ST. MARY'S OF BARRENS MARKS 175 YEARS THIS MONTH

PERRYVILLE -- This week marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of the first college chartered west of the Mississippi.

St. Mary's of the Barrens in Perryville was founded in October 1818, the first seminary in the Louisiana Purchase.

The seminary continued to function until 1985, and today the historic facility is home to several ministries of the Congregation of the Mission, more commonly known as the Vincentians.

Brother Rick Zoellner is one of 35 people who live at the seminary. A student in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Zoellner returned a few years ago to watch over the school from which he garnered fond memories.

As he wanders through the tree-lined, rolling campus with its mixture of stately, French Colonial and Early American buildings, Zoellner recites some of the Barrens' rich past.

"The Congregation of the Mission was really a mission established in 1625 in France by Vincent de Paul to preach to the poor people," Zoellner said. "As pioneer Catholic families settled around what is now Perry County and what was at the time called the Barrens, they desperately sought a priest in the region."

The term the "Barrens" derived from the early settlers who arrived in the area from Barren County, Ky., seeking Spanish land grants.

The Barrens were distressed at the lack of a pastor in their new territory, and so they sent a letter to their former pastor in Kentucky, Father Badin.

"We are destitute of a priest and know not who to apply to, and humbly request you as a Father to represent our necessity to a proper Superior...," the letter said. "When we were about to remove to this country, we were induced to believe that we should be furnished with a spiritual physician, as well as, land for the support of our families..."

In December 1815 Bishop-elect Louis William DuBourg of New Orleans was hesitant to accept the burden of the large diocese that included the entire Louisiana Territory without additional help.

The Bishop selected St. Louis as the center for his missionary activities in upper Louisiana and the location of his seminary.

But the seminary was built in Perryville because of the offer of land and financial assistance from the Barrens settlers.

Zoellner said the Congregation of the Mission, or Vincentians, were simply fulfilling their mission by brining their European missionaries to the American wilderness.

Established in 1818, St. Mary's of the Barrens was the first college incorporated by the state of Missouri in 1823, and in 1831 was the first college authorized by the Missouri General Assembly to grant collegiate degrees.

Father Joseph Rosati and his missionary band arrived at the Barrens 175 years ago this month, beginning the work of the Vincentians in America.

Father John J. Bagen recorded the early history of St. Mary's Parish in his book, "St. Mary's of the Barrens Parish - The Early Days." He states:

"After the coming of the Vincentians in 1818, Catholicism at the Barrens presents a somewhat complex picture. Bishop DuBourg wished to establish a seminary in which clergy could be trained for his diocese; the Vincentians desired to found a center for their community life where they could engage in educational and missionary activities; and the people at the Barrens, in wishing to have a permanent pastor, served as catalyst to attain all these goals."

The seminary flourished and Vincentians from St. Mary's established many of the earliest parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Outside of Missouri, the seminary priests founded the famous LaSalle Mission in Illinois, St. John's University in Brooklyn, DePaul University in Chicago, and Niagara University in New York.

Today, there remains evidence on the sprawling campus of the seminary's agricultural past.

Where fruit trees are loosely scattered, once stood large orchards bounded by grapevines. The Vincentians also farmed the area land and raised chickens, pork and beef and even operated a dairy farm.

Today, the Vincentian brothers' farm apostolate, begun in the early 1800s, continues to provide financial support for St. Mary.

Other activities at the former seminary include:

The Catholic Home Study Service, co-sponsored by the Vincentians and the Missouri Knights of Columbus, which offers free correspondence courses on the Catholic faith.

The Vincentian Studies Institute, founded in 1979 and co-sponsored by the 10 provinces of the Vincentians and the Daughters of Charity in the United States, which offers continuing education opportunities on Vincentian topics.

The DeAndreis-Rosati Memorial Archives, which offers researchers a wealth of information on the life and times of pioneer America and the early American Church.

The Vincentian Health Care Center, which serves members of the Congregation of the Mission of the Midwest Province.

St. Mary Retreat Center, which annually hosts more than 4,000 people who are interested in exploring more deeply their relationship with God.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a center of prayer for the entire United States. Approximately 5,000 pilgrims and visitors come to the shrine each year.

The Association of the Miraculous Medal, one of the Vincentians' largest apostolates, situated on the western edge of St. Mary campus.

Visitors are welcome at St. Mary's of the Barrens, and the Shrine Church has daily Mass at 8 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. Sundays.