St. Mary

History of St. Mary Parish

St. Mary traces its roots to 1875, when Seneca's first Catholic, James Francis McGannon, emigrated from Canada and opened a hardware business. The Brady, Powers, and Yust families soon followed, and by 1881 McGannon had arranged for priests from Pierce City and Sarcoxie to celebrate Mass in McGannon Hall above his store. In 1884 Bishop John Hogan of Kansas City formally created St. Mary as a mission of St. Canera Parish in Neosho, with Fr. James Wood serving for five years. Fr. Kault was appointed pastor in 1893 (commuting from Subiaco, Arkansas) and oversaw construction of the brick church still in use today; it was dedicated in 1894 on land donated by McGannon and built without debt. St. Mary became a full parish in 1957 when Fr. Clem Ilmberger became its first resident pastor. A new community hall replaced the old Fort Crowder barracks hall in 1988, and the church was renovated and rededicated by Bishop John Leibrecht on March 1, 1996.

Clergy & Staff

The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Charles 'Chaz' Dunn, with Rev. Rabinson Kulandai Samy, HGN, as Parochial Vicar. Fr. Dunn also serves as pastor of St. Canera Parish in Neosho and the Nativity of Our Lord Mission in Noel — a clustered arrangement within Deanery 1 of the diocese. Parish staff includes Priscilla Poor, who serves as Administrative Assistant and OCIA Director. The parish office may be reached at (417) 776-3786 or [email protected].

• Rev. Charles 'Chaz' Dunn — Pastor
• Rev. Rabinson Kulandai Samy, HGN — Parochial Vicar
• Priscilla Poor — Administrative Assistant / OCIA Director

Faith Formation & School

Faith formation is at the heart of St. Mary's identity and is built around three pillars: the parish school, the Parish School of Religion, and adult/youth formation. St. Mary School (school.stmarycp.org) serves Junior Pre-Kindergarten (age 3) through 8th grade, with religion integrated into the daily curriculum and the entire school community regularly attending the Eucharist. Mrs. Cathy Scolaro serves as Director of Faith Formation. The Parish School of Religion (PSR) meets Sunday after Mass throughout the school year for grades K–12; Adult Formation Class meets the same time and is organized through the parish's Adult Formation Committee.

• St. Mary School — Jr. Pre-K through 8th grade
• Parish School of Religion (PSR) — K–12, Sunday after Mass
• Adult Formation Class — Sunday after Mass
• Director of Faith Formation: Mrs. Cathy Scolaro

OCIA (RCIA)

Adults preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church are served through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA). Priscilla Poor serves as Administrative Assistant and OCIA Director for St. Mary. Classes are offered at St. Mary's as part of the parish's adult formation program, and the parish pastoral plan calls for continuing and promoting these classes as a key evangelization tool.

• OCIA Director: Priscilla Poor
• Classes offered in conjunction with Adult Formation

Parish Pastoral Council & Ministries

St. Mary is governed in part by an active Parish Pastoral Council that has organized itself into four standing committees: Youth Formation, Adult Formation, Outreach, and Liturgy/Prayer. Each committee has its own vision/mission statement and works to set quarterly goals under the larger parish pastoral plan. The Liturgy/Prayer Committee oversees worship and prayer life; Youth Formation coordinates PSR, youth Mass participation, and Mercy Monday service; Adult Formation runs ongoing classes and speakers; and Outreach organizes community evangelization, parish welcoming, and Mercy Monday projects. A separate St. Mary's School Board oversees the parish school.

• Youth Formation Committee: Adam Boman, Mellanie Carder, Cari Caddell
• Adult Formation Committee: Jared Barchak, Ian Brottlund
• Liturgy/Prayer Committee: Linda Fenske, Mike Glouse
• Outreach Committee: Chris Jasumback
• St. Mary's School Board
• Parish Pastoral Council (parent body)

Parish Life & Outreach

St. Mary cultivates a close-knit community life through Mercy Mondays — twice-in-spring and twice-in-fall community service projects — fellowship gatherings after Sunday Mass at various times of year, and the annual St. Mary's Picnic on the first Sunday in June. The Knights of Columbus council hosts a weekly Lenten Fish Fry each Friday in Lent, which has become both a parish fundraiser and a gathering point. The parish also participates in diocesan and community events and welcomes parishioners to volunteer for ministry, the school, and outreach.

• Mercy Monday (community service — 2 spring, 2 fall)
• Knights of Columbus Lenten Fish Fry
• St. Mary's Picnic (first Sunday in June)
• Fellowship gatherings after Sunday Mass
• Outreach Committee initiatives

Sacraments

The parish celebrates the seven sacraments in keeping with Catholic tradition. Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and funeral arrangements are coordinated through the parish office by appointment. First Eucharist and Confirmation preparation are handled through the PSR program, with Confirmation classes targeted every three years per the parish pastoral plan, and the parish aims to have at least 75% of candidates continue into the youth group after Confirmation. OCIA is offered for adults seeking Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

• Baptism — by appointment
• First Eucharist — via PSR
• Confirmation — every 3 years (target)
• Marriage — by appointment
• Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
• OCIA for adults

Visiting St. Mary

St. Mary is located at 1209 Wyandotte Street in central Seneca, Missouri (Mailing: PO Box 1169, Seneca, MO 64865-1169). The historic 1894 brick sanctuary — renovated and rededicated in 1996 — and the 1988 community hall sit on the parish grounds together with the rectory and parish school. The parish welcomes visitors to its weekend and weekday Masses, offers First Friday Adoration, and livestreams Masses for those who cannot attend in person. Weekly bulletins are available in the church and can be mailed or emailed upon request by contacting the parish office.

• Address: 1209 Wyandotte St., Seneca, MO 64865
• Mailing: PO Box 1169, Seneca, MO 64865-1169
• Phone: (417) 776-3786
• Email: [email protected]
• Livestream Mass via stmary.weconnect.com
• Weekly bulletin — print or by mail/email on request