CATHOLIC CHARITIES celebrates Grand Opening of Mountaintop Homes
AFFORDABLE, SAFE HOUSING Mountaintop Homes in Mount Vernon, MO, sits north of I-44 and adjacent to the Missouri Veterans Commission in Mount Vernon. The neighborhood is comprised of 42 residential townhomes for rent with a mix of twoand three-bedroom units. Eight of these units will be reserved for Catholic Charities clients, including homeless/at-risk veterans, mothers in the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program, and mixed-income families. The remaining 34 units are designated as affordable housing units funded by Federal and State Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
(CCSOMO/The Mirror)
Mount Vernon, MO
CGRAND OPENING OF MOUNTAINTOP HOMES Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, in partnership with O’Reilly Development, recently announced the grand opening of Mountaintop Homes in Mount Vernon, MO. A ribbon-cutting was held on Tue., June 24, with Bishop Edward Rice, the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce, a representative of Catholic Charities USA, and other project partners, the culmination of the 18-month construction process. (CCSOMO/The Mirror)
atholic Charities of Southern Missouri is proud to announce the grand opening of Mountaintop Homes. A partnership with O’Reilly Development, Mountaintop Homes is a mixed-income community that will provide safe, affordable, and inclusive housing. The development sits north of I-44 and adjacent to the Missouri Veterans Commission in Mount Vernon.
With a ribbon-cutting on Tue., June 24, joined by Bishop Edward Rice, the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce, a representative of Catholic Charities USA, and other project partners, the grand opening celebration was a culmination of the 18-month construction process.
The neighborhood is comprised of 42 residential townhomes for rent with a mix of two- and three-bedroom units. Eight of these units will be reserved for Catholic Charities clients, including homeless/at-risk veterans, mothers in the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program, and mixed-income families. The remaining 34 units are designated as affordable housing units funded by Federal and State Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
“Affordable and safe housing is fundamental to overcoming the barriers many of our clients face,” said Ken Palermo, Chief Executive Officer. “A neighborhood like Mountaintop Homes provides residents a path toward success coupled with resilience and stability.”
A Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri on-site staff member will work to provide resources through housing stability case management, rental and financial assistance, and aid in attaining benefits, employment opportunities, and other supportive services. Through this individualized support, Mountaintop Homes aims to provide residents with the tools and support necessary to build a stable, self-sufficient future.
About Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri
Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that provides quality, compassionate social services to those of all faiths across the 39 southern-most counties in Missouri. Established in 2009, CCSOMO has grown to include the following five programs and services to serve those in need: Veteran Services, Housing Services, Developmental Disability Services, Construction Services, and Maternal & Family Programs. For more information about Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri’s programs, visit ccsomo.org. ©TM
STABILITY & SELF-SUFFICIENCY Celebrating the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of Mountaintop Homes in Mount Vernon, MO, on June 24 were Gerry Salter, CCSOMO Board President; Ken Palermo, Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri CEO; Bishop Edward M. Rice; diocesan Vicar General The Very Rev. Shoby Chettiyath, JCL, and Timothy Crawl-Bey of Catholic Charities USA. Mountaintop Homes will have an on-site CCSOMO case manager and is a mixed-income community that will provide safe, affordable, and inclusive housing. (CCSOMO/The Mirror)
COME, AND YOU WILL SEE
Bp. Edward M. Rice
As summer clicks away and we enter July, my thoughts turn to the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, celebrated on Wed., July 16. I’ve told the story so many times of my 7th grade teacher who gave us a brown scapular, telling us the symbolism of wearing it, i.e., of Our Lady’s protection for us and our devotion to her. And I will never forget her words, “Wearing the scapular is like having the arms of the Blessed Mother around you.” My reaction? “Who wouldn’t want that!” So, since 7th grade, I’ve worn a scapular, often giving it away to people in the hospital, especially as they prepare for death.
Our Lady is the woman of prayer!
In 2001, Pope St. John Paul II wrote to the Carmelite Order, and highlighted what he called “two truths” in the scapular: “The constant protection of the Blessed Virgin throughout our life journey and at the moment of passing … and that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers but must become a “habit,” an orientation of one’s Christian conduct through frequent reception of the sacraments and the practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.” In other words, for those who wear the scapular there should be a greater participation in the sacraments and in reaching out to others in their needs.
The brown scapular is not magic. It is a sign that has been approved by the Church for over seven centuries, symbolizing the decision to follow Jesus, like Mary who opened her heart to the will of God, guided by faith, hope, and love. Wearing the scapular reminds us that God is close to us in our times of need and of our response to pray at all times. Modeling our lives after Mary, we strive to imitate her contemplative
heart. Mary opened her heart to the word of God: she was filled with the Holy Spirit and was the catalyst for the first miracle. She was faithful at the foot of the Cross and gathered in prayer with the apostles in the Upper Room, awaiting the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. She is the woman of prayer!
I encourage all of our priests and deacons to enroll their parishioners in the scapular on her feast, July 16th. To that end, I will celebrate the 5:30 p.m. Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield, followed by enrollment of the scapular and the recitation of the rosary. If any priest or deacon would like copies of the The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Catechesis and Ritual, copies can be obtained by calling the receptionist at The Catholic Center.
MOSCHOLARS BRIGHT FUTURES FUND
Now, on to more worldly concerns, the Bright Futures Fund at MOScholars! In 2021, the Missouri
General Assembly passed HB349 and SB86 which established the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, MOScholars. The law provides state tax credits for contributions to approved, nonprofit Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs). These EAOs use the contributions to award scholarships to Missouri students with individual education plans (IEPs) and students living in households that meet income guidelines. Our EAO is called Bright Futures Fund
A MOScholars Tax credit is equal to 100% of an eligible donation, not to exceed 50% of the donor’s state tax liability for the tax year the credit is claimed. Donors will reserve tax credits for Bright Futures Fund through the MOScholars online
system. The Missouri State Treasurer Website has a great explanation of the program and can be found at treasurer. mo.gov. This is a yearly program and because people pay taxes annually, every year the tax credits can be replenished. The great challenge is to remember to do so! So far this year, 296 new students and 59 renewals will receive scholarships from MOScholars, Bright Futures Fund. Catholic parents who think they cannot afford Catholic education for their children may now be able to do so! I ask everyone to support this program before you pay your taxes. A fuller explanation can be found at https://www.brightfuturesfund.org/ moscholars_scholarship.html
“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine.” ©TM
ANOTHER WALK THROUGH: ‘Walking Together’
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.
