Old St. Vincent's Church named tourist destination

Huge columns ascend from the floor to a ceiling, more than 20 feet high.

Carved faces atop the columns accentuate the gothic design, and 14 Stations of the Cross -- individual scenes of the crucifixion -- line the walls.

Brilliant chandeliers dangle from the ceiling and add luminance to some natural light tinted by stained-glass windows.

Old St. Vincent's Church, once considered by some as not worth saving, is more than a historical building and church.

It's a destination.

The Missouri Division of Tourism has listed Old St. Vincent's Church -- located at the corner of Main and William streets in Cape Girardeau -- as one of eight religious sites to consider visiting when traveling in Missouri.

"It certainly deserves to be," said Loretta Schneider, a Cape Girardeau resident who has been involved in the church's restoration since 1977. "When people visit, they just marvel."

Old St. Vincent's Church is open for Mass at 10 a.m. Sundays. Tours can be scheduled through the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Division of Tourism began promoting the state's spiritual destinations in December, and the press-release campaign will continue through January.

Representatives with the division say there has been an increase in tourism in the last year to landmark and historic churches, mosques, cathedrals and chapels.

A study released by the Travel Industry Associations of America says 43 million adult travelers of more than 100 miles, or 28 percent of all United States tourists, attended a regularly scheduled religious service during the past year.

"We think that's a significant market," said Tracey Berry, a spokesperson for the division.

It has taken 25 years for Old St. Vincent's Church to become a destination for that market.

It reached a critical point in 1976, when a new St. Vincent's Church was built on the west side of the city. Some didn't think the church, constructed in 1853, was worth saving.

But a group, which now consists of about 70 people, worked to save the building. Since 1977, volunteers have raised more than a million dollars to restore the inside and outside of the landmark, Schneider said. And that's not counting the $250,000 in donations that paid for a huge pipe organ which sits in the balcony and was installed early last year.

"Who can say what it's worth?" Schneider asked. "This place is priceless."

A book is being written about the history of the church. The church's origin dates back to 1825 when the Rev. John Timon was assigned to work in Perry and Cape Girardeau counties. Eight years later, Timon celebrated Mass in the first temporary church, which was a warehouse owned by Don Louis Lorimier, the city's founder.

In 1838, a church was built, but that building was destroyed by a tornado in 1850. Six months later, construction began on the building that still stands today.

Currently, aside from the Sunday-morning Masses, the building is used primarily as a concert hall because of its acoustic qualities, Schneider said.

Chuck Martin, the new director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, hopes that more people will be exposed to the church as time goes by.

"We're putting together a comprehensive package which includes the museum which will be built as part of the River Campus, the nature center that is going up at the Cape County Park," Martin said. "When you combine the new things with the existing infrastructure, you can really develop a package that will be marketable as a true destination stop.

"The church is just a wonderful facility and, with the things that are coming in, it's really exciting."

Martin said the fact that the state is also promoting the site can only help.

"The logical starting point for people planning vacations to places they've never been to is the state's tourism Web site," he said. "They will help us reach a list of people we could not reach."

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

WORSHIP AND TOURISM

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Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, Fulton: Built by Christopher Wren in 1677, the structure was moved to Fulton between 1966 and 1969. It is the only Wren-designed church outside of England and has stones dating back to the original structure in London.

Twin Spires, St. Joseph: The Immaculate Conception Church was built with Gothic Revival architecture by German immigrants in 1908. The building has 150-foot spires and stained-glass windows imported from Austria.

Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis: A bas-relief altar displays carvings depicting the birth of Christ, his presentation in the temple as an infant and his resurrection.

Shrine of St. Patrick, St. Patrick: Celtic-style shrine contains a large stained-glass rose window featuring St. Patrick surrounded by symbols of the four provinces of Ireland. Thirty-six stained-glass windows decorate the shrine.

Central Christian Center, Joplin: Constructed in 1930 as the Fox Theater, this Spanish Revival-style church features much of the original theater decorations, including the original draperies, molding, walnut armrests and aisle caps. The main entrance to the church spans the width of a city block.