About St. James · Perryville, Missouri
St. James is a small Catholic mission church located on Highway C in the unincorporated community of Crosstown, in Perry County, Missouri. It is administered as a mission of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in nearby Perryville and falls under the Ste. Genevieve Deanery of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The mission is one of six Catholic worship sites served by the Vincentian (Congregation of the Mission, C.M.) priests of the North Perry County Catholic Parishes, and is currently cared for by Father Joe Geders, C.M. as Parochial Administrator. The parish itself does not currently offer a weekly Mass on site; the community is invited to worship at the partner parishes in Perryville.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle (patron of the parish church)
- Rector
- Reverend Joseph C. Geders, C.M. (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Ste. Genevieve Deanery)
Why belong here
St. James offers a quiet, historic place of prayer for the Catholic families of rural northern Perry County, and is a doorway into the wider North Perry County Catholic Parishes family, which includes St. Vincent de Paul, St. Rose of Lima, St. Joseph, Christ the Savior and Our Lady of Victory — all served by Vincentian (C.M.) priests and sharing one parish center. Membership is open to anyone in the area, and parishioners are welcomed into a network of regular Masses, faith formation, and sacramental life centered in Perryville.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered at the cluster parishes, primarily at St. Vincent de Paul in Perryville (Saturday 3:30 pm and weekday mornings after Mass); St. James itself does not publish its own confession schedule.
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is held in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul, Perryville, Monday through Friday from 6:00 am.
St. James Mission (Crosstown, Missouri)
St. James is a small Catholic mission church in the unincorporated community of Crosstown, in Perry County, southeast Missouri. It is administered from St. Vincent de Paul Parish in nearby Perryville and belongs to the Ste. Genevieve Deanery of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The mission is one of six Catholic worship sites that make up the North Perry County Catholic Parishes family.
- Type: Mission Church
- Community: Crosstown, Perry County, Missouri
- Diocese: Archdiocese of St. Louis (Ste. Genevieve Deanery)
- Parent parish: St. Vincent de Paul, Perryville
History of St. James
Catholic missionary life in Crosstown began in the 1860s, when Mass and devotions were first celebrated in a private home. As the farming community grew, parishioners began building a frame church in 1884 and completed it in 1889; the founding date of the parish is recorded as 1890. The church was damaged by fire in 1926 and subsequently restored. More recently, on April 18, 2006, a tornado struck Crosstown, but the Catholic church suffered only the loss of all its stained glass windows and was otherwise left standing.
- 1860s: First mission Masses held in a private home
- 1884: Construction of the frame church begins
- 1889: Church completed and dedicated
- 1890: Official parish founding year
- 1926: Fire damages the church; it is restored
- 2006: Tornado damages stained glass windows; the structure survives
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. James is cared for as a mission of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Perryville. The Vincentian (Congregation of the Mission, C.M.) priests of the cluster serve all six North Perry County parishes, with Father Joe Geders, C.M. as Pastor and Parochial Administrator.
- Reverend Joseph C. Geders, C.M. – Parochial Administrator / Pastor
- Reverend Fredrick Lukhalango Wandera, C.M. – Associate Pastor
- Deacon John Darin – Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Direk L. Hunt – Permanent Deacon
Mass & Sacrament Times
Because St. James is a small mission, weekly Mass is not currently offered on site. The faithful are directed to the other North Perry County Catholic Parishes, especially St. Vincent de Paul in Perryville, which offers a full schedule of daily, weekend and Spanish Masses, along with Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration.
- St. James: No weekly Mass currently scheduled on site
- Sunday Masses at St. Vincent de Paul (Perryville): 7:00 am, 9:00 am, and 4:00 pm (Spanish)
- Saturday Vigil at St. Vincent de Paul: 4:30 pm
- Weekday Masses at St. Vincent de Paul: Monday–Friday at 6:00 am and 8:00 am (varies by day)
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 pm and after weekday Masses at the cluster parishes
- Eucharistic Adoration: Monday–Friday in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul
North Perry County Catholic Parishes
St. James belongs to a pastoral cluster of six Catholic communities served by the Vincentian Fathers from a single parish center in Perryville. This arrangement allows each small rural mission to share priests, faith formation, schools, and sacramental resources.
- St. Vincent de Paul (Perryville) – the cluster's main parish, founded 1817
- St. Rose of Lima (Silver Lake) – founded 1855
- St. James (Crosstown) – founded 1890
- St. Joseph (Highland) – mission
- Christ the Savior (Brewer) – founded 1907
- Our Lady of Victory (Sereno) – founded 1908
Becoming a Member
Anyone interested in joining the parish family is invited to call the Parish Center at 573-547-4300, or to complete the online Membership Form available through the parish website. Because St. James is administered from Perryville, registration links members to the wider cluster of North Perry County Catholic Parishes and all of its ministries, schools, and sacramental programs.
- Parish Center phone: 573-547-4300
- Online Membership Form available on the parish website
- Cluster email: [email protected]
Visit & Contact Information
St. James Mission is located on Highway C in the small community of Crosstown, Missouri. The parish office and mailing address are at St. Vincent de Paul in Perryville, where the cluster's priests, deacons, and staff can be reached.
- Street address: 21694 Highway C, Perryville, MO 63775
- Mailing address: c/o 1010 Rosati Court, Perryville, MO 63775-2319
- Phone: (573) 547-4300
- Fax: (573) 547-4145
- Website: http://www.svdepaul.org/st-james/