August 6, 1993 Coming for a parish visitation, the bishop was to have dinner with the pastor one evening at the rectory. “Now remember,” the pastor told the housekeeper, “when you serve dinner to the bishop tonight, please don’t spill anything.” She said, “Don’t worry, Father. I won’t say a word.”
August 20, 1993 A minister fond of pure, hot horseradish always kept a bottle of it on his dining room table. He offered some to a guest, who took a large spoonful. When the guest was finally able to speak, he gasped, “I know of several ministers who preach hellfire, but you’re the first one who ever passed out some of it!”
September 3, 1993 My mother has been recuperating from a broken right hip and right shoulder, suffered in a recent fall. She has been experiencing very difficult times. A friend of hers called me recently to share her phone conversation with mother. “Your mother is getting better,” she assured me, “because her sense of humor is returning.” Then she told me how my mother vowed she would, with the help of daily therapy, walk again by Thanksgiving. “Want to bet me?” my mother asked her friend. “Sure,” she responded. “How much?” Mom said, “How much you got?” The lady told her, “Not much!” Mom laughed, “Me, either!”
By Deacon Tony Peters, RN, MA, OSF
As the dust settles from the narrow passage of Amendment 3 in November 2024, Catholics across Missouri, and particularly within the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, continue to bear public witness to the inviolable dignity of human life. This constitutional amendment, which enshrined a so-called “right to reproductive freedom” in our state’s foundational legal document, was passed by only 51.6% of voters and carried in just eight of Missouri’s 115 counties. Notably, not a single county within our Diocese approved the amendment, providing a clear indication that faith continues to shape conscience and conviction in our communities.
FAITH IN ACTION AFTER AMENDMENT 3:
Renewing the Gospel of Life in Missouri
FOR NOW, ABORTIONS HALTED IN MO The Missouri Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City, MO. On May 27, 2025, the Missouri Supreme Court temporarily reinstated the state’s abortion restrictions by overturning lower court rulings that had blocked them. The justices clarified that the lower courts had applied the wrong legal standard when issuing preliminary injunctions. halted abortions at Missouri facilities, as Planned Parenthood has suspended its operations in the state once again (Photo by Clara Bates/Missouri Independent)
Since that pivotal vote, Missouri’s pro-life landscape has remained fluid and fiercely contested. In a noteworthy decision issued on May 27, 2025, the Missouri Supreme Court temporarily reinstated the state’s abortion restrictions by overturning lower court rulings that had blocked them. The justices clarified that the lower courts had applied the wrong legal standard when issuing preliminary injunctions. This ruling has, at least for now, halted abortions at Missouri facilities, as Planned Parenthood has suspended its operations in the state once again.
“ While we know that another injunction may ultimately be issued, we are thankful that Missouri women will be protected from an unregulated abortion industry in the immediate term,” said Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) Executive Director Jamie Morris.
These temporary victories emphasize the importance of vigilant advocacy and prayerful presence in the public square.
Restoring protections to most vulnerable
Yet the road ahead remains complex. In a decisive move, the Missouri General
Assembly passed HJR 73 in May, placing a new pro-life constitutional amendment on the ballot for the 2026 election. This measure seeks to restore commonsense health and safety regulations, uphold parental consent laws, and limit abortion to rare cases involving medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomalies, or rape or incest within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Its passage could correct some of the sweeping consequences of Amendment 3 and restore protections for the most vulnerable.
In tandem, we must resist efforts to erode parental rights. Currently, a lawsuit filed by the group Right by You seeks to overturn Missouri’s parental consent and notification laws, invoking Amendment 3 as justification. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey described the lawsuit as a “shameful and dangerous attempt… to undermine not only parental rights but also the health and safety of young women.”
In these polarized times, our response must be in the witness of Christ. Pope Leo XIV reminds us: “No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from
the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.” As Catholics, we are summoned not only to defend life through legislation but to surround it with love through accompaniment, education, and advocacy.
The Diocese of Springfield- Cape Girardeau continues to embody this mission through its Respect Life Office, its support of LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Homes, and its ongoing formation of conscience within parishes, schools, and healthcare institutions. These ministries offer housing, medical care, education, spiritual support, and the life-affirming alternatives that many women desperately need.
Gospel of Life
We are also blessed by the leadership of Bishop Edward Rice, who has challenged us to “renew our commitment to education, advocacy, and service,” and to engage in respectful yet courageous dialogue with fellow Missourians, particularly those who may not yet understand why the Church holds life as sacred from conception to natural death.
Mike Kehoe, as Missouri’s new Catholic governor, presents both opportunities and obligations. As St. Paul exhorts:
“I ask that supplications, prayers,
Eucharistic Adoration is all about placing ourselves before our Lord, who is truly and sacramentally present to us in the Eucharist exposed on the altar in the monstrance. Eucharistic Adoration is about listening to His heart from your heart, about His love and joy for you, His plans and inspirations, His forgiveness and ministry, and His ways of helping you grow in your spiritual life, and service of others. Jesus present in the Monstrance (from the Latin word—monstrare, which means to show, which is the root for—demonstrate) enables us to fix our gaze on him for the reparation for sins; the intercession for healing of the world, among other needs or sources of gratitude.
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone… that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:12).
Pray that Governor Kehoe governs with integrity, compassion, and fidelity to moral truth, and that he is surrounded by wise counselors who seek the common good.
In every age, the Church has stood as a moral compass amid social upheaval. Now more than ever, we must shine the light of the Gospel into the shadows of a culture that normalizes death under the guise of autonomy. This is not just a legal battle; it is also a spiritual one. And our weapons are not of this world; they are faith, truth, mercy, and love.
I invite all Catholics in our Diocese to join in fasting, prayer, and sustained witness. Redouble our efforts in catechesis, support ministries like LifeHouse and Birthright, and make our voices heard through the Missouri Catholic Conference and parish-based initiatives.
Together, with confidence in Christ and the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn, we will continue to proclaim the Gospel of Life. For while Amendment 3 may have passed, the final word belongs not to the courts or campaigns, but to God, who is the Author of Life.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) ©TM
Deacon Tony Peters, RN, BSN, MA, OFS, is a Registered Nurse and Permanent Deacon in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, serving at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau, MO. He also serves in Mission Integration and Pastoral Care at Saint Francis Healthcare System. A professed Secular Franciscan since 2016, Deacon Peters recently completed a Master of Arts in Theology at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Saint Meinrad, IN. Appointed to the Missouri Catholic Conference’s Public Policy Committee, he seeks to apply the principles of Catholic social teaching to his ministry and public advocacy throughout the state
Perpetual Adoration
(24 hours a day, seven days a week)
is held in two places in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Please come and spend time in either of these locations:
Perpetual Adoration at Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau Call Donna (573) 450-1451
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Holy Trinity Church, Springfield Call Marilyn (417) 224-4043
Youth raise over $25k for Elevate Kids
By Paula Wright Branson, MO
The 2025 Lenten Youth Project, Bishop Edward Rice’s annual appeal to the youth of our diocese in Catholic schools as PSR classes, was a big success! The designated recipient for the 2025 collection was Elevate Kids located in Branson, MO.
