Morciniec
Rev. Peter Morciniec will celebrate the 55th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 13. Fr. Morciniec is retired.
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Morciniec!
CONGRATS
The Very Rev. (John Toan) Paul Tai V., CRM
The Very Rev. (John Toan) Paul Tai V., CRM, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 4. Fr. Toan is Provincial of the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, Carthage, MO.
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Toan!
DioSCG.org/ employment
CONGRATS
Rev. John Mark Ogu
Rev. John Mark Ogu will celebrate the 15th anniversary of his priesthood ordination on June 26. Fr. Ogu is Chaplain of Mercy Springfield.
Happy Anniversary, Fr. Ogu!
DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING
PRIESTS:
Rev. Colby Elbert, June 2, 8 yrs.
The Very Rev. William Hodgson, June 2, 46 yrs.
Rev. Fergus Monaghan, June 4, 53 yrs.
The Very Rev. (John Toan) Paul Tai V., CRM, Provincial, June 4, 20 yrs.
Rev. Paul McLoughlin, June 5, 54 yrs.
Rev. Michael Quang Do, CRM, June 5, 32 yrs.
Rev. Vincent Bertrand, June 6, 38 yrs.
Rev. Oliver Clavin, June 6, 50 yrs.
The Very Rev. Patrick Nwokoye, June 7, 23 yrs.
Msgr. Normand Varone, June 7, 50 yrs.
Rev. Michael Casteel, June 8, 41 yrs.
Rev. Brian Straus, June 8, 7 yrs.
Rev. Tuan Nguyen, CRM, June 11, 9 yrs.
Rev. Daniel Belken, June 12, 5 yrs.
Rev. Mark Binder, June 12, 54 yrs.
Rev. Joseph Kelly, June 12, 10 yrs.
The Very Rev. Thomas Kiefer, June 12, 44 yrs.
Rev. Allen Kirchner, June 12, 5 yrs.
Rev. Peter Morciniec, June 13, 55 yrs.
Rev. Mitchell Wilk, June 13, 55 yrs.
The Very Rev. Joseph Weidenbenner, June 15, 18 yrs.
Rev. Victor Anokwute, June 19, 10 yrs.
Rev. Nick Zummo, June 23, 2 yrs.
Rev. Charles Dunn, June 24, 9 yrs.
The Very Rev. Scott Sunnenberg, June 24, 23 yrs.
Rev. John Mark Ogu, June 26, 15 yrs.
DEACONS:
Deacon Kevin Henderson, June 10, 2 yrs.
Deacon Tony Peters, June 10, 2 yrs.
Deacon Alan Bandy, June 21, 17 yrs.
Deacon Matt Fletcher, June 21, 17 yrs.
Deacon James Darter, June 28, 12 yrs.
Deacon Walter Biri, June 28, 17 yrs.
Deacon David Farris, June 29, 12 yrs.
Deacon Rob Huff, June 29, 12 yrs.
Deacon Thomas Schumer, June 29, 12 yrs.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jackson—St. Ann’s Sodality/CCW will have its Rummage & Plant Sale, Fri., June 6, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat., June 7, 7 a.m.-1 p.m., in the school gymnasium, at Immaculate Conception Church. Lots of Nice Stuff at a Nice Price! Marble Hill SAVE THE DATE! Band Fest VI benefitting Options for Women will be held Sat., Sept. 20 at 10 Point Lake, CR 520. Questions: contact Terrie Rose, (573) 238-5731.
St. Louis Shroud of Turin Conference & Symposium in St. Louis will be July 31-Aug 3 at the Augustine Institute in St. Louis. While the full conference has sold out, they are releasing day passes for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, to include sessions from renowned Shroud of Turin speakers, lunch, refreshments, and access to the Shroud of Turin Exhibit that was recently featured at the National Eucharistic Congress. Group discounts for groups of 10 or more. The day pass schedule can be found at: www.shroud2025conference.com. Space is limited, so act quickly!
Sikeston—The Catholic Grandparents Association will sponsor vacation bible school: The Great Journey With Jesus, June 23-27, 8:30-11:30 a.m., grades K-5 in St. Francis Xavier Catholic School. For more information, please call Karen at the church office, (573) 471-2447.
