About St. William · Perry, Missouri
St. William is a small Roman Catholic parish serving Perry, Missouri, and the surrounding Ralls County community. It belongs to the Diocese of Jefferson City's Central Deanery and shares its pastor, Rev. John A. Henderson, with the mission of St. Frances Cabrini in nearby Paris. The parish's roots go back more than 120 years to 1901, when the faith community in Perry was first established as a mission of historic St. Paul Church in Center. Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturday evening and Sunday morning at the parish church at 602 East Jefferson Street.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- St. William (traditionally St. William of Montevergine / William of Vercelli, 1085–1142, hermit and founder of the Congregation of Montevergine)
- Rector
- Rev. John A. Henderson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jefferson City (Central Deanery, Ralls County)
Why belong here
St. William offers the experience of a small, tight-knit Catholic community in rural northeast Missouri — a parish whose roots reach back to 1901 and whose pastor, Father John Henderson, also shepherds the historic French-Catholic heritage of St. Paul Church in Center and the mission of St. Frances Cabrini in Paris. Visitors and parishioners find a welcoming place to worship Saturday evening or Sunday morning, to connect with generations of Catholic families in Ralls County, and to participate in a parish that still treasures its pilgrim and pioneer past.
Mass times at St. William
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
The faith community around Perry, Missouri traces its origins to 1901, when it was established as a mission of St. Paul Church in Center, Missouri, by Archbishop John J. Kain of St. Louis. St. Paul itself had been designated a parish as early as 1829 and was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 1917, the last resident priest at St. Paul moved to Perry, and Center in turn became a mission of the new St. William community. The two continued in pastoral partnership through the twentieth century, and the parish history compiled by Loretta Pastva, SND, in Proclaiming the Good News in the Heart of Missouri preserves this record for the community.
- 1901 — St. William founded as a mission of St. Paul, Center, by Archbishop John J. Kain of St. Louis.
- 1917 — Last resident priest moves from Center to Perry; Center becomes a mission of St. William.
- 1952 — Father P.J. Gannon writes Bishop Charles H. LeBlond for permission to build a Paris church.
- 1953 — Church in Paris dedicated October 11 by Monsignor Thomas Cusak as St. Frances Cabrini.
- 1956 — Parish becomes part of the newly established Diocese of Jefferson City.
- 1966 — Land deeded for the present St. William church in Perry; St. Paul in Center formally closed.
- 1966 onward — Perry and Paris share one pastor.
St. Paul Church in Center — Sister Heritage Site
Although no longer a separate parish, historic St. Paul Church in Center remains an important spiritual home for St. William parishioners. It was designated a parish in 1829 and was long called "The Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Faith in Northeastern Missouri, Southeast Iowa, and Western Illinois." The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 31, 1979, and St. Paul Cemetery is the oldest cemetery on record in Ralls County, with burials dating back to the Revolutionary War.
- Father John Henderson returns to St. Paul at least once a year to offer Mass.
- An annual ice cream social raises funds to maintain the church and grounds.
- Father William O'Brien (1937) established the outdoor Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows at St. Paul, rebuilding the parish's pioneer-era pilgrim tradition.
- Father Kenneth Brock is remembered as a late (deceased) pastor of the Perry–Center–Paris pastorate.
Mission Church — St. Frances Cabrini, Paris
The mission church of St. Frances Cabrini in Paris, Missouri, has been served from Perry since 1966. It was built on eight acres purchased at the edge of Paris after Father P.J. Gannon received permission from Bishop Charles H. LeBlond of St. Joseph in 1952, and was dedicated on October 11, 1953, by Monsignor Thomas Cusak. It is placed under the patronage of St. Frances Cabrini, the first United States citizen to be canonized. Mass is celebrated there on Sunday at 10:00 AM.
- Sunday Mass at St. Frances Cabrini: 10:00 AM.
- Dedicated October 11, 1953, by Monsignor Thomas Cusak.
- Patroness: St. Frances Cabrini, first U.S. citizen to be canonized.
Staff & Pastoral Leadership
St. William is presently served by Rev. John A. Henderson as pastor. Because the Perry and Paris parishes share a single pastor under the arrangement established in 1966, Father Henderson also has pastoral care for the mission of St. Frances Cabrini in Paris and continues the annual pilgrimage-style Mass at historic St. Paul in Center. Day-to-day parish contact is through the parish office at 602 East Jefferson Street, Perry, MO 63462.
- Rev. John A. Henderson — Pastor (also responsible for St. Frances Cabrini, Paris).
- Parish mailing address: PO Box 339, Perry, MO 63462.
- Phone: (573) 565-2852; Fax: (573) 565-8012; Email: [email protected].
Visiting & Contact
St. William Parish is in Perry, Missouri, in the northeastern part of the state. The physical address is 602 East Jefferson Street, with a mailing address of PO Box 339, Perry, MO 63462. The parish office can be reached by phone at (573) 565-2852 or by email at [email protected]; the official diocesan listing for the parish is at diojeffcity.org/st-william-perry/.
- Physical: 602 E Jefferson, Perry, MO 63462.
- Mailing: PO Box 339, Perry, MO 63462.
- Phone: (573) 565-2852.
- Fax: (573) 565-8012.
- Email: [email protected].
- Website: https://diojeffcity.org/st-william-perry/.
- Facebook: facebook.com/pages/St-Williams-Church/1724783374423487.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father P.J. Gannon1952
Wrote to Bishop Charles H. LeBlond requesting permission to build a church in Paris; mission of Paris was established under his leadership.
- Monsignor Thomas Cusak1953
Dedicated the church in Paris (St. Frances Cabrini) on October 11, 1953.
- Father William O'Brien1937
Assigned to both parishes; established the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows at St. Paul Church in Center.
- Father Kenneth Brock
Late (deceased) pastor of the Perry–Center–Paris pastorate.
- Rev. John A. Henderson
Current pastor of St. William in Perry and the mission of St. Frances Cabrini in Paris; continues to celebrate an annual Mass at historic St. Paul in Center.