On Fri., May 30, Bishop Edward M. Rice and Fr. J. Friedel, Pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson, presented a check for $23,346.65 to Cathy Brown, Director of Elevate Kids. But that wasn’t the end: Donations continued to come in beyond the check presentation date and the final total raised by the youth of our diocese totaled $25,180.94.
“Elevate Branson is very blessed to be in partnership with the Catholic Church in helping our neighbors,” Brown said.
Elevate Kids is a program of Elevate Branson that assists the needs of children of the working poor. Taney County has more than 2,000 working poor with 400+ children living in substandard, weekly-stay motel rooms. The face of poverty in the Branson area is predominantly women and children. Unemployment, housing, health, and nutrition are very real struggles for families in Branson and Taney County.
The money raised by the 2025 Lenten Youth Project for Elevate Kids will be used to build basketball goals, climbing nets, swings, picnic tables, and slides. Referred to as a “Natural Playground,” the playground incorporates nature as much as possible, “because time in
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP AWARD RECOGNIZES STUDENTS
By Sarah Lee Hunter Sikeston, MO
nature can be a powerful antidote to the impact that trauma and stress have in children’s lives” (Elevate Kids Website).
“These kids deserve better than a parking lot for a playground,” said Fr. Freidel. “The funds raised will support the completion of a playground on Elevate Branson property.”
Our Lady of the Lake Parish has been an active partner in supporting Elevate Branson and Elevate Kids. Father Friedel is also pastor of Our Lady of the Cove Parish, Kimberling City, and Our Lady of the Ozarks Parish, in Forsyth.
Thank you to all the youth and adults for the Lenten Youth Project 2025 achievement! ©TM
YOUTH HELPING YOUTH The proceeds from the 2025 Youth Lenten Project will benefit Elevate Kids Branson. Pictured bestowing the check on May 30 were Fr. J Friedel, pastor of our Lady of the Lake Parish, Branson; Cathy Brown, Director of Elevate Kids Branson, and The Most Rev. Edward M. Rice. Donations from diocesan youth totaled $25,180.94, more than the check that was presented on May 30
(Photo by Leslie Eidson/The Mirror)
During the End of the School Year Awards Ceremony, the Principal of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Sikeston, selects one student from K - 4th and a student from 5th - 8th to receive the very prestigious
Katie Shaw Collier was recognized as the K-4th grade recipient of the Christian Leadership Award at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Sikeston. She is pictured with Assistant Principal Jennifer Barnes (Submitted photo)
Christian Leadership Award. The student selected is to have great behavior; high character, and good Christian values. Katie Shaw Collier was the K-4 recipient and Rachel Noyes was recognized for the 5-8 distinction. ©TM
Rachel Noyes earned the Christian Leadership Award at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Sikeston, for the grades 5-8. Students are chosen for their high character, values, and behavior (Submitted photo)
SFXCS 8TH GRADE GRADUATION
EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION The 8th graders of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School (SFXCS) were honored at the evening Mass held May 14. They participated in the entrance processional; sat together, and had various roles in the liturgy. Pictured were Jessica Hopkins, Principal; Kayden Woodruff; Rachel Noyes; Fr. Colby Elbert, Pastor; Rigoberto Gonzalez; Boyd Bollinger, and Assistant School Principal, Jennifer Barnes. After Mass, an Awards Ceremony and reception were held for parents, family, and friends to celebrate the 8th Grade Graduation. Not present for the photo: Nadia Guzman and Clint Lawrence (Submitted photo)
As of June 30, 2025, 81 parishes reported 5,063 pledges totaling $2,474,712 or 80% of the 2025 DDF goal of $3,100,000.
DioSCG.org/ employment
DIOCESAN NEWS/ADVERTISING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Aurora—All are welcome as Holy Trinity Parish will have First Saturday devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, every first Saturday with a rosary at 7:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 8 a.m. Cape Girardeau & Carthage Worldwide Marriage Encounter: Join the millions of couples worldwide that have learned how to keep their marriage vibrant and alive! The emphasis of Worldwide Marriage Encounter is on communication between husband and wife, who spend a weekend together away from the distractions and the tensions of everyday-life, to concentrate solely on each other. The next Marriage Encounters will be: Aug. 1-3, 2025 at the Drury Plaza, Cape Girardeau, and Sept. 26-28, 2025 at the CRM Retreat Center, Carthage. For more information, go to https://wwme.org/.
Springfield—Join Bishop Rice on the First Friday of each month (next is Aug. 1, 5:30 p.m., St. Agnes Cathedral) 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.
Springfield—Sacred Heart Church will hold its Annual Garage Sale, Fri., July 25, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sat., July 26, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and again the following weekend, Aug. 1-2, with the same hours. Clothing, including X-large sizes for adults, a variety of coats, small appliances, linens, specialty items, sports equipment, and much more. Please stop by and pick up some treasures to take home.
Springfield—Sacred Heart Parish will hold its Annual Festival of Nations, Sat., Aug. 23, 5-9 p.m., in the parish hall and on the grounds outside. Please mark your calendars and come enjoy delicious food, music, and entertainment from many countries. There will be an area for children to enjoy.
Springfield—Plan now to join Catholic Charities at one of two dinner galas supporting LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Homes in Springfield on Sat., Sept. 20, and on Sat., Nov. 1 in Cape Girardeau. Sponsorships are now available for both events! For more information, contact Suzanne Cronkhite at scronkhite@ccsomo.org or call (417) 720-4213; www.ccsomo. org.
Parishes and organizations are invited to submit notices of future events to be printed on a space-available basis. There is no fee.
MSGR. VARONE MARKS GOLDEN JUBILEE
50TH ANNIVERSARY Bishop
Edward M. Rice (left) and Bishop
Emeritus John J. Leibrecht (right) celebrated Msgr. Normand G. Varone’s 50th Anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on June 8, in the Mercy Center, St. Louis, as diocesan clergy gathered for retreat. A Mass of Thanksgiving for the golden jubilee of Msgr. Varone was celebrated June 25 in St. Denis Parish, Benton, MO. A dinner followed in the parish hall (The Mirror)
JACS hires new principal for St. Mary Catholic Elementary & Preschool
Joplin, MO
Joplin Area Catholic Schools (JACS) recently named Joseph Beachner as the next principal of St. Mary Catholic Elementary and Preschool. He takes on this role on July 1, 2025, ahead of the 2025-2026 school year.
