About St. Rose of Lima · De Soto, Missouri
St. Rose of Lima is a Catholic parish in De Soto, Missouri, a historic community in Jefferson County about an hour south of St. Louis. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of St. Louis and is currently served by Pastor Fr. Rodger Fleming, Part-Time Senior Associate Pastor Fr. Vincent Nyman, and Deacons Ed Boyer and Terry Baldwin. The parish operates St. Rose of Lima Catholic School (preschool through 8th grade) and offers a rich sacramental life including daily Mass, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel in the church basement, and a busy calendar of parish ministries. Its motto, "Generosity, Humility, & Love for the Lord in the Eucharist," captures the parish's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and service to its neighbors.
- Established
- 1866
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), the first canonized saint of the Americas
- Rector
- Fr. Rodger Fleming
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Rose of Lima is a faith community where the Eucharist truly is the center of life — anchored by a Perpetual Adoration Chapel open 24 hours a day in the church basement, a daily Mass schedule, and a pastor and deacons committed to forming missionary disciples. Families with school-age children benefit from St. Rose Catholic School, a 125+ year-old preschool-through-8th-grade institution staffed by a long-tenured faculty and supported by parish fundraisers like the famous Labor Day Picnic and the annual dinner auction. Active parishioners can join ministries ranging from the St. Vincent de Paul Society, OCIA (RCIA), Parish School of Religion, altar servers, choir, pro-life group, quilters, Knights of Columbus, and parish council — a place where everyone has a way to serve and belong.
Mass times at St. Rose of Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 pm
- 1st Saturday of the month 8:30–9:00 am
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the Adoration Chapel in the basement of the church (parishioners sign up for a minimum of one hour per week)
About St. Rose of Lima Parish
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church is the Catholic parish of De Soto, Missouri, located in Jefferson County about 40 miles south of St. Louis. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of St. Louis and identifies itself with the motto 'Generosity, Humility, & Love for the Lord in the Eucharist.' The parish grounds include the 1885 Gothic-style church, St. Rose Catholic School (preschool–8th grade), and the historic Calvary Cemetery.
- Parish motto: 'Generosity, Humility, & Love for the Lord in the Eucharist'
- Member of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
- 504 S. Third Street, De Soto, MO 63020
- Parish patron: St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), first canonized saint of the Americas
Parish History
Founded in the years just after the Civil War, the parish grew out of a land gift in 1863 and a small frame church dedicated in 1865. The current Gothic church dates from 1885, the school opened in 1891, and the parish has continued to expand facilities for over 160 years — most recently with St. Rose Hall in 2017.
- 1863 — Thomas C. Fletcher and Louis J. Rankin donate four De Soto lots to Archbishop P.R. Kenrick
- 1864 — Original 36-by-24-foot frame church built
- August 27, 1865 — Church dedicated under the invocation of St. Rose of Lima
- 1885 — Gothic-style church built (still in use)
- September 1, 1891 — Parish school opens with 150 pupils; Ursuline nuns from St. Louis teach
- 1929 — Cornerstone laid for new brick school (three stories, auditorium, cafeteria)
- 1955–1956 — Major school renovation under Fr. Francis Hyland
- 2017 — St. Rose Hall built for PE, indoor recess, extended care and events
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Rodger Fleming, with the assistance of Part-Time Senior Associate Pastor Fr. Vincent Nyman and two permanent deacons. The parish office and school each have dedicated secretarial staff, and the music director coordinates liturgical music across the parish.
- Fr. Rodger Fleming — Pastor
- Fr. Vincent Nyman — Part-Time Senior Associate Pastor
- Deacon Ed Boyer — Parish Deacon
- Deacon Terry Baldwin — Parish Deacon; RCIA & Adoration Chapel Coordinator
- Emily Pagano — St. Rose School Principal
- Janet Vilmer — Parish Music Director (314-608-6996)
- Sharon Missey — PSR Principal
- Susan Broombaugh — Parish Secretary/Bookkeeper
- Pam Winckel — Assistant Parish Secretary
- Ken Walton — Maintenance
- Natalie Woodrum — SRLS School Secretary
Parish Ministries & Organizations
St. Rose has a deep bench of active ministries — from liturgical roles (altar servers, lectors, choir, Extraordinary Ministers, ushers) to outreach (St. Vincent de Paul, Pro-Life, homebound visitation), formation (OCIA, PSR, adult faith-sharing groups), and parish-life groups (Knights of Columbus, Quilters, Picnic committee, School Board, Parish Council, Home & School Association).
