About Sacred Heart · Saint Mary, Missouri
Sacred Heart Parish (also known as Sacred Heart, Ozora) is a Roman Catholic parish in rural Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, serving the unincorporated community of Ozora and the surrounding St. Mary, Missouri area within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Tucked into the rolling farmland of southeastern Missouri, the parish has ministered to local farm families for more than 125 years from its church at 17742 State Route N. Today the parish shares pastoral leadership with neighboring Ste. Genevieve Catholic Parish and Our Lady Help of Christians in Weingarten, and describes itself as a welcoming community of missionary disciples living out the Joy of the Gospel.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Reverend Andrew V. Burkemper
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Deanery of Ste. Genevieve)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a tight-knit rural parish where Catholic life is woven into the rhythm of farming families in Ste. Genevieve County. Visitors are welcomed to weekday Masses, a Saturday Vigil, and Sunday Masses, with weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays and confessions before weekend liturgies. The community sustains religious education, an adult Bible study held Thursdays at the 'Cow Palace,' a Fall Social, and a tradition of fellowship dating back more than a century — a good fit for anyone seeking an authentic country Catholic home parish.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday (Vigil): 4:30 PM
- Sunday: 7:30 AM – 7:50 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Parish History
Sacred Heart was formally established in 1898–1899 to serve the German and French Catholic farm families of the Ozora area in Ste. Genevieve County. Early Catholics had been served by Vincentian missionaries from St. Mary since the mid-19th century. The parish's first church was a modest white frame building; in the 1920s the present stone church (roughly 110 ft × 40 ft) was built to replace it. Sacramental records begin with baptisms in 1898 and marriages in 1899, making them one of the most complete rural parish archives in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
- Founded 1898–1899
- Stone church built 1920s, replacing original frame building
- Parish school opened 1899
- Current school building constructed 1956–57
- School closed in 2014 after 115 years
- August 28, 1963 tornado damaged school roof and cemetery headstones
Mission and Identity
The parish's mission statement describes the church as 'a place of worship, evangelization, reconciliation, fellowship and support in time of need,' offering parishioners and visitors the opportunity to follow Christ by the example of his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The parish frames itself as 'ALL ARE WELCOME' and emphasizes missionary discipleship and living out the Joy of the Gospel in rural Ste. Genevieve County.
- Place of worship, evangelization, reconciliation, fellowship and support
- Models discipleship on the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Tagline: 'ALL ARE WELCOME'
Mass, Sacraments and Devotions
Sacred Heart offers a full week of Masses — a Saturday Vigil, two Sunday Masses, daily morning Masses Monday through Friday, and special Holy Day liturgies. Confessions are heard before weekend Masses, and Eucharistic Adoration is held all day on Tuesdays. Shut-in parishioners can follow along with Mass recordings made available through the Syracuse Diocese YouTube channel.
- Saturday Vigil Mass 5:00 PM
- Sunday Masses 7:00 AM and 9:30 AM
- Weekday Masses Mon–Fri 7:30 AM
- Holy Day Vigil 7:00 PM; Holy Day 7:30 AM
- Confessions Saturday 4:30 PM and Sunday 7:30–7:50 AM
- Eucharistic Adoration Tuesday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Religious Education and Adult Faith Formation
Religious Education (CCD) for children and youth is offered alongside ongoing Adult Faith Formation. An Adult Bible Study meets every Thursday from 9:30 to 11:00 AM in the parish's 'Cow Palace' facility, inviting parishioners to learn, share, and pray Scripture together.
- Children's Religious Education program
- Adult Faith Formation
- Thursday Bible Study 9:30–11:00 AM at the Cow Palace
- Religious Ed Calendar and forms published on parish website
Parish Ministry and Community Life
The parish website lists a Parish Ministry page alongside news, bulletins, events and photos, indicating active lay involvement and ongoing communication. The parish also maintains a parish festival and an annual Fall Social that continues traditions of fellowship first developed by its 19th-century German and French founding families.
- Parish Ministry page
- Weekly bulletins and announcements
- Parish festival
- Annual Fall Social
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Sacred Heart is pastored as part of a tri-parish configuration under Rev. Andrew V. Burkemper, with Rev. Anthony J. Gerber as Senior Associate Pastor and Rev. Jacob Richard Wessel as Associate Pastor. Two permanent deacons — Deacon Daniel Chris Darian and Deacon James M. Robert — assist with parish ministry. Former pastor Rev. James W. Schaefer retired in 2023 and continues to reside at the parish.
- Reverend Andrew V. Burkemper — Pastor
- Reverend Anthony J. Gerber — Senior Associate Pastor
- Reverend Jacob Richard Wessel — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Daniel Chris Darian — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon James M. Robert — Permanent Deacon
- Rev. James W. Schaefer — Pastor Emeritus, retired 2023
Parish Facilities and Grounds
The parish campus sits along State Route N in rural Ozora/St. Mary and includes the 1920s stone church, an adjacent cemetery, the parish school building (closed in 2014), the 'Cow Palace' used for Bible study, and Sacred Heart Convent at 17740 State Route N.
- Church — 17742 State Route N
- Sacred Heart Convent — 17740 State Route N
- Parish school building (closed 2014)
- Adjacent parish cemetery
- 'Cow Palace' Bible Study venue
Archdiocese and Deanery
Sacred Heart belongs to the Ste. Genevieve Deanery of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. It is one of 134 parishes remaining after the archdiocese's 2023 reorganization (down from 178), and shares pastoral leadership with sister parishes in Ste. Genevieve and Weingarten.
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Deanery of Ste. Genevieve
- Tri-parish grouping with Ste. Genevieve Catholic Parish and Our Lady Help of Christians (Weingarten)
Getting Involved
Parishioners can connect through Religious Education, the Thursday Bible Study, the annual Fall Social and parish festival, and the various lay ministries coordinated through the Parish Ministry page. Weekly bulletins and announcements keep members informed of current opportunities to serve.
- Volunteer through Religious Education
- Join Thursday Bible Study
- Help with annual Fall Social and parish festival
- Read weekly bulletins for current opportunities
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edward Nemeth2023
Appointed pastor; concurrently served nearby parishes such as Our Lady Help of Christians in Weingarten.
- Rev. James W. Schaefer
Former pastor; retired in 2023 and retained residence at the parish.
- Rev. Andrew V. Burkemper2024–
Current pastor; concurrently pastors Ste. Genevieve Catholic Parish and Our Lady Help of Christians in Weingarten.
- Rev. Robert B. Kuenz1966
Appointed pastor, coming from St. Philip and James Parish in River aux Vases.