Beachner earned a Masters of Science in Education, Administration from Missouri Southern State University, Joplin. He also holds a Bachelor of Science, Biology, and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with the emphasis in finance and economics from the University of Arkansas.
“This is a special moment for our community,” said Jess Sickman, JACS Director of Schools. “We welcome a building leader who brings professional experience and also a deep commitment to faith, family, and Catholic education.”
Beachner most recently served as the director of the Educational Opportunity Center at Crowder College as well as a rootEd college and career counselor at McDonald County. His career also includes experience as a teacher and coach, along with leadership roles in the
business sector as a program manager, account manager, and facilities manager.
“To have the opportunity to serve our faith community through education has been a dream of mine,” Beachner said. “I can’t wait to be a part of helping our students and families grow through the Joplin Area Catholic Schools.” St. Mary Catholic Elementary and Preschool serves children from age two through 5th grade.
About Joplin Area Catholic Schools
Founded in 1885 by the Sisters of Mercy of St. Catherine McAuley, the Joplin Area Catholic Schools (JACS) serves the greater Joplin community to educate Catholic and non-Catholic children from Early Learners (two-year-olds) through grade 12 at St. Mary Elementary and Preschool, Joplin; St. Ann Catholic School, Carthage; St. Peter Middle School, Joplin; and McAuley Catholic High School, Joplin. Joplin Area Catholic Schools provide an outstanding academic and Christ-centered educational foundation that forms its present students of today into remarkable servant-leaders of tomorrow. For more information or to inquire about enrollment, visit www. JACSS.org. ©TM
BEACHNER
DIOCESAN NEWS/ADULT FAITH
FATHER FRITZ: Priest established Glennonville and helped bring electricity to the Bootheel
By Jim McCarty
Editor’s Note & Introduction: We’re pleased to bring our readers this story that originally appeared In the Rural Missouri Magazine, published by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. It is authored by its editor emeritus, Jim McCarty, a Catholic member of St. Gertrude Church, in Krakow, MO, and features a pioneer of the faith priest from Glennonville, MO. “I love spreading the word about all the Church has done to make Missouri such a great state,” McCarty told me. Like many pioneer priests who advocated for the most vulnerable among us and their basic needs, our clergy continue that good work today. Say a prayer for them! And if you’d like to reach out to McCarty directly: jmccarty@ ruralmissouri.coop.
They came from all walks of life, those “pioneers of power” who helped establish Missouri’s electric cooperatives. Farmers, small business owners, teachers, county Extension agents, and homemakers were among those who signed the articles of incorporation to bring rural people out of the darkness.
But one electric cooperative director stood out from the rest gathered around the board table by his black cassock and white clerical collar. He is remembered today not just for his efforts to establish Ozark Border Electric Cooperative but also for his devotion to the community he carved out of the wilderness in southeast Missouri. The Rev. Frederick F. Peters, a Catholic priest, would serve on his co-op’s board from its establishment in 1938 until his health forced his resignation in 1955.
Long before Concern for Community became the seventh principle of the electric cooperatives, Father Fritz, as he was known to his parishioners, put the principle into practice by turning what had been swampland into the village of Glennonville. He came to the United States from Germany with his family in 1888 when he was 15 years old. His father had died, and his mother decided leaving Germany offered the best chance for success for her family.
They settled in the village of Aholt, located in the bottoms between the Missouri and Chariton rivers northwest of Glasgow. This tiny Catholic community produced two priests: Frederick and his brother, John. While John would spend his
PIONEER PRIEST German-born Fr. Frederick F. (“Fritz”) Peters practiced concern for community. The Catholic priest helped establish the Ozark border Electric Cooperative, serving on the board in 1938 until his resignation in 1955 (The Mirror)
priesthood in St. Louis, the Archdiocese of St. Louis had different plans for his brother. Frederick was sent to Jefferson City to serve as an associate priest at St. Peter Catholic Church located next to the state Capitol. Here, he would become the first member of the clergy to minister behind the walls of the notorious Missouri State Penitentiary. He also convinced the state to establish a chapel in the penitentiary.
Soon the young priest would be given a task that would take him deep into the wilderness of the Missouri Ozarks. In May 1905, he was sent south as a missionary for Catholics living in Thayer, Cabool, and Brandsville. He had barely settled into his new role when he was again summoned to St. Louis.
German CatholicsDunklin County
Archbishop John J. Glennon had a new challenge for the young priest. He wanted him to establish a colony for German Catholics on a tract of land the archdiocese purchased in Dunklin County. He set out on Nov. 3, 1905, to explore the 12,500-acre tract and determine whether the project could be accomplished.
The priest’s memoirs relate his dismay at what he found:
“Continuing through the woods, we came to the famous old town, Paragon, a remnant of a once industrious sawmill town. There were four small box shanties through which the wind
played at will, the rain dashed without much hindrance and the sun cast your shadow upon the floor.
“There was the old sawmill almost without a covering and the heavy machinery had sunk through the rotted logs into Mother Earth. With this as a foundation, I was to start a new town, a colony for Catholics.”
His report to the archbishop related that while a colony could be established here, it would be expensive and require considerable work.
“There were no accommodations of any kind. There were no roads, no houses, no shelters,” he wrote.
ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD This card, written in German, recognizes the ordination of Frederick F. (“Fritz”) Peters to the sacred priesthood. It reads, “By the grace of God, I am what I am, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. In pious remembrance of the First Holy Mass of the priest, Frederick F. Peters, celebrated on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 17, 1898, in St. Mary Church, Glasgow, Howard County, Missouri.” (The Mirror)
Despite the dismal report, the archbishop urged the Fr. Peters to move ahead, saying, “My dear father, I have asked you to undertake that work because I have found you in my estimation the most fitted and competent priest to do so. I know it will entail work that is not perhaps becoming a priest, yet I would kindly ask you to undertake the work and to reap the benefit as long as you will.”
The Herculean task began a week later with two men from Malden joining Fr. Peters. They dug the sawmill out of the mud and began sawing lumber for houses. The priest soon lured a handle mill and a barrel stave business to the colony he renamed Glennonville. These businesses provided jobs for those brave enough to settle there.