- Liturgical: Altar Servers, Lectors, Cantors & Choir, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Ushers, Church Cleaners
- Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul Society (Annual Food Drive), Pro-Life, Homebound Visitation
- Formation: OCIA (RCIA), Parish School of Religion (PSR), Adult Religious Education / Small Faith-Sharing Groups, Vacation Bible School
- Community Life: Knights of Columbus, St. Rose Quilters, St. Rose Picnic committee, St. Rose Auction committee, Home & School Association, Parish Council, School Board
- Marriage Preparation — Couple-to-Couple parish-based program
Sacraments
Parishioners can prepare for and receive all the usual sacraments at St. Rose. First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation are prepared through the parish school or PSR; adults enter the Church through OCIA beginning in September and finishing at the Easter Vigil; engaged couples prepare through the Couple-to-Couple Marriage Preparation program.
- Baptism — contact the Rectory
- Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation — through St. Rose School or PSR
- Marriage Preparation — Couple-to-Couple program
- Anointing of the Sick / Communion to the Homebound
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (begins in September, Easter Vigil reception)
St. Rose of Lima Catholic School
Founded September 1, 1891, St. Rose Catholic School is one of the oldest parish schools in Jefferson County. Originally staffed by Ursuline nuns from St. Louis (who taught there for 94 years), the school today serves about 101 students from preschool through 8th grade under Principal Emily Pagano. Annual fundraisers — most famously the March dinner auction and the Labor Day picnic — have helped keep tuition affordable (the highest family tuition is $3,500 against a $5,700 per-pupil cost).
- Opened September 1, 1891, in the original 1865 frame church
- Ursuline nuns staffed the school for 94 years
- 1929 brick school building with five classrooms, upper auditorium, and lower cafeteria
- Major renovation 1955–1956 under Fr. Francis Hyland
- St. Rose Hall (40×80 ft) built 2017 for PE, indoor recess, extended care and events
- Currently serves preschool through 8th grade
- Fundraisers: Annual Dinner Auction (March, KC Hall) and Labor Day Picnic
Calvary Cemetery
St. Rose Parish owns Calvary Cemetery, located west of De Soto. Purchased in 1872 from Samuel Prentis for $200, it has served as the parish's burial ground for 150+ years. Today the Calvary Cemetery families organization maintains the grounds, added a mausoleum in 1993 (with a 'Welcoming Christ' stained-glass window by Frank Stanton, Jr.), a near-life-size Crucifixion scene in 2017, and a 5-acre expansion donated by the Ron Mayer family in 2014.
- 1872 — Parish purchases original 5 acres from Samuel Prentis
- 1884 — Earliest recorded burial (infant Cain)
- 1911 — Fr. William Noonan wills 6 more acres (Section V; site of the Sacred Heart statue)
- 1986 — Families of Calvary Cemetery formed
- 1990 — Cemetery maintenance building constructed
- 1993 — Mausoleum dedicated May 31
- 2014 — Ron Mayer family donates 5-acre expansion east of original cemetery
- 2017 — Life-size Crucifixion scene with Blessed Mother and St. John erected
- 2022 — Families celebrate 150th anniversary
Visit & Contact
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open during the week and reachable by phone, email, or in person at the rectory.
- Address: 504 S. Third Street, De Soto, MO 63020
- Phone: (636) 337-2212
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stroseparish.info/index.html
- Archdiocesan listing: https://www.archstl.org/parish/st-rose-of-lima-desoto/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William Noonan1892–1911
Enlarged the school by 10×12½ feet; willed 6 acres to Calvary Cemetery (Section V) where the Sacred Heart statue stands.
- Fr. Joseph Newman1922
Discontinued 9th and 10th grade classrooms in the parish school.
- Monsignor Edward Rogers1925
Pastored during the campaign and construction of the new 1929 brick school building.
- Fr. Francis Hylandmid-1950s
Oversaw the 1955–1956 major renovation of the school (auditorium converted to 5 classrooms, new kitchen, tile floors).
- Fr. Edward Hilgeman1980
Air-conditioned the school cafeteria in 1981.
- Fr. Alexander Anderson2008
Remodeled office, expanded and relocated the library to the upper floor; 2010 front-of-school landscaping and new cafeteria ovens.