About Diocese of Jefferson City
The Diocese of Jefferson City (Latin: Dioecesis Civitatis Jeffersoniensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in central and northeastern Missouri, established on July 2, 1956 by Pope Pius XII. A suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of St. Louis, it covers 22,127 square miles across 38 counties and embraces the urban areas of Jefferson City (the state capital), Columbia, and Hannibal. The mother church is the modern, circular Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Jefferson City, and the diocesan patroness is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Its fifth and current bishop is Ralph Bernard O'Donnell, appointed by Pope Leo XIV on August 19, 2025 and ordained and installed October 28, 2025.
- Bishop
- Ralph Bernard O'Donnell
- Established
- 1956
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of Saint Joseph, Jefferson City, Missouri
- Territory
- 38 counties across central and northeastern Missouri, covering 22,127 square miles (57,287 sq km) and including the urban areas of Jefferson City (the state capital), Columbia, and Hannibal.
- Parishes
- 92 parishes (plus 9 missions, as of 2023)
- Province
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Ecclesiastical Province of St. Louis; Metropolitan Archbishop: Mitchell T. Rozanski)
History of the Diocese of Jefferson City
Catholic life in the territory that would become the Diocese of Jefferson City stretches back to 1673, when the Jesuit Jacques Marquette passed through Perry County, and to 1680, when the Recollect missionary Louis Hennepin celebrated Mass in present-day Hannibal. The first permanent parish was founded at Ste. Genevieve in 1759, and the first German-language parish west of the Mississippi, St. Joseph in Westphalia, was established in 1835. For 130 years the region was administered from St. Louis and later from Kansas City–St. Joseph. On July 2, 1956 Pope Pius XII formally erected the Diocese of Jefferson City, carving 38 counties from those three jurisdictions and naming Auxiliary Bishop Joseph M. Marling, C.PP.S., as its first bishop.
- 1673 — Jesuit Jacques Marquette passes through Perry County
- 1680 — Louis Hennepin celebrates Mass near Hannibal
- 1759 — Ste. Genevieve founded as first parish
- 1833 — St. Stephen, Indian Creek, oldest active parish
- 1835 — St. Joseph, Westphalia, first German parish west of the Mississippi
- 1846 — St. Peter, Jefferson City, dedicated (rebuilt 1881)
- July 2, 1956 — Diocese erected by Pope Pius XII
- Aug. 24, 1956 — Bishop Marling installed
Bishops of Jefferson City
The diocese has been led by five bishops since 1956. Bishop Joseph M. Marling, C.PP.S. (1956–1969) built most of its early physical plant. Bishop Michael F. McAuliffe (1969–1997) implemented Vatican II and gained national prominence as Episcopal Moderator to Catholic Scouts and USCCB chairman on the Role of Women in the Church. Bishop John R. Gaydos (1997–2017) led Catholic Charities and diocesan education, retiring early due to ill health. Bishop W. Shawn McKnight (2018–2025) shepherded the major Cathedral renovation and the COVID-era pastoral response. Bishop Ralph Bernard O'Donnell, appointed by Pope Leo XIV on August 19, 2025 and installed October 28, 2025, currently leads the diocese.
- Joseph M. Marling, C.PP.S. — 1956–1969
- Michael F. McAuliffe, S.T.D. — 1969–1997
- John R. Gaydos — 1997–2017
- W. Shawn McKnight — 2018–2025
- Ralph Bernard O'Donnell — 2025–present
Cathedral of Saint Joseph
The Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Jefferson City is the mother church of the diocese. Designed by Maguolo and Quick of St. Louis, built by Prost Builders of Jefferson City, and decorated with stained glass and marble by Robert Brunelli of Kansas City, it was conceived as a modern circular temple form symbolizing the infinite God. Bishop Joseph M. Marling broke ground on August 20, 1967; the first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Day 1968; and Cardinal John Joseph Carberry presided at its consecration on May 5, 1974. The round nave is 157 feet in diameter with a 72-foot Douglas fir ceiling, seats about 950, and rests on a 25-acre campus alongside the Chancery, an Adoration Chapel, and St. Joseph Cathedral School.