Settlers, including the priest’s mother and two brothers, began to arrive first from Cole and Howard counties, then from as far away as Kentucky and Indiana. They cleared land, hauling the timber to the sawmill where the priestturned-sawyer singlehandedly cut more than a million board feet of lumber. This was used to build new homes in addition to a church, two grade schools and a high school offering a full four years of education.
The church was named St. Teresa in
honor of his mother. Both the church and school are still active today, with pastor Fr. Victor Anokwute at the helm.
In addition to serving as chief sawyer, Fr. Fritz Peters was also the colony’s chief medical officer, despite having no formal medical training. His skills — and prayers — brought Glennonville through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic with just one loss of life. As the land was cleared, farms were established thanks to a drainage system the priest devised. However, frequent flooding and the low, swampy ground caused crops to fail. As a result, the priest became one of the earliest advocates of the Wappapello Lake flood control project. His efforts would bear fruit when the St. Francis River was tamed by the dam.
Quality of Life for the flock
Another of his attempts at improving the quality of life for his flock came when he learned of the Rural Electrification Program. Two projects — Pemiscot-
DIOCESAN NEWS/ADULT FAITH
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRIESTHOOD In 1948, Pioneer Priest of Glennonville Fr. Peters (right of cake) celebrated the 50th anniversary of his priesthood. To his right, is Ozark Border Electric Cooperative President P.G. Wingo and Manager Ansel Moore. On the left, next to the post, is attorney John Balton, later governor of Missouri. (The Mirror)
Dunklin Electric Cooperative and Ozark Border Electric Cooperative — were in the early stages in the area.
Initially he planned to join Pemiscot-Dunklin, but later changed his mind when it appeared Ozark Border offered a quicker path to bringing electricity to Glennonville.
The priest joined the committee working to sign up members for the cooperative. It wasn’t unusual for clergy to help form electric co-ops. Besides Fr. Peters, Ozark Border’s founders included Fr. F.G. Wanglin from Grandin. At Howell-Oregon Electric, one of the original incorporators was the Fr. Aloys Stumpf of St. Joseph in White Church. SEMO Electric Cooperative also had a priest as one of its original incorporators, Fr.. Hubert Eggeman from St. Lawrence Church, in New Hamburg. And Fr. A.V. Nicolas
of Our Lady Help of Christians, in Frankenstein, helped form Three Rivers Electric Cooperative.
These priests would canvas their parishioners, encouraging them to pay the $5 membership fee and make the projects a reality. When Ozark Border’s committee met to prepare a final report on members, Fr. Peters brought the most to the table. He would be one of the cooperative’s original incorporators and a member of the board of directors when the co-op organized in May 1938. He was one of three men asked to speak when the co-op’s first pole was set at Ellsinore on May 2, 1939. He would serve as its vice president for 17 years, resigning in 1955 only after his health began to fail.
One account of his service on the board shows his influence on his fellow directors: “This board is reputed to be the only one whose meetings begin with an invocation to ask the omniscient
KQOH 91.9 FM Springfield
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Father in Heaven to guide them in their decisions and enlighten them in the correct supervision over their 50 employees.”
A testament to how beloved the priest was even beyond his community came when a member uprising sought to throw out the co-op’s entire board of directors — with the exception of the priest. With his help, Ozark Border grew to be Missouri’s largest electric cooperative until it was passed by Cuivre River Electric, Troy, in the 1990s.
Bringing electricity to his community for the first time wasn’t the final act for the priest. No doubt recalling his first visit to the area when it was only accessible on horseback, he lobbied the Missouri State Highway Commission and Dunklin County road officials and succeeded in bringing a network of all-weather roads to the area.
On June 7, 1948, Fr. Fritz celebrated 50 years as a priest. His golden jubilee celebration brought civic leaders, Archbishop Joseph Ritter from St. Louis, priests from nearly every parish from St. Louis to the Arkansas line, relatives and friends to the village for a tribute that lasted four days. Among the speakers were P.G. Wingo, the first president of Ozark Border’s board and John Dalton, the co-op’s attorney and future governor of Missouri.
In 1949, he was elevated to the rank of monsignor, a title bestowed on a priest who has distinguished himself by exceptional service to the Church. The kindly priest
died on Sept. 27, 1956, at age 83, and was buried in the parish cemetery in Glennonville. It’s fitting that his remains lie in the village he nurtured for 56 years.
It’s also fitting that in 1999, Associated Electric Cooperative chose a site near Glennonville for its St. Francis Power Plant. With the addition of a second unit added in 2001, the plant can produce 501 megawatts of electricity. It also serves as the startup plant for Associated’s nearby New Madrid Power Plant, making it a crucial link in the power supply for electric cooperative members in Missouri and parts of Iowa and Oklahoma.
Father Fritz Peters would have been proud to see it come on line to serve another generation in the village he created. ©TM
You can read more about the Rev. Peters and Glennonville through a family history written by Ken Westhues located at www. kwesthues.com/Petersfamily.html.
DURING THIS EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL, FR. DAVID COON OFFERS THE FOLLOWING QUOTE FOR THE REFLECTION ON THE EUCHARIST:
“Be with Him willingly; do not lose so good an occasion for conversing with Him as the hour after Communion. … This is a most advantageous time for the soul, during which Jesus is very pleased if you keep him company. Though He comes disguised, the disguise does not prevent Him from being recognized in many ways, according to the desire we have to see Him.”
— ST. TERESA OF AVILA
with discussion to follow.
ATTENTION: CATHOLIC MEN You are invited to the Southeast Missouri...
An evening of Adoration, Confession, & a Manly Meal
ST. MARY CHURCH, Glasgow, MO, circa 1866. (The Mirror)
Fr. 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.
Grounded in Christ, A FAMILY’S LOVE is sign of peace for world
By Carol Glatz Vatican City (CNS)
Families are the cradle of the future of humanity, Pope Leo XIV said during a Mass concluding the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly.
“Today’s world needs the marriage covenant in order to know and accept God’s love and to defeat, thanks to its unifying and reconciling power, the forces that break down relationships and societies,” he said in his homily at the Mass celebrated June 1 in St. Peter’s Square.
FAITH AS FOOD
In the family, he said in his homily, faith “is shared like food at the family table and like the love in our hearts. In this way, families become privileged places in which to encounter Jesus, who loves us and desires our good, always.”
Speaking to all married couples, the pope said that “marriage is not an ideal but the measure of true love between a
man and a woman: a love that is total, faithful and fruitful,” and enables them, “in the image of God, to bestow the gift of life.”
“I encourage you, then, to be examples of integrity to your children, acting as you want them to act, educating them in freedom through obedience, always seeing the good in them and finding ways to nurture it,” he told married couples.
