St. John Vianney Parish, Mountain View, MO

History

St. John Vianney Catholic Church, a mission of St. Joseph’s at White Church, MO, began its life in a small white frame building on Second Street in Mountain View. The building was purchased from another denomination by the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The furnishings came from other Catholic churches.

A generous donation from the late Dr. Grace Doane provided the funds to expand the building. The basement, altar, and sacristy areas were added, which made the building in the shape of a cross. The exterior was rock-faced. Dedication was held on Easter Sunday of 1951. Fr. E. J. Fallert was the first priest.

In the early days, the Daughters of Charity conducted the only religion classes for the children, two weeks each summer. CCD for young people was taught for several years by Extension volunteers, women from out of the area who gave a year of their lives in rural areas to work in the hospital and do other parish work.

Doane donated property with buildings that became living quarters and the Parish Hall. The mission became a parish sometime around 1960 and the first resident priest was Fr. Vincent Stolzer.

A sizable legacy from a parishioner and a generous anonymous donation prompted the idea of a new church with all new buildings on the same property. Many hours of planning culminated in the new church building, with classrooms, offices, and a social area all under one roof. Additional funds were raised by various fund-raisers and many generous donors and benefactors.

Construction began in September of 1988 and was completed by March of 1989. Since then, much has been done to provide a parking area, trees, lighting, decorations, flowers, a bell, a pavilion, and a walking trail with religious articles. A new cemetery was added in 2002.

St. John Vianney has expanded its ministry since becoming a parish. Members serve at the hospital as volunteers and offer chaplain serves. The pastor also serves its mission church, St. Sylvester in Eminence, MO.

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