About St. Theresa of Lisieux · Dixon, Missouri
St. Theresa of Lisieux is a small Roman Catholic parish in Dixon, Missouri, located in Pulaski County in the southeast deanery of the Diocese of Jefferson City. The parish is currently pastored by Rev. Anthony N. Onyeihe and is linked as an associated parish with St. Cornelius in nearby Crocker, with which it alternates Sunday Masses. The parish was established in 1928, three years after the church building itself was completed in 1925 — and remarkably, the church was among the very first in the world to bear the name of St. Thérèse, who was canonized on May 17, 1925.
- Established
- 1928
- Patron
- St. Theresa of Lisieux (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face)
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony N. Onyeihe
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jefferson City
Why belong here
St. Theresa of Lisieux is a small, historic Catholic parish in the heart of the Ozarks region of south-central Missouri, offering the faithful a quiet, family-sized community rooted in nearly a century of Catholic life. As one of the earliest churches in the world named for St. Thérèse, the parish carries a distinctive spiritual heritage, and its partnership with St. Cornelius in Crocker means parishioners share weekend worship with a neighboring community while still being served by a dedicated resident pastor. It is the kind of parish where visiting Catholics and longtime families alike can find a warm, traditional small-town Catholic home.
Mass times at St. Theresa of Lisieux
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
St. Theresa of Lisieux has deep roots in the south-central Missouri Ozarks. Although the church building itself was erected in 1925, the parish was not formally established until 1928. The timing is striking: St. Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925, the very same year the Dixon church was completed. As a result, this little parish may have been among the very first Catholic churches in the world to bear her name. In 2004, the parish community gathered with Bishop John R. Gaydos and former parishioners to mark the 75th anniversary. Today, more than a century after construction began on the original church, St. Theresa continues as a small but living parish partnered with St. Cornelius in Crocker.
- Church building completed: 1925
- Parish established: 1928
- 75th anniversary celebrated: August 8, 2004 with Bishop John R. Gaydos
- History source: "Proclaiming the Good News in the Heart of Missouri" by Sr. Loretta Pastva, SND (2006)
Patron: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
The parish's patron is St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897), the French Carmelite nun also known as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, and one of only four women to hold the title Doctor of the Church. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925. Her feast day in the universal Roman calendar is October 1.
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux, OCD (1873–1897)
- Canonized: May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI
- Feast day: October 1
Parish Leadership & Clergy
St. Theresa is currently served by Rev. Anthony N. Onyeihe, who also serves as pastor of St. Cornelius Parish in Crocker. Under diocesan assignments announced in 2025 and 2026, Fr. Onyeihe was appointed Parochial Administrator of both parishes effective 1 July 2025, and will move to pastor of St. Clement, St. Joseph (Louisiana) and Mary Queen of Peace (Clarksville) effective 1 July 2026.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Anthony N. Onyeihe
- Associated Parish: St. Cornelius, Crocker (same pastor)
- Deanery: Southeast
- County: Pulaski
Location & Contact
St. Theresa of Lisieux is located in Dixon, the seat of Pulaski County in south-central Missouri. The parish's physical and mailing address is the same, on South Oak Street, and the parish can be reached by phone or email during parish office hours.
- Address: 506 S. Oak St, Dixon, MO 65459
- Phone: 573-759-7521
- Email: [email protected]
- County: Pulaski
- Deanery: Southeast
Diocese of Jefferson City
St. Theresa of Lisieux belongs to the Diocese of Jefferson City, a suffragan see of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of St. Louis. The diocese was established by Pope Pius XII on November 27, 1956, formed from territory of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the Diocese of Kansas City, and the former Diocese of St. Joseph. The diocese covers much of central and north-central Missouri.
- Diocese established: November 27, 1956 by Pope Pius XII
- Suffragan of: Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Parish deanery: Southeast
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael P. Murphy
Pastor of St. Theresa, Dixon, St. Cornelius, Crocker, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Robert, and St. Jude, Richland
- Rev. Walter Kispotta
Pastor of St. Cornelius, Crocker, and St. Theresa, Dixon; reassigned to hospital and nursing-home ministry in Jefferson City effective 1 July 2025
- Rev. Anthony N. Onyeihe2025–2026 (scheduled)
Parochial Administrator of St. Cornelius, Crocker, and St. Theresa, Dixon, effective 1 July 2025; reassigned to St. Clement, St. Joseph (Louisiana) and Mary Queen of Peace (Clarksville) effective 1 July 2026