AN INFINITE LOVE
Speaking to grandparents and elderly people, he asked that they “watch over your loved ones with wisdom and compassion, and with the humility and patience that come with age.”
The pope focused his homily on “The Prayer of Jesus” in the day’s Gospel reading (John 17:20-26) in which Jesus prays to the Father that all of Christ’s disciples not only follow him but also seek to be in union with the Father.
He re-read portions of the Gospel to emphasize God’s plan of unity for all of humanity, particularly: “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the
world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.”
“Jesus is telling us that God loves us as he loves him. The Father does not love us any less than he loves his onlybegotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love,” Pope Leo said.
“In his mercy, God has always desired to draw all people to himself. It is his life, bestowed upon us in Christ, that makes us one, uniting us with one another,” he said, connecting the Gospel reflection to how it relates to celebrating the Jubilee of families.
Jesus’ prayer “makes fully meaningful our experience of love for one another as parents, grandparents, sons and daughters,” he said.
“That is what we want to proclaim to the world: We are here in order to be ‘one’ as the Lord wants us to be ‘one,’ in our families and in those places where we live, work, and study. Different, yet one; many, yet one; always, in every situation and at every stage of life,” the pope said.
“If we love one another in this way, grounded in Christ,” he said, “we will be a sign of peace for everyone in society and the world. Let us not forget: Families are the cradle of the
4th Annual CGA Essay Award Winners announced
Sikeston, MO
Winners of the annual Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA)
Essay contest held by the CGA of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Sikeston, were recognized May 1415, 2025. The essay theme this year was, “PEACE as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and what does Peace mean to you in your daily life?” Scoring for
1ST-4TH GRADE WINNERS Mary Borgsmiller, CGA member, recognized Phoenix Stidham, Second place and Mary Grace Deuster, First place in the 1st-4th grade division of the Catholic Grandparents Association (CGS) annual Essay Contest held in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Sikeston (Submitted photo)
future of humanity.”
The pope prayed for all families, especially “those suffering due to war in the Middle East, in Ukraine, and in other parts of the world. May the Mother of God help us to press forward together on the path of peace.” ©CNS
HOPE CHOSEN AS THEME TO CELEBRATE GRANDPARENTS & ELDERLY DURING JUBILEE
By Catholic News Service Vatican City
“Blessed are those who have not lost hope” is the theme for the fifth World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly which will be observed in the Catholic Church July 27. The theme is taken from the Book of Sirach as part of its moral instruction to the Jewish faithful.
The theme expresses “the blessedness of the elderly and points to the hope placed in the Lord as the way to a Christian and reconciled old age,” the Vatican said in its announcement of the theme in February.
the essay was based 90 percent on content while 10 percent factored paragraph structure, grammar, and spelling. First-place winners received a large statue of Saint Francis of Assisi and a matching bookmark; while the Second-place winners received the same, but in a smaller modality. Congratulations to these four winners for their wellwritten essays!! ©TM
5TH-8TH GRADE WINNERS Mary Borgsmiller, CGA member, recognized Rachel Noyes, for her Second place win in the 5th-8th grade division of the Catholic Grandparents Association (CGS) annual Essay Contest held in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Sikeston. Nadia Guzman was the First place winner. However, she was ill, so she was absent from the photo (Submitted photo)
Particularly during the Holy Year 2025, the world day “seeks to be an opportunity to reflect on how the presence of grandparents and elderly people can become a sign of hope in every family and ecclesial community,” it continued.
The motto for the current Jubilee, selected by Pope Francis, is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which organizes the world day, invited every diocese to organize local celebrations for World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly July 27, “promoting visits and occasions for encounter between generations.”
Pope Francis instituted the world day to be celebrated in the church on the fourth Sunday of July, near the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anna— Jesus’ grandparents. ©CNS
By George Weigel
IThe Catholic Difference: INDEPENDENCE DAY #249
n the twelve months leading up to next year’s American semiquincentennial, the tale will frequently be told of Benjamin Franklin’s encounter with Philadelphia matron Elizabeth Willing Powel, who asked, as Franklin left the Constitutional Convention: “Well, Doctor, what have we got — a republic or a monarchy?” To which the 81-year-old sage replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” That caveat remains as true today as when Franklin engraved it in the national memory on September 17, 1787.
“Keeping it” is, indeed, a task for “We, the People,” the phrase that begins the Preamble of the Constitution Franklin helped write. For “We, the People” were the progenitors of the United States. John Adams put this succinctly in an 1818 letter, written as the country approached its golden jubilee: “But what do We mean by the American Revolution? Do We mean the American War? The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the Minds and Hearts of the People.”
So if the republican convictions and sentiments of “We the People” deteriorate, the republic is in danger.
Are we amidst such a moment, a year before the national celebration of “America 250”?
Serious, self-inflicted challenges to our republican and constitutional form of government have not been lacking over the past two hundred fifty years. These have often taken the form of governmental overreach
by autocratically inclined presidents: Woodrow Wilson’s harassment and lock-up of antiwar protesters and FDR’s internment of unimpeachably patriotic Japanese-American citizens are two sorry twentieth-century examples. But as Mark Helprin pointed out in the Wall Street Journal six weeks ago, the current danger to republican constitutionalism is rooted in the “people’s lack of supervision in granting agency and approval to elected officials high and low who depart from the principles of the Founding and the discipline and design of the Constitution.”
Less elegantly: “We, the People” are dropping the ball. How?
The recent record of such defaults in “lack of supervision” spans several presidential administrations and is wholly bipartisan in character (or lack thereof). Why is it, to cite Helprin again, that “We, the People” tolerate it when “a sheepish congressional majority behaves like a battered wife; when judges legislate and executive agencies judge; and when courts inconvenience the executive or Congress and what follows are threats to impeach or otherwise bind judges…”?
Or to get down to immediate cases: Why do those grateful for several initiatives taken by the current administration not recognize that the administration demeans itself (and the country) when the president and his former Designated Government Shrinker, Mr. Musk, behave like two kindergarten brats fighting over the
POPE NAMES ST. LOUIS AUXILIARY TO MOBILE, AL
By OSV News Mobile, AL
The Archdiocese of Mobile will welcome a new shepherd, as Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi and appointed Auxiliary Bishop Mark S. Rivituso of St. Louis as his successor. The resignation and appointment were announced in Washington July 1 by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the US.
As required by canon law, Archbishop Rodi, 76, had submitted his resignation to the pope in March 2024 upon reaching his 75th birthday.
Archbishop Rodi, who has served in his current see for more than 17 years, will continue as apostolic administrator of the Mobile Archdiocese until the installation of now-Archbishop
Rivituso, expected to take place Sept. 3 at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile at 11 a.m.
