Community invited to groundbreaking ceremony for new Latter-day Saints church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold a groundbreaking at 11 a.m. at their new meeting house, 4450 LaSalle Ave., Cape Girardeau, on Saturday, Nov. 16, to announce the new church.

The groundbreaking is open to the public. All ages, faiths and backgrounds are welcome. The previous church was destroyed in a fire April 18, 2021.

Cape Girardeau Stake president Earl DeWaal and other church and community leaders will gather to offer prayers, remarks and a ceremonial groundbreaking to signify the start of construction, according to the news release. This new facility also will serve as a central hub for members in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri, supporting congregations from Farmington, Poplar Bluff, Sikeston and Carbondale, Illinois.

“I express and echo the gratitude of our church members for the outpouring of love from so many in the Cape Girardeau community and beyond, " president DeWaal said. “In our struggle, we have experienced the love of the Savior through the outreach of others. The excitement for a new building is real and important. Of greater significance are the relationships with one another in our church and community. It is our hope this new building will be for our community, a place of developing relationships of love and support for one another and our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

The Cape Girardeau church will serve as the primary location for regional conferences, religious education, youth programs and a range of events open to members and community residents alike, as stated in the news release. The building will feature a large chapel, as well as meeting rooms, a cultural hall and spaces for community gatherings and service initiatives. The new stake center is expected to be completed and ready for use in early 2026.

For more information and to RSVP contact JoAnna Watts, communication director, Cape Girardeau Stake at (573) 326-9594 or by email at jowatts@comm.churchofjesuschrist.org.