About Sacred Heart · Thayer, Missouri
Sacred Heart is a small Roman Catholic mission church in Thayer, in Oregon County in the Ozarks of southern Missouri, within the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau. It is served from neighboring St. Mary Parish in West Plains, about 30 miles north, and so depends on a traveling priest rather than a resident pastor. Catholics have gathered in Thayer for Mass since 1885, originally in a hotel room and then in private homes, and the present church on Best Circle Drive was built in the late 1950s on land donated by the Owen Best family.
- Established
- 1885
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Reverend Mathukutty Naduchirayil, VC (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
Why belong here
Sacred Heart offers a quiet, historic Catholic presence on the rural southern Missouri–Arkansas border that has gathered the faithful weekly for Mass since 1885. Because it is a mission attached to St. Mary Parish in West Plains, parishioners experience a tight-knit rural congregation supported by the wider parish's staff, sacraments, and faith-formation program. For anyone living in or traveling through Oregon County, it is a welcoming Roman-Latin Rite community celebrating Sunday Mass and a Thursday weekday Mass in the same Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau tradition as the rest of the Ozarks.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Sunday of the month, 8:00 a.m. – 8:20 a.m. (before Mass)
Identity and Mission Status
Sacred Heart is classified by the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau as a mission church rather than a parish in its own right. This means it has no resident priest, no independent finance council or parish board, and no stand-alone bulletin; instead it is staffed and administered from St. Mary Parish in West Plains. GCatholic records its type simply as 'Church' under the diocese's jurisdiction, and the diocese's parish finder confirms it is 'Served from St. Mary Parish, West Plains, MO 65775-0067.'
- Mission church of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
- Served from St. Mary Parish, West Plains
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- GCatholic Church ID: 35487
History of Sacred Heart, Thayer
The mission's origins trace to 1885, when itinerant priests from parishes in White Church, Salem, Rolla, and Poplar Bluff would ride into Thayer to celebrate Mass in a hotel room or in the homes of Catholic families such as the Harvey Boughnous. A permanent church was finally realized in 1893, when a lot on South 6th Street was donated and construction was overseen by Father John Waelterman of St. Joseph, White Church. That modest building was rolled to the corner of 5th and Walnut Streets in 1903, where a bell tower, bell, and vestibule were added. It served the community for more than fifty years.
- 1885 — First Mass in Thayer (hotel room; later private homes)
- May 29, 1893 — Lot on South 6th Street donated; first church built under Fr. John Waelterman
- 1903 — Church moved to 5th and Walnut Streets; bell tower, bell, vestibule added
- 1958 — Owen Best family donates 9.7 acres on what becomes Best Circle Drive
- Late 1950s — Present church constructed under Fr. Sylvester Bauer
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
Sacred Heart's public liturgical calendar centers on a Sunday morning Mass and one weekly weekday Mass. Confessions are heard before Mass on the first Sunday of each month. Because the church has no resident clergy, Holy Days and other special liturgies are coordinated through St. Mary Parish in West Plains.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 a.m.
- Thursday Mass — 11:30 a.m.
- Confessions — 8:00 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. on the first Sunday of the month
Clergy and Parish Staff
Sacred Heart is administered by Reverend Mathukutty Naduchirayil, VC, a member of a Vincentian congregation (the post-nominals 'VC') whose pastoral care covers multiple missions and parishes in the Ozarks deanery. Day-to-day administrative support for Sacred Heart's mailing address and inquiries is provided through the administrative team of St. Mary Parish, West Plains.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Mathukutty Naduchirayil, VC
- Administrative Assistant (St. Mary Parish): Ann Hall
- Pastoral inquiries routed through St. Mary Church, PO Box 67, West Plains, MO 65775-0067
Sacraments and Faith Life
Sunday and weekly Mass are the heart of Sacred Heart's sacramental life, with confession available monthly before Mass and by appointment through the West Plains parish. Baptisms, marriages, the anointing of the sick, and faith-formation needs are coordinated jointly through St. Mary Parish, which serves as the Catholic hub of the five-county Central Deanery.
- Eucharist at scheduled Masses
- Penance / Reconciliation: first Sundays 8:00–8:20 a.m., or by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick through St. Mary Parish
- PSR / youth faith formation coordinated with St. Mary Parish
Contact, Address and Mailing
Although the church itself is on Best Circle Drive in Thayer, the official mailing address for parish business is the parent parish in West Plains. The shared phone line connects callers directly to the St. Mary Parish office in West Plains.
- Physical address: 3612 Best Circle, Thayer, MO 65791
- Mailing address: St. Mary Church, PO Box 67, West Plains, MO 65775-0067
- Phone: (417) 256-2556
- Email: [email protected]
Connection to the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
Sacred Heart lies within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau, which covers the southern third of Missouri and is currently led by Bishop Edward Rice. The diocese's online parish finder notes that Sacred Heart is grouped in the West Plains deanery under the same Vincentian administrator as St. Mary Parish, West Plains, and (until recently) St. Joseph Mission, White Church. The diocese publishes the parish's history, Mass schedule, and contact information on its official website.
- Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau (dioSCG.org)
- Deanery grouping: West Plains area
- Listed under 'Find a Church' on the diocesan website
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below are concise answers to the most common questions about Sacred Heart Mission, Thayer.
- When is Mass at Sacred Heart Thayer? — Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
- Where is the church? — 3612 Best Circle, Thayer, MO 65791.
- Who is the priest? — Rev. Mathukutty Naduchirayil, VC, Parochial Administrator.
- When is confession? — 8:00–8:20 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month, or by appointment.
- Is it a parish or a mission? — It is a mission church, served from St. Mary Parish, West Plains.
- What diocese? — Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau.
- How do I contact the office? — (417) 256-2556 or [email protected].
Pastors & rectors through the years
- A visiting priest (unnamed)1885
Said the first known Mass in Thayer; congregation met in a hotel room and then in private homes.
- Father John Waelterman1893 (project supervision)
Pastor of St. Joseph in White Church; supervised the construction of Sacred Heart's first church on South 6th Street in 1893 and its 1903 move to 5th and Walnut Streets.
- Father Sylvester BauerLate 1950s (construction)
Directed construction of the present Sacred Heart Church on the 9.7 acres donated in 1958 by the Owen Best family.
- Reverend Mathukutty Naduchirayil, VCCurrent (2025)
Parochial Administrator of St. Mary Parish, West Plains, with Sacred Heart Mission, Thayer, also entrusted to his care; concurrently continues as Administrator of St. Joseph Mission, White Church.