Archbishop Rodi said in a July 1 statement he was “most grateful to the Holy Father for sending us this outstanding bishop.”
In a July 1 interview with the St. Louis Review, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Archbishop Rivituso credited the late Pope Francis with teaching him to be “mindful of those who are on the peripheries,” and said that is “always something that’s going to be important in my heart and ministry.” ©OSV
paste sticks — which, beyond the embarrassment caused, signals a profound lack of seriousness to our enemies in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and elsewhere?
Why do those who lament the Democratic Party’s enthrallment to woke culture and politics not ostracize and then consign to political oblivion the flamethrower politicians whose rhetoric helped make possible the antisemitic outrages in Harrisburg, Washington, and Boulder?
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE The ‘JOIN, OR DIE’ cartoon was created by Benjamin Franklin and first published on May 9, 1754. The image was first published on May 9, 1754, in The Pennsylvania Gazette—one of about 15 newspapers in the American colonies at the time. That paper happened to be owned by Benjamin Franklin, who made the cartoon himself. (It ran alongside a profile of a soldier who had had some success in Western Virginia and Pennsylvania. His name was George Washington.).Legal scholar Akhil Reed Amar explains in his book The Words That Made Us, “With three words and a crude woodcut,” [Franklin] “had managed to bring hundreds of thousands of persons, whether highly educated or semi-literate, whether in Britain or America, into a single political conversation.” (The Mirror)
And where is Congress, that putatively independent branch of the federal government? One sometimes gets the impression that Article One of the Constitution has been virtually repealed in the minds of many Senators and Representatives, who seem to imagine themselves as mechanical tote boards sent to the Capitol to register whatever their loudest constituents demand in social media screeds — or to approve whatever the Big Guy at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue decrees. When was the last time “We, the People” let our elected representatives know that we expect mature, considered judgment from them, not a wetted forefinger raised into the political winds?
A year short of its 250th birthday, the United States remains a marvel: a continental-wide republic of 340 million people that, for all the defects just noted, remains the world’s most egalitarian society, the world center of innovation, and the free world’s best hope for leadership in confronting
tyrannies with aggression on their minds. Still, “We, the People” have a lot of work to do to get our act together, so that we can celebrate “America 250” with gratitude and hope rather than soured spirits.
That national civic renewal will begin when, one by one, “We, the People” rebuild the link between freedom and virtue; recommit themselves to republican constitutionalism; refuse to countenance demagoguery by holding hold elected officials accountable to adult standards of behavior; and conduct ourselves in debate, public or interpersonal, in a manner befitting the maturity we should have achieved in two and a half centuries of national life. ©TM
George Weigel is a Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. George Weigel’s column ‘The Catholic Difference’ is syndicated by the Denver Catholic, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Denver.
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BISHOP RIVITUSO
CATHOLIC SCOUTING
Learn more about American Heritage Girls
AHG: Learn practical life skills & volunteer
By Gabriella Bonham
Our American Heritage Girls is located in Springfield, MO, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. We have been an active AHG community for over 10 years! Most recently, we had a camping trip in June, which is one of our favorite activities to do together as a troop.
Because we live in the ‘Bible belt’ of America, Catholics are far from the majority, and growing in our faith is vital. Being able to do so with like-minded girls our own age is even better. That is exactly what American Heritage Girls offers, while at the same time you learn practical life skills and volunteer. We’d like to broaden awareness of AHG for my troop to grow.
American Heritage Girls Troop #1118 would love to welcome more girls and create an even stronger community of young Catholic women. If you are/or have girls between the ages of five and 18, please come learn more about us. I personally have been with this troop since I was nine years old. I am now 16, and highly recommend it.
Contact my specific troop at by reaching out to Mrs. Kristy Norris, kristylynn530@ gmail.com. ©TM
RECREATIONAL PLAY—Going kayaking was a great way to cool off in the river. As you can see we have girls of all ages in our troop. (Submitted photo)
CAMPING—This is one serious game of Uno! It was definitely a good way to spend our free time on this camping trip. Oftentimes we play fun card games together. (Submitted photo)
**Girls working on the second highest award for AHG are to submit an article for publication about the troop to a news outlet. The Mirror is happy to have been chosen for this honor!
Service in American Heritage Girls
By Rosalie Porter
My troop in American Heritage Girls is AHG MO #1118 and is located at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield. Service and AHG are two things that go hand-in-hand. AHG or American Heritage Girls is a Christian girls organization for girls from kindergarten to 12th grade. Our mission is based in learning through our faith. Our troop is a Catholic troop chartered by the Catholic Scouting initiative of the Diocese of SpringfieldCape Girardeau and we have members from parishes throughout Springfield and the surrounding areas.
As we are Christian, we have a duty to serve those less fortunate than
YOUTH ADVENTURE AWARDS CELEBRATED
On May 3, Bishop Rice celebrated the Youth Adventure Awards in St. John Henry Newman Center, Cape Girardeau, by presenting the awards to area youth.
PARVULI DEI AWARD (CHILDREN OF GOD)
Boy Scout Carter Guilfoy from Immaculate Conception Parish, in Jackson, accepted the Parvuli dei Award from Bishop Rice. (The Mirror)
us which is a call we answer readily. Some of the notable examples of AHG service locally are Project Birthday Bag, in which we pack birthday presents and supplies for children who likely wouldn’t have any; we hand out passports vendor list at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Bazaar; we with luminaries at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, which commemorate those killed at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek; we write cards for shut-ins; and we pack Christmas boxes to be sent to children. With that said, our girls also do lots of service outside of AHG with the diocesan summer Camp ReNEW-All being an older-girl volunteer favorite. It’s not just the older girls doing service either: all of our girls are expected to do service each year. ©TM
JUSTICE, TRUTHFULNESS, LOYALTY, WISDOM & PRUDENCE—Young ladies receiving various badges from Bishop Rice for Justice, Truthfulness, Loyalty, Wisdom, and Prudence are all from St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau. They are pictured left to right: (first row) Frances Stuchlik, Diana Holman, Isabel McDowell, Petra Holland, Sophia Barinque, and Emma Arnzen; (second row) Annelise Farrow, and Evie Simmons; (third row) Elizabeth Peters, Abigail Holman, Kinsley Campbell, Mary Stuchlik, and Hanna Holland. Not present for the ceremony: Beatrix Baker, Annette Bolen, Khaleesi Correra, Olivia Ngo, Maria Pobst, Ava Grace Poyner, and Ronnie Schellingerhout. (The Mirror)
AHG TROOP #1118—American Heritage Girls Troop #1118 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Springfield, is open to girls ages 5 to 18. (Submitted photo)
2025 Youth Adventure Program
The Youth Adventure Program represents Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and the diocesan chartered American Heritage Girls Troop.
