St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish,
Springfield, MO

History

Bishop Bernard E Law established St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish on June 5, 1981. The bishop chose Elizabeth Ann Seton as patroness with the hope of an eventual Catholic school to serve fast growing southern Springfield. The new parish consisted of 200 households from St. Agnes and Immaculate Conception parishes. Fr. Leonard Chambers was named founding pastor. By July, 1981, Saturday evening Mass was celebrated in the Carmelite chapel, St. Anne. Sunday liturgies took place at Skateland on South Campbell Avenue, and daily Mass was celebrated in the rectory chapel on West Swan Avenue.
Parishioners opted to build a multipurpose building first, thus providing a space to celebrate Mass and a facility for social functions. Fr. Michael McDevitt was appointed pastor in the fall of 1982 and the building was dedicated in December 1982. The facility served the parish for nine years, housing the many liturgical, educational, and social functions of a very active and fast-growing parish community.

A beautiful new church was completed and dedicated Dec. 1, 1991. In August of 1993, Fr. Fergus Monaghan became the pastor.

Culminating years of planning and collaboration, an expansion of the main worship space, a wing of classrooms, a new kitchen and dining room, an adult education room, a choir rehearsal room, office complex, and prayer garden with a labyrinth was dedicated Mar. 28, 2003.

The small parish has grown in 22 years into one of the largest in the diocese. The many and varied activities, from liturgical ministries to PSR classes to the annual Harvest Home Festival, demonstrate that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish is a dynamic community of faith and service. Msgr. Thomas E. Reidy was appointed pastor in August of 2004

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