About St. Leo the Great · Ava, Missouri
St. Leo the Great is a Roman Catholic mission church in Ava, the county seat of Douglas County in the south-central Missouri Ozarks. It is part of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau and is classified as a mission church under the care of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Mansfield. The mission serves a rural, multi-parish cluster in the Ozarks that also includes St. William (Gainesville), St. Michael (Cabool) and Sacred Heart (Mountain Grove), all currently shepherded by Fr. Charles Peirano. St. Leo's small but active congregation gathered national attention in 2024 when its visiting priest was deported and the parish was left temporarily without a resident priest, an event that highlighted the priest-shortage pressures on rural Ozark parishes.
- Patron
- St. Leo the Great (Pope St. Leo I, Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Charles Peirano (Pastor, since 2025; previously Parochial Administrator from 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
Why belong here
St. Leo the Great offers Ozark Catholics in rural Douglas County a faithful, intimate mission parish where they can worship close to home without driving to larger towns. The mission is currently shepherded by a resident pastor of the Mansfield-area cluster, celebrates regular Sunday and weekday Masses (with Holy Day and special Masses added), and is supported by a committed lay team — including long-time parish secretary Annette Stillings — who keep the church running and the parish's projects moving forward. For Catholics living in or passing through Ava, it is a welcoming place to attend Mass, receive the sacraments, and belong to a small Catholic community rooted in the hills of southern Missouri.
Mass times at St. Leo the Great
Weekly Mass schedule
Identity & Patron
St. Leo the Great is named after Pope St. Leo I (c. 400–461), one of the great Doctor of the Church popes, best known for his Tome of Leo and his meeting with Attila the Hun. The mission keeps his name in the rural hills of southern Missouri as a small but faithful Catholic outpost in the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau.
- Patron: St. Leo the Great (Pope St. Leo I)
- Feast day: November 10
- Type: Roman Catholic mission church
Mission Status & Relationship to Mansfield
Because St. Leo the Great is a mission and not a parish in its own right, sacramental and pastoral life flows through Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Mansfield. The current pastor, Fr. Charles Peirano, is canonically pastor of St. Leo's, St. William in Gainesville, and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Mansfield.
- Parent parish: Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mansfield
- Cluster parishes: St. William (Gainesville), Immaculate Heart of Mary (Mansfield), St. Michael (Cabool), Sacred Heart (Mountain Grove)
History & 2024 Priest-Shortage Episode
St. Leo the Great drew regional and national attention in 2024 after the priest serving its five-church cluster was deported in April 2024. Masses had to be consolidated across the cluster, and the parish could not convene its parish council because no priest was available. A full-time priest was restored in July 2024.
- April 2024: cluster priest deported; parish left without sacramental ministry
- July 2024: full-time priest restored to the cluster
- Summer 2024: KY3 News reports on the parish's experience
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
The mission's published Mass schedule (effective July 2025) is Sunday at 10:45 a.m., Monday at 9:00 a.m., and Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Travelling Catholics are advised to call ahead for holy days and special Masses, since the cluster pastor rotates across five churches.
- Sunday 10:45 a.m.
- Monday 9:00 a.m.
- Wednesday 6:00 p.m.
Clergy & Staff
St. Leo's is currently served by Fr. Charles Peirano, pastor since 2025 (parochial administrator since 2024). Parish secretary Annette Stillings has been a visible lay leader, particularly during the 2024 priest shortage.
- Pastor: Rev. Charles Peirano
- Parish Secretary: Annette Stillings
Parish Life & Ministries
As a small rural mission, St. Leo's runs on the dedication of its lay faithful. Parish secretary Annette Stillings told KY3 in 2024 that the lay team could finish ongoing projects during the priestless stretch but could not start new canonical initiatives — a vivid picture of how lay and clerical roles intertwine in a mission setting.
- Parish Council (canonical)
- Lay-led maintenance and projects
Visiting & Contact
The mission is located on County Road 201 in Ava (older mailing address: Rt 6 Box 6700, Ava, MO 65608). The office can be reached at (417) 683-5249 or by email at [email protected].
- Address: County Road 201, Ava, MO 65608
- Phone: (417) 683-5249
- Email: [email protected]
Sources & Further Reading
The clearest official documentation for St. Leo the Great lives on the diocesan website of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau. Independent reporting from KY3 News in summer 2024 gives a detailed look at the parish's life under priest shortage.
- Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau parish directory
- Diocesan 2024 and 2025 pastoral assignment announcements
- KY3 News feature, 23 July 2024, on Catholic churches losing priests
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Peirano2024–present (Parochial Administrator 2024; Pastor 2025–present)
Formerly Parochial Vicar of Immaculate Conception Parish, Springfield, and chaplain at Springfield Catholic High School. Appointed Parochial Administrator of the five-church cluster (Ava, Gainesville, Mansfield, Cabool, Mountain Grove) in the 2024 diocesan assignments; named Pastor of the three-church sub-cluster (Ava, Gainesville, Mansfield) in 2025.