TThe 2025 YAP award recipients included:
LIGHT OF CHRIST AWARD
(The purpose of the Light of Christ recognition is to have the young scout develop a personal relationship with God. Through the active participation of the Scout’s parents, the hope is that even the youngest scout will see Jesus Christ as a real person and friend.):
Cub Scout Pack #239
Finn Adkins
Addison Alspaw
Dedrick Crabaugh
Cecelia Gerwel
Evelyn Donelson
Mackenzie Mertes
Piper Barrett
Julian Tran
Gus Norris
SEAS Pack #116
Daniel Kimbrough
PARVULI DEI EMBLEM (For advancement in religious knowledge and spiritual formation):
Pack #239
Dedrick Crabaugh
Dresden Crabaugh
Kennedy Barrett
Heidi Morrison
Daniel Morrison
Madison Stutsman
Kyle Dougherty
AMERICAN HERITAGE GIRL AWARDS
(The National Catholic Committee for American Heritage Girls offers three different awards for girls to grow in their Catholic faith. Each award consists of several parts, enabling the girls to work on achieving this award each of their years in the various levels.)
God and My Community (This program guides Catholic Pioneers, (ages 12-14) to examine service in their community
through the Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition. Girls learn the importance of preparing to serve through prayer and learning about people who exemplified service in their lives. These Pioneers have put what they learned into practice by serving others and by reflecting on the impact of their service.)
Completion of God and My Community, Section 1 and 2
Annalise Marstall–Heritage Girls
Troop #1118
Women of Integrity (encourages Catholic Patriots (ages 14-18) to internalize and immerse themselves in what it means to be a Catholic Woman of Integrity. Prayer and discussion are essential elements of this study with opportunities for outings and engaging speakers. Through study and the Holy Scripture of Mass, Our Blessed Mother, the lives of the saints, and the sacraments, Patriots discern God’s call for their lives after high school. The Women of Integrity program is broken up into four segments. After the first two segments are completed, Patriots can also be bestowed the Moral Compass Medal, which is to be worn on the front of the sash below the American Flag.)
Heritage Girls Troop #1118
Gabriella Bonham
Grace Mika
Rose Porter
LOCK-IN AWARDS
Footsteps of American Saints Activity patch for St. Katherine Drexel:
Clara Schuldies
Holli Addotta
Dresdon Crabaugh
Amelia Ling
Patrick Gerwel
Nikki Phillips
Ruthis Norris
Aaron Ling
Cecilia Gerwel
Gus Norris
ADULT RECOGNITION
Bronze Pelican Award (recognizes adults who have made outstanding contributions to the spiritual development of Catholic Scout programs)
Ryan Norris
St. Aloysius Gonzaga Award (recognizes adults who have contributed greatly to the fruitfulness of one or more Youth Adventure Program in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau)
LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN YOUTH ADVENTURE PROGRAM (YAP)
Diocesan Associate Director of Youth Ministries Simon Elfrink is the new Chairman of the Diocesan Catholic Scouting/ Youth Adventure Programs (YAP) Committee; former Chairman—Nick Meinhardt.
Fr. Nicholas Newton is the new Chaplain for YAP; the former Chaplain—The Very Rev. Patrick Nwokoye. Father Newton is Pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, Mountain View; St. Sylvester Mission Church, Eminence, and St. Joseph Mission Church, White Church.
Kyle Dougherty Angelynn Heintzelman
Emma Addotta
Dedrick Crabaugh
The Very Rev. Patrick Nwokoye Mary Ann Hennecke Dan Zimmerman. ©TM
NEWTON
ELFRINK
FR. ANOKWUTE CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION TO PRIESTHOOD
10TH ANNIVERSARY Area clergy gathered in St. Teresa Catholic Church on June 19 to concelebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Fr. Victor Anokwute’s ordination to the priesthood. After the liturgy, a reception was held. In addition to being Pastor of St. Teresa Parish, in Glennonville, and St. Ann Parish, in Malden, as of July 1, Fr. Anokwute is now serving as Dean of diocesan Deanery 7 and assumes the title of The Very Reverend Victor Anokwute (The Mirror)
St. Lawrence Parish
Picnic
in New Hamburg, MO
Friday, July 11, 2025 5:00 - 11:30 pm
Saturday, July 12, 2025 3:00 - 11:30 pm
FRIDAY SCHEDULE:
Little Mr. & Mrs. New Hamburg Contest, 7:30 pm
Open to St. Lawrence Parish members or grandchildren of a St. Lawrence parishoner only. Children ages 3-5 years old. Registration at 6:30 pm on the picnic grounds.
SATURDAY SCHEDULE:
Smorgasbord Dinner, 3:00-6:00 pm
At the St. Lawrence Parish Center, featuring fried chicken, dumplings, potatoes, green beans, slaw, dessert & drink.
Corn Hole Tournament, 6:30 pm
On the basketball court, blind draw, $10/person. Turtle Races (Bring your own “Box Turtle”), 6:00 pm
Kid’s Tractor Pull, 7:00 pm
Antique Tractor Display
Food Stand
Featuring Hamburgers, Fish Sandwiches, Curly Fries, Funnel Cakes, Ice Cream, Beverages.
PLUS Petting Zoo, “I Got It” Stand, Games, Attendance Prizes and MORE!
Not responsible for accidents. No coolers allowed on grounds. Scan the QR code for more information!
The VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children Safe Environment training for adults is available online.
Preregistration is necessary: If you are a new registrant please go to www.virtus.org and click on “first time registrant” on the left, and follow the prompts to register for Online training. Instructions for the registration process can also be found on the Child and Youth Protection Page of the diocesan Website.
Both in-person and online training sessions are for adults only.
Before engaging in activities involving minors and/or vulnerable adults, new volunteers or employees are required to complete the VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children training for adults, submit a current Background Disclosure and Authorization Form, and read, sign and submit the annual Code of Conduct, which are available on the VIRTUS Website and the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau Child and Youth Protection Webpage: www.dioscg.org/child-youthprotection/
For more information, please contact the Office of Child and Youth Protection, childandyouthprotection@dioscg.org; or Bill Holtmeyer, billholtmeyer@dioscg.org; or Shelly Ferry, sferry@dioscg.org, (417) 866-0841 www.dioscg.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Register-for-a-VIRTUS-withOnline-Option.pdf