St. Monica Catholic Church

About St. Monica Catholic Church

St. Monica Catholic Church is the first Catholic church founded for African Americans in Kansas City. Officially opened on October 2, 1910 as 'St. Monica Mission for Colored Catholics,' the parish was made possible by a founding gift from St. Katherine Drexel to a diocesan priest, Fr. Cyprian Sauer, who had been commissioned by Bishop John J. Hogan. Today the parish is pastored by Father Leonard Gicheru, PhD, with Deacon Darwin Dupree, Sr. serving as deacon, Brad Geist as Pastoral Associate, and Biviana Radillo as Office Manager. Mass is celebrated Sundays and Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. (the Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting is at 6:00 p.m.) and streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube.

Our History

The parish's deep roots trace back to 1909, when Bishop Hogan asked Fr. Cyprian Sauer to organize a mission for the 23,000–35,000 Black residents of greater Kansas City. After being turned out of a borrowed schoolroom, Fr. Cyprian prayed to St. Monica of Africa and received Mother Drexel's $8,000 gift within a week. The mission was formally opened on October 2, 1910; in 1913 it moved into a new combined church-and-school building; in 1940 Bishop O'Hara presented the old St. Joseph building at 19th and Harrison, and the parish took the name St. Joseph. The 1959 purchase of the 16th & Paseo site for $50,000 led to a new church dedicated by Bishop Cody in 1961, and on October 22, 1995 the Risen Christ and St. Joseph parishes merged into the new Saint Monica Catholic Church under founding pastor Fr. Philip M. Egan. Bishop Boland dedicated the present 11,500-square-foot sanctuary on October 21, 2001.

• 1909 — Bishop Hogan commissions Fr. Cyprian Sauer to start a mission for Black Catholics.
• 1910 (Oct 2) — Mission formally opened as 'St. Monica Mission for Colored Catholics.'
• 1913 (Jul 2 / Oct 26) — New church-and-school building blessed and solemnly dedicated; 30 adult converts baptized.
• 1940 — Receives old St. Joseph building; renamed 'Saint Joseph Parish.'
• 1944 — Parish high school's first graduating class.
• 1961 (Apr 16) — New St. Joseph Church and Rectory at 16th & Paseo dedicated by Bishop Cody.
• 1995 (Oct 22) — Merger of Risen Christ and St. Joseph parishes; first Mass with Fr. Philip M. Egan as founding pastor.
• 2001 (Oct 21) — New 11,500 sq ft sanctuary dedicated by Bishop Raymond Boland.
• 2020 — Parish celebrates its 110th anniversary; featured on FOX4 for Black History Month.

Parish Staff

The parish staff and Parish Council are listed on the About page of stmonicakc.org. Office Manager Biviana Radillo staffs the Main Office from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the Social Services/Food Pantry operates from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. those same days.

• Father Leonard Gicheru, PhD — Pastor ([email protected])
• Deacon Darwin Dupree, Sr. — Deacon
• Brad Geist — Pastoral Associate ([email protected])
• Biviana Radillo — Office Manager & Assistant ([email protected])
• Vincent Alexandria — Parish Council
• Carolyn Greene — Parish Council
• Damon Hillman — Parish Council
• Duane Murff — Parish Council
• Robin Richardson — Parish Council
• Kim Urenda — Parish Council

Sacraments

Sacramental preparation at St. Monica is coordinated through the parish office. The website directs parishioners to call the Church Office for Baptism, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage (which requires nine months of preparation), and Reconciliation/Confirmation (available on Sundays or by appointment).

• Baptism
• First Reconciliation / First Communion
• Confirmation
• Marriage — 9 months of preparation
• Anointing of the Sick

Ministries & Organizations

St. Monica publishes a long roster of ministries on its website, reflecting the parish's deep lay involvement in every dimension of parish life — liturgy, fellowship, outreach, formation, health, and stewardship. Coordinators' names and contact numbers are listed for nearly every group.

• Altar Servers / Acolyte Ministry (Victor Ammons)
• Bereavement Ministry (Carolyn Greene)
• Counting Teams (Burnette Burtin)
• Eucharistic Ministers (Dianna Miller)
• Evangelization Ministry
• Fellowship Ministry (Parish Council)
• Finance Committee (Fr. Leonard Gicheru)
• Gardening Ministry (Mrs. Peltier)
• Health & Wellness Ministry (Felicia)
• Hospitality / Usher Ministry (Kim Urenda & Mary Pearison)
• Knights and Ladies of Peter — Jr. Knights, Jr. Daughters, Ladies of Grace
• Lector Ministry
• Legion of Mary (Brad Geist) — meets Mondays 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows
• Liturgical Ministry (Fr. Leonard Gicheru)
• Music Ministry / Inspirational Choir — Director Melvin Kerr
• Praise Dancer Ministry
• Social Services / Food Pantry Ministry (Rita Womack)
• Stewardship Committee (Shirley Thaw, Chair)
• Vocation Ministry (Deacon Darwin Dupree)
• Women's Bible Study (Paula Nix) — 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 9:30–11 a.m.

Parish Council

The St. Monica Parish Council meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Members are listed on the parish About page with direct email links, alongside the pastor and pastoral associate.

• Father Leonard Gicheru (Pastor)
• Brad Geist (Pastoral Associate)
• Vincent Alexandria
• Carolyn Greene
• Damon Hillman
• Duane Murff
• Robin Richardson
• Kim Urenda

Outreach & Social Services

Carrying out the founding mission Bishop Hogan set out in 1909, the parish runs an active Social Services / Food Pantry Ministry that provides emergency assistance to the poor, the elderly, and families in crisis — including help with food, shelter, utilities, and medical care. The pantry is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Social Services / Food Pantry — food, shelter, utilities, medical-care assistance (Coordinator: Rita Womack, 816-719-4511)
• Health & Wellness Ministry — health tips in the bulletin, exercise classes, mammogram screening, blood pressure and cholesterol checks
• Bereavement Ministry — funeral meal support for families of deceased parishioners
• Vocation Ministry — promotes priestly and religious vocations through prayer and education

Music, Liturgy & Devotions

The Liturgical Ministry plans seasonal and weekly Eucharistic services in cooperation with Father Leonard. Music is led by the Inspirational Choir under Director Melvin Kerr (rehearsals 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary), and the Praise Dancer Ministry enhances the liturgy through dance at Black History Month, Easter, and Pentecost. The Legion of Mary gathers every Monday at 6 p.m. in the parish hall of Our Lady of Sorrows to pray the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries and visit the sick.

• Liturgical Ministry (monthly meetings) — Fr. Leonard Gicheru
• Inspirational Choir — Director: Melvin Kerr; 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 11 a.m.
• Praise Dancer Ministry — performances for Black History Month, Easter, Pentecost
• Legion of Mary — Mondays 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows parish hall; Coordinator Brad Geist

African American Heritage Trail

St. Monica is one of the sites on Kansas City's African American Heritage Trail. The parish About page links to aahtkc.org and to a 2023 FOX4 'Hidden History' Black History Month segment by reporter Kelli Peltier titled 'Kansas City's first, oldest Black Catholic church offers sense of belonging.'

• Member of the African American Heritage Trails of Kansas City, MO
• 2023 FOX4 'Hidden History' Black History Month feature on the parish

Visit & Contact

• Address — 1616 Paseo Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri 64108
• Phone — (816) 471-3696
• Email — [email protected]
• Website — http://stmonicakc.org
• Facebook — /StMonicaKC
• Mass is live-streamed on Facebook Live and uploaded to the parish YouTube channel