Springfield—St. Agnes Cathedral will have its annual Parish Garage Sale, Thu., June 12, 7 a.m.-4 p.m; Fri., June 13, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sat., June 14, 7-11 a.m., in the school gymnasium located on the west side of The Catholic Center, just south of the parish campus. Springfield—Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri (CCSOMO), in partnership with Knights of Columbus Council #13681, will hold its Charity Golf Tournament, Mon., June 23, at Fremont Hills Country Club in Nixa, 12Noon shotgun start. Proceeds to benefit LifeHouse of Springfield. Sponsorships and teams are available now. Register now at https://ccsomo.org/koc-golftournament/ for a day of fun, fellowship, and giving back!
Springfield—All are invited to the REVIVE: Strengthening and Healing of Souls two-day Conference, which includes presentations by five wellknown speakers, Mass, Adoration, prayer, and more. Come and “REVIVE” the gifts of the Holy Spirit within you: Fri., June 6, 4-8:30 p.m. and Sat., June 7, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Pavilion— 2200 West Republic Rd., Springfield.
Parishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events to be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee.
JFIRST FRIDAY MASS for VOCATIONS
oin Bishop Rice on the First Friday of each month to pray for an increase in Vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. The Rosary will be prayed following the liturgy. Parishes are invited to do the same as we continue to pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the diocese.
DURING THIS EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL, FR. DAVID COON OFFERS THE FOLLOWING QUOTE FOR THE REFLECTION ON THE EUCHARIST:
“If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” — ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE
Father Coon is Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dexter. He serves the Diocese as Priest Minister for Spiritual Deliverance & Exorcism and the Confraternity of Priest Adorers of the Eucharistic Face of Jesus.
GRADUATION: CLASS OF 2025
NOTRE DAME REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, Class of ‘25! Congratulations
CLASS of 2025 VALEDICTORIAN: Matthew Austin
Notre Dame senior Matthew Austin has been named the Valedictorian for the class of 2025! Austin is very accomplished in the academic realm, earning a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, being named a National Merit Scholarship Program Winner, a U.S. Presidential Scholars Program nominee, Missouri Scholars 100 recognition, and the Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship for the state of Missouri.
Austin was a French National Exam (Le Grand Concours) bronze medalist in 2022, and silver medalist in 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2023 and 2024, he was a medalist at the Southeast Missouri State Math Field Day Event. He received the College Board Rural and Small-Town National Recognition, and has received student of the year honors in Advanced English I, Honors Geometry, French II and III, Pre-Calculus, Junior Composition and Information Technology from Notre Dame. Additionally, he has been on Notre Dame’s scholar bowl team since his freshman year, earning all-district honors in 2024 when the team won the district competition, and serving as captain his senior year.
Outside of the classroom, Austin stays busy participating in Notre Dame student organizations like National Honor Society, SADD Club (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and Science Club. He has served as the French Club president, and is a fivetime state qualifier in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and FBLA district vice president. Austin is an Eagle Scout with 12 years of scouting experience earning Order of the Arrow and the Bernard Harris Supernova Award.
An avid tennis player, Austin has participated in varsity tennis at Notre Dame for four years, serving as the team captain his senior season. He has qualified for state four times, helping lead Notre Dame to a fourth-place state finish in Class 2 in 2023. He has been nominated twice for the semoball.com boys tennis player of the year, and has competed in many tournaments outside of school, including winning the 2024 Show-Me State Games 18U Singles Championship.
Perhaps most impressive is Austin’s commitment to serving others. As the president of Notre Dame’s National French Honor Society, he aided the organization in raising money to sponsor the education of a child in Haiti. He has earned the Notre Dame Regional High School Christian Service Award for 200+ hours of community service, and has completed over 400 total hours of service as part of earning the Congressional Award Program Gold Medal. Other service organizations Austin has worked with include Big Brothers Big Sisters and First Presbyterian Church of Cape Girardeau Community Lunchbox, along with collecting items for the Safe Harbor Thrift Store. Austin also serves as the regional president of the Second Serve non-profit, which donates gently used tennis equipment to underprivileged areas worldwide.
Austin’s parents are Sam and Caroline Austin of Cape Girardeau, and they are
members of St. Mary Cathedral Church. Austin will be attending Northwestern University in the fall, majoring in economics on the pre-med track.
In addition to thanking his parents, Austin said he, “would also like to thank the rest of my family in Charleston and Knoxville for supporting me throughout my whole life.”