- Architects: Maguolo and Quick, St. Louis
- Glass & marble: Robert Brunelli, Kansas City
- Doors: Marianist Br. Stephen Erspammer, St. Louis
- Main altar: single 7,000-pound marble block with relics of Sts. Clement, Irenaeus, Aurelius
- Capacity: ~950 in nave; ~1,200 total floor seating
Cathedral Renovation and Stained Glass
Beginning under Bishop McKnight, the Cathedral underwent a $15 million renovation, expansion and renewal to replace failing systems, install accessibility improvements, enlarge the vestibule, and add a new pipe organ. Willet Hauser Architectural Glass of Winona, Minnesota was commissioned to create 12 new triangle-shaped stained-glass windows illustrating Acts 2:42 — the teaching of the Apostles, the communal life, the breaking of the bread, and the prayers. Window 12 honors the ordination of Father Augustus Tolton, the first recognized Black priest in the United States, who was ordained in Rome in 1886 and served in the Jefferson City region. The Cathedral was rededicated on May 5, 2024.
- Cost: $15 million
- Stained glass: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass, Winona, MN
- 12 windows illustrating Acts 2:42
- Window 12 honors Fr. Augustus Tolton
- Rededicated May 5, 2024
Parishes, Missions, and Deaneries
As of 2023 the Diocese of Jefferson City reported 92 parishes and 9 missions spread across 38 counties. The parishes reflect the historical Jesuit missionary presence and waves of German, Italian, and Irish immigration, with particularly well-developed rural networks in Cole, Osage, Adair, Ralls, and Monroe counties. The Cathedral parish at St. Joseph serves as the seat of the bishop and the administrative center.
- 92 parishes and 9 missions (2023)
- 77 active diocesan priests plus 18 from other dioceses
- 27 religious sisters
- 93–101 permanent deacons
- 38 counties; ~76,200 Catholics
Catholic Schools Office
The diocesan Catholic Schools Office, under Superintendent Dr. Erin Vader, supports parish and regional school communities in their mission to educate, guide and empower students as faith-filled stewards of God's gifts. The schools serve learners from early childhood through grade 12, offering intellectual, spiritual, social, physical and aesthetic formation. The office also coordinates affordable Catholic childcare through the Immaculate Heart of Mary Child Development Center and tuition assistance for children of diocesan employees.
- Superintendent: Dr. Erin Vader
- Director of Curriculum & Instruction: Kathryn Coulson
- Programs include Immaculate Heart of Mary Child Development Center
- Tuition assistance for children of diocesan employees
- Career opportunities listed on the diocesan site
Vocations Office
The Office for Priestly and Religious Vocations fosters a culture of vocation awareness and discernment across the diocese. It hosts regional vocation events, gives presentations to Catholic school students, religious-education and confirmation classes, Newman Centers, and youth and adult parish communities, and supports Parish Vocation Committees. The office guides young adults discerning priesthood or consecrated life, connects candidates with seminaries used by the diocese (including Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri), and works with the Vocation Director of the diocese, currently Fr. Paul J. Clark.
- Director of Vocations: Fr. Paul J. Clark
- Vocations Committee
- Partners with Conception Seminary College
- Presentations to schools, CCD, confirmation, Newman Centers
Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri
Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri (CCCNMO) is the social-services arm of the diocese, serving people in all 38 counties regardless of faith, culture, or situation. Its programs — including nutrition support, predatory-loan relief, family immigration services, parish social ministry, community services, and church outreach — address both immediate needs and the root causes of poverty through advocacy and the promotion of social justice. The agency operates from offices on the diocesan campus and partners with parishes, civic agencies, and donors across central and northern Missouri.
- Family Immigration Services
- Community Services
- Health & Nutrition Services
- Parish Social Ministry
- Predatory loan relief
Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and Family Life
Beyond Catholic schools, the diocese supports parish-based religious-education programs, youth ministry, marriage and family-life ministries, and faith formation for children and adults. The offices coordinate confirmation preparation, retreats, World Youth Day pilgrimages, divorce ministry, and resources for engaged couples. The diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Missourian, reports on these and other programs across the diocese.
- Parish Religious Education programs
- Youth Ministry office
- Family Life & marriage prep
- Divorce ministry
- Catholic Missourian — diocesan newspaper
Diocesan Offices and Administration
Diocesan administration is centered in the Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center at 2207 West Main Street, Jefferson City, on the same 25-acre campus as the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, the Adoration Chapel, and St. Joseph Cathedral School. Offices include Catholic education, vocations, youth ministry, evangelization, family life, social services, parish leadership, clergy support, stewardship, faith formation, and diocesan finance and administration. The diocese sits in USCCB Region IX (IA, KS, MO, NE).
- Address: 2207 West Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65110-4900
- Phone: (573) 635-9127
- Fax: (573) 635-0386
- USCCB Region IX
- Suffragan of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
