Keepers of the faith

For 174 years, the Vincentians have offered up the bread of life in Cape Girardeau.

Nearly two centuries in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. One college, two churches, an elementary school. A long legacy.

And after 174 years, the Vincentians are leaving Cape Girardeau for much the same reason they originally came: to fulfill their calling to God.

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In his small office at 1913 Ritter Drive, the Rev. Charlie Prost settles himself into a chair and closes his eyes as he begins to talk about his parish.

He talks about the Congregation of the Mission -- established by St. Vincent de Paul and thus best known as the Vincentian order -- and their origins in Cape Girardeau County.

The order came here with a three-part mission, the same mission they have today: to serve the poor, to maintain a common life among the priests and brothers in the order, and to grow in spirituality.

In recent years, explains Prost, the latter two have been sacrificed to achieve the first. In Cape Girardeau, Prost and associate pastor the Rev. Derek Swanson are the only Vincentians -- hardly enough to "live together as dear brothers" as St. Vincent de Paul called them to do.

"You have to be true to yourself and what you believe is your calling," says Prost. "While Father Swanson and I pray together and live together, in reality it's just the two of us."

But that wasn't always the case.

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The story starts with the Rev. John Timon, a Vincentian priest assigned in 1827 to Perryville, Mo., who rode by horseback each month to Cape Girardeau to hold Mass.

Nearly a decade later, in 1836, the first Vincentian priest, the Rev. Jean-Marie Odin, officially came to the city and became the first pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church two years after. Also in 1838, the idea for St. Vincent's College was developed.

St. Vincent's -- now home to Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus -- "held aloft the banner of Catholic education in a region and at a time when Catholic schools were few and far between," as the Rev. Martin V. Moore said in a 1943 tribute to the school.

Vincentians staffed the school, and young boys preparing to enter the Vincentian priesthood were taught there.

The first church building was constructed in 1838, destroyed by a tornado in 1850 and rebuilt by 1853. That church, known as Old St. Vincent's, still exists today at the intersection of Main and William streets, though the parish meets at a new facility built in 1956 on Ritter Drive. At one point, the parish had more than 2,400 families.

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For five of the 174 years, Prost has been a part of the Vincentian legacy in Cape Girardeau.

In August, he will officially say goodbye. His new assignment has not yet been announced, and the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, which will now administer the parish, has not named a replacement.

Prost, who attended St. Vincent's College during his own high school years, is pleased with the direction the parish has taken on the Vincentian's watch.

While the college is no longer a part of the parish, St. Vincent de Paul Grade School and the church on Ritter Drive have a strong impact on the community, says Prost.

But the real legacy isn't in the bricks of a building or the stone of a St. Vincent de Paul statue. It's in the mindset of the parishioners.

"Our concern for the poor is rooted here in the parish," Prost says. "That will continue regardless of who the next pastor is."

The church maintains a thrift store-type ministry, with free furniture and clothing. There's a food drive each month to help stock local pantries, and a free monthly meal at the church itself. The church also helps support Project Hope, faith-based mentoring program.

Like the parish itself, which now has about 1,400 families, the Vincentian order has seen diminishing numbers in recent decades.

Relocating into larger groups will better help the order carry out its mission, Prost explains. Better help them live together as dear brothers.

And for the parish, the impact will not be significant, at least not immediately.

"The Vincentians have been here a long time. They've definitely left their mission with St. Vincent's Parish, there's a spirit of serving the poor in our community," said Debbie Kiblinger, whose family has been at St. Vincent's for 16 years.

Kiblinger said she has faith whoever the diocese appoints as pastor will be a good fit.

"I hate to see Father Prost go, but change isn't bad. Change is good," said Kiblinger.

Bishop John Leibrecht, who oversees the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese, calls the situation a simple change in administration.

Beginning in August, St. Vincent de Paul will be staffed by a diocesan priest. The process for naming the new pastor has already begun, with Bishop Leibrecht seeking volunteers for the position. The diocese should announce the new assignment by July.

Leibrecht said he does not anticipate any major changes in the way the parish is run until the new pastor has had an opportunity to acclimate himself, perhaps in one or two years.

Either way, the church's work with low-income and disadvantaged families will not end.

"It's one of the blessings of the Vincentians," Leibrecht said. "They have helped the people there be aware of people in need; they've done wonderful charitable work and that will continue."

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128