ACADEMIC HONORS
• 87% of the Class of 2025 received scholarships in excess of 9.9 million dollars
• 17 students achieved a score in the Top 5% on the ACT
• 1 National Merit Scholar Program Winner
• 1 National Merit Scholar Program Finalist
• 1 National Merit Commended Scholar
• 6 College Board National Rural & Small Town Recognition Program Winners
• 1 Missouri Top 100 Scholar
• Perfect Score on the ACT: Matthew Austin
• Congressional Award Gold Medal: Matthew Austin
• Candidate in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program: Matthew Austin
• National Merit Scholar Program Winner: Matthew Austin
• National Merit Scholar Program Finalist: Peter Dittmer
• National Merit Commended Scholar: Daniel Massarweh
• College Board National Rural & Small Town Recognition Program Winners: Nicholas Gaeta, Aveney Kandiah, Abigail Langenstein, Jase Limbert, Jacob Mahnke, Brandon Williams
• Missouri Scholars 100 Award: Matthew Austin
• National Technical Honor Society: Bennett Collier, Brooklyn Gosche
CLASS OF 2025 SALUTATORIAN: Skylar Craft
Skylar Craft has been named Salutatorian for the Notre Dame Regional High School class of 2025. Craft is the daughter of Lance and Toni Craft of Jackson, Missouri. They are members of Immaculate Conception Parish.
Craft is a Bright Flight Scholar, member of the National Society of High School Scholars, as well as a member of Notre Dame’s National Honor Society chapter. She has been on the academic A-Honor Roll all four years of high school, and has been named student of the year in Accounting, French I, Health and Honors Spanish II, along with numerous Student of the Month awards. During her sophomore year, she was inducted into the National Spanish Honor Society, and won the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese’s Voice for Life poem contest. Craft was part of the first-place geometry team at Southeast Missouri State University’s Math Field Day, and she is a member of Women in God’s Service (WinGs) club, Peer Helpers and Student Ambassadors.
Craft is a decorated three sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and soccer for Notre Dame. She has 10 varsity letters, and was Academic AllState in volleyball during her senior season. As captain of the girls basketball team, she was named to the All-District team this year. She is a two-time AllDistrict soccer player, and was named All-Conference her freshman year.
“I would like to thank my teachers, coaches, teammates, friends, and, especially, my family for always supporting me and shaping me into the person I am today,” says Craft. She has not yet finalized plans for after graduation.
Cape Girardeau, MO
AUSTIN
CRAFT
ACADEMIC HONORS
• 41 Seniors are recognized as Summa Cum Laude (4.00 or better)
• 13 Seniors are recognized as Magna Cum Laude (3.75 - 3.99)
• 15 Seniors are recognized as Cum Laude (3.50 - 3.74)
• 45 Seniors are members of the National Honor Society.
• 10 Seniors are members of the Tri-M Music Honor Society.
• 39 Seniors are members of the DECA Honor Society.
• 28 Seniors are members of the Rotary Interact Honor Society.
• 3 Seniors are members of the Speech and Debate Honor Society.
• 280 Seniors are members of the National Art Honor Society.
• 7 Seniors is a member of the International Thespian Society.
• 11 Seniors received a 31 or better on the ACT qualifying for Missouri’s “Bright Flight” Scholarship.
• 1 National Merit Scholarship Winner
GRADUATION: CLASS OF 2025
97% of the class is planning to attend college. • The 91members of the Class of 2025 were offered more than $ 16.2 million in scholarships!
ACADEMIC HONORS
• The 11 members of the Class of 2025 were offered more than $21.8 million in scholarship offers
• 5 members of the class are members of National Honor Society
• 2 Seniors graduated Summa Cum Laude
• 1 Senior graduated Magna Cum Laude
• 3 Seniors graduated Cum Laude
• Members of the class completed 37 semesters of dual credit/enrollment
CLASS of 2025 VALEDICTORIAN: Jadyn LaFerla
• Received the President’s Education Gold Award with a GPA of 3.7 or Higher
• National Honor Society President
• Summa Cum Laude with a GPA higher than 4.0
• Received New Nebraskan Scholarship totaling $80,000
• Will attend University of Nebraska majoring in Interior Design
CLASS OF 2025 SALUTATORIAN: Genevieve Billings
• Received the President’s Education Gold Award with a GPA of 3.7 or Higher
• National Honor Society Vice President
• Summa Cum Laude with a GPA higher than 4.0
• Received KU Excellence Scholarship totaling $16,000
• Will attend University of Kansas majoring in Music Performance with an emphasis in voice
Peyton Wiseman
Colin Woods
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