About St. John Vianney · Mountain View, Missouri
St. John Vianney Parish is a Roman Catholic parish serving Mountain View and the surrounding south-central Ozark region of Missouri, in Howell County. Originally a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church at White Church, it grew from a small white frame building on Second Street into a full parish of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and now ministers alongside its mission church, St. Sylvester in Eminence. The present church building — constructed in 1988–1989 with classrooms, offices, and a social hall under one roof — sits on State Route Y, with a parish cemetery added in 2002. Weekly Mass is offered Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, with confession before each Mass.
- Established
- c. 1960 (as a mission earlier; parish status around 1960)
- Patron
- St. John Vianney
- Rector
- Rev. Nicholas Newton
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Why belong here
St. John Vianney is a small, family-style parish in the heart of the Ozarks where the same faces return week after week for worship, fellowship, and service. The parish combines a steady sacramental rhythm — Sunday Mass, a Wednesday evening Mass, and confession before each Mass — with hands-on outreach: members serve as hospital volunteers and chaplains, and the pastor extends the parish's reach to the surrounding mission of St. Sylvester in Eminence. For Catholics in Mountain View, Willow Springs, and the surrounding rural counties, it offers a close-knit community grounded in traditional Catholic devotion, generously supported by its diocese.
Mass times at St. John Vianney
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before Mass (Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings)
History of St. John Vianney Parish
St. John Vianney began as a mission of St. Joseph Catholic Church at White Church, MO, the "Mother Church" of the south-central portion of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. The original congregation met in a small white frame building on Second Street in Mountain View, purchased from another denomination by the Archdiocese of St. Louis and furnished with appointments from other Catholic churches. Through the generosity of Dr. Grace Doane, the building was expanded into a cross-shaped, rock-faced church that was dedicated on Easter Sunday, 1951, under the first priest, Fr. E. J. Fallert. Dr. Doane also donated the property and buildings that became the rectory and Parish Hall. The mission was elevated to parish status around 1960, with Fr. Vincent Stolzer as the first resident priest. The current church building was constructed September 1988 – March 1989, and a parish cemetery was added in 2002.
Early Mission Roots
For its first decades, the Mountain View congregation was served out of St. Joseph Mission Church at White Church. The relocation of Catholic life from White Church into Mountain View itself reflected the broader shift of population in the Ozarks, and the new mission took shape in a modest frame building purchased and refurnished for Catholic worship.
The Doane Expansion and 1951 Dedication
Dr. Grace Doane's gifts — both in money and in property — transformed the young mission. Her donation funded the construction of a basement, altar, and sacristy that gave the building a cruciform shape with a rock-faced exterior, and she donated adjacent buildings that became the rectory and Parish Hall. The expanded church was dedicated on Easter Sunday, 1951.
Becoming a Parish (c. 1960)
With buildings, land, and a settled worshipping community, the mission was elevated to parish status around 1960. Fr. Vincent Stolzer was named the first resident priest, and the parish began developing its own ministries, including religious education and outreach to the local hospital.
The 1988–1989 Church and Continuing Development
In the late 1980s, a sizable legacy from a parishioner and a generous anonymous donation prompted the parish to build a new church on the same property. Construction began in September 1988 and was completed by March 1989. The new building consolidates the sanctuary with classrooms, offices, and a social hall under one roof. Since then, the grounds have been developed with a parking area, trees, lighting, decorations, flowers, a bell, a pavilion, and a walking trail with religious articles.
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Nicholas Newton, who also serves St. Sylvester Mission Church in Eminence and St. Joseph Mission Church in White Church. The parish staff includes James L. Ryan as OCIA Director, Patricia Einweck as Coordinator of Religious Education, and Janet McMullen as Secretary.
- Rev. Nicholas Newton — Pastor
- James L. Ryan — OCIA Director
- Patricia Einweck — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Janet McMullen — Secretary
Ministry of the Parish
Since becoming a parish, St. John Vianney has expanded its ministry beyond the church walls. Members serve as volunteers at the local hospital and offer chaplaincy services. The pastor also serves St. Sylvester Mission Church in Eminence, extending the parish's pastoral reach into Shannon County.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education has been a part of St. John Vianney since its mission days. In the early years, the Daughters of Charity taught the only religion classes for children, two weeks each summer. For several years, CCD for young people was taught by Extension volunteers — women from outside the area who gave a year of their lives in rural ministry, working in the hospital and in the parish. Today, faith formation is coordinated by Patricia Einweck (Coordinator of Religious Education), and the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults entering the Church is directed by James L. Ryan.
Hospital Chaplaincy and Volunteer Outreach
Parishioners of St. John Vianney serve as volunteers at the local hospital and offer chaplaincy services, carrying the parish's ministry into the wider Mountain View community.
Outreach to Mission Churches
The pastor of St. John Vianney also serves St. Sylvester Mission Church in Eminence, MO, and St. Joseph Mission Church in White Church, MO, making Mountain View a hub of Catholic life in the south-central Ozarks.
St. John Vianney Catholic Cemetery
A parish cemetery was added behind the church in 2002. Located 0.1 miles north of US Highway 60, off State Route Y (turn left at the Catholic Church into the parking area), St. John Vianney Catholic Cemetery is a quiet place of remembrance for the Catholic community of Mountain View and the surrounding area.
Parish Grounds and Facilities
The parish grounds have been steadily developed since the 1989 church was built. The site includes a parking area, mature trees, decorative lighting, seasonal flowers, a bell, a pavilion, and a walking trail featuring religious articles — turning the property into a devotional outdoor space as well as a worship space.
- Walking trail with religious articles
- Pavilion
- Bell
- Parking area
- Landscaped grounds with trees and lighting
Location and Visiting
St. John Vianney Parish is located at 808 State Route Y, Mountain View, MO 65548-7904, in Howell County. The parish is part of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Visitors are welcome at Mass (Sunday 10:30 AM and Wednesday 5:30 PM), and confession is heard 30 minutes before each Mass. The parish's mailing address and phone number serve as the primary points of contact for sacramental preparation, funeral arrangements, and parish inquiries.
Diocese and Wider Catholic Life
St. John Vianney belongs to the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, whose website (dioscg.org) is the official online source for parish assignments, news, and the diocesan newspaper The Mirror. The pastor, Fr. Nicholas Newton, also serves as the Regional Vocation Promoter for the Mountain View area of the diocese.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. E. J. Fallert1951 – c. 1960
First priest assigned to the Mountain View mission; served at the dedication of the expanded (cross-shaped, rock-faced) church on Easter Sunday 1951.
- Rev. Vincent Stolzerc. 1960 –
First resident priest when the mission was elevated to parish status around 1960.
- Rev. Nicholas Newton2025 – present
Previously Parochial Administrator; in 2025 appointed Pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, Mountain View; St. Sylvester Mission, Eminence; and St. Joseph Mission, White Church. Also serves as Regional Vocation Promoter for the Mountain View Area.