About St. Susanne · Mount Vernon, Missouri
St. Susanne is a small Roman Catholic parish serving about 110 households in Mount Vernon, in southwest Missouri. It belongs to the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau and is currently led by Parochial Administrator Rev. Bejoy Thomas, CMI, with Mary Peterson serving as Director of Religious Education (DRE) and Laura Davidson as Administrative Assistant. The parish keeps a compact schedule built around a Saturday evening vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday, complemented by Friday evening Eucharistic Adoration and regular opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Established
- 1939
- Patron
- St. Susanne (patron of the Catholic Extension Society, after whom the parish was named when the 1945 church was dedicated)
- Rector
- Rev. Bejoy Thomas, CMI (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
Why belong here
St. Susanne is a tight-knit rural parish with deep Ozark roots, founded in 1939 by a chaplain serving a tuberculosis sanatorium and kept alive for decades with the help of the Catholic Extension Society. Today it offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a small setting: weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday, Friday evening Eucharistic Adoration, and regular opportunities for confession. With a Director of Religious Education coordinating parish faith formation and an office serving Lawrence County from its Highway V West location, St. Susanne is a welcoming community for Catholics in Mount Vernon and the surrounding countryside.
Mass times at St. Susanne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 6:30–7:30 p.m. (during Adoration)
- Saturday after Mass
- Wednesday and Friday after Mass
Adoration times
- Friday 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Parish Identity & Patron
St. Susanne Parish takes its name from the patron saint of the Catholic Extension Society, the organization whose grants twice made its church buildings possible. The parish sits in Mount Vernon, the seat of Lawrence County in southwest Missouri, and is part of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau.
- Patron: St. Susanne
- Diocese: Springfield–Cape Girardeau
- Deanery: Deanery II of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
Founding (1939) and the Sanatorium Years
The parish traces its beginnings to the large tuberculosis sanatorium once located in Mount Vernon. Bishop Edwin O'Hara, bishop of the Kansas City diocese at the time, appointed Fr. James Devine as chaplain of the hospital and instructed him to start a parish. The first Mass was offered on December 17, 1939, for an original congregation of ten people and two visitors.
- December 17, 1939 — first Mass celebrated by founding pastor Fr. James Devine
- Fr. James Ahern succeeds Fr. Devine as pastor in November 1940
- Parish relocates to a two-story house at Center and McCanse Streets, used as a 'chapel in a house'
The 1945 Church and the Extension Society
As the parish grew beyond 50 parishioners, the Catholic Extension Society again stepped in with funding for a proper church. Bishop O'Hara dedicated the new building in July 1945. The church had originally been named St. Cecilia, but at the dedication it was renamed St. Susanne, in honor of the patron saint of the Extension Society whose grant had made it possible.
- July 1945 — church dedicated by Bishop Edwin O'Hara
- Original name was St. Cecilia; renamed St. Susanne at dedication
- Named after the patron of the Catholic Extension Society
The Present Church (1968)
Under Fr. Ralph J. Duffner, the parish received another Extension Society grant in 1967 and built a new church on land just west of Mount Vernon on V Highway. Bishop Ignatius Strecker dedicated the new facility on March 17, 1968, the building from which St. Susanne continues to minister today.
- 1967 — new church constructed under Fr. Ralph J. Duffner
- March 17, 1968 — dedicated by Bishop Ignatius Strecker
- Located on Highway V West, west of Mount Vernon
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Susanne's parish faith-formation program (Parish School of Religion, PSR) is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Mary Peterson. The parish is also listed by the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau Office of Faith Formation as one of the Deanery II sites where PSR classes are held on Friday evenings.
- Director of Religious Education: Mary Peterson
- PSR classes held Friday evenings at St. Susanne Parish
- Part of the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, Deanery II
Parish Life & Getting Involved
St. Susanne is a small but active rural parish of about 110 households. Parishioners gather weekly for Mass, monthly for Friday evening Adoration with Confession, and through the PSR program on Friday evenings during the school year. The parish office, staffed by Administrative Assistant Laura Davidson, is open on Wednesdays.
- Approx. 110 households
- Office hours: Wednesday 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Friday evening Adoration and PSR as regular touchpoints of parish life
Visit, Contact & Location
The church is located just west of Mount Vernon on Highway V West (W. Sloan St.). Visitors and parishioners are encouraged to call ahead, especially for holy days and special events.
- Address: 700 W. Sloan St. (Highway V West), Mount Vernon, MO 65712
- Mailing: PO Box 126, Mount Vernon, MO 65712-0126
- Phone: (417) 316-9205
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stsusannemountvernonmo.org/
- GPS: N37° 05.876', W093° 49.727'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James Devine1939–1940
First pastor; appointed chaplain of the Mt. Vernon tuberculosis sanatorium by Bishop Edwin O'Hara and instructed to found the parish; celebrated the first Mass on Dec. 17, 1939.
- Fr. James Ahernfrom November 1940
Succeeded Fr. Devine as pastor; oversaw early parish growth and the move to a 'chapel in a house' at Center and McCanse Streets.
- Fr. Ralph J. Duffner1960s (built the present church in 1967)
Led the building of the current church on Highway V West with another Extension Society grant.