Churches of every religion have dotted landscape

Cape Girardeau's religious history is as rich as the soil in the farmlands of Southeast Missouri. From Catholic priests coming to the region for missionary work to Protestant congregations moving away from downtown meeting places as the city's boundaries expanded, to the addition of a Jewish synagogue and Islamic worship center, Cape Girardeau has been blessed with a thriving religious community.

There are more than 70 churches and worship centers in the community, with many of the largest churches congregated on the city's north side. As the nation becomes more diverse, the religious landscape here does as well. Dozens of denominations and faith groups are represented in the community.

Although the city has a downtown Jewish synagogue dedicated in 1938, no services are held there today. The building is now privately owned. A Jewish awareness group had been meeting for about a year in borrowed space from Christ Episcopal Church, but the group has since disbanded.

The Muslim community in Cape Girardeau is growing. An Islamic Center opened on West End Boulevard in 1999. The center hosted an open house for the community in 2002 so that people could come to learn more about the Islamic faith and its adherents' beliefs. The open house was in part an effort to educate the community about Islam and Muslims following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

While there is much diversity in Cape Girardeau today, the city's modern religious movement began when three Catholic priests ventured down the Mississippi River from Quebec, Canada, in 1699 to do missionary work among the American Indians.

The priests are credited with bringing the Christian faith into the area. Historical accounts say they landed near the mouth of what is now Cape LaCroix Creek.

Catholicism was the only religion in the Louisiana Territory for the next 100 years. That meant the Catholic Church was strong in Cape Girardeau and in Missouri. However, by the time Don Louis Lorimier was granted land to settle Cape Girardeau, neither he nor the Spanish governors at New Orleans paid attention to the royal decree banning Protestants from coming into the territory.

Cape Girardeau's first organized church was a Catholic church. In 1833, Vincentian fathers established a mission in the region. Later, St. Vincent's Seminary was built on the site along Morgan Oak Street. Today, the grounds are owned by Southeast Missouri State University and are to become a visual and performing arts campus.

The mission became a full-fledged congregation by 1836 with 87 members. The parish grew and a building was constructed on South Main Street. The first building was dedicated in July 1839. An 1850 tornado struck the town and damaged the building, forcing the parish to rebuild. A new church was constructed on the same site and dedicated in 1852. It still stands today as a "chapel of ease."

The first Protestant church in the city was built in 1839, a plain brick building that housed First Baptist Church. The church was on the west side of Lorimier Street, just down from Courthouse Park. The foundation and stone stairs are still visible today.

The church replaced its first building in 1890 by moving to Broadway and Spanish streets. In 1927, the church sold its building and moved farther up the street to 926 Broadway. The church sold its campus in 2000 to Southeast Missouri State University, which plans to use the building for an alumni center.

Black slaves once owned by members of the church began their own congregation as Second Baptist Church. The congregation met for years in a building at Frederick and Hickory streets but recently built a new church on Beaudean Lane. The 134-year-old congregation is one of the oldest black churches in the area.

St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest black congregation in the city. The church was organized in 1867 and 1868. The first worship services were held on North Street. A building was erected in 1875.

The first Methodist Church organized in the region was McKendree Chapel, now at the edge of Jackson and known as Old McKendree Chapel. While the building isn't in continuous use, it is the site of several worship services throughout the year.

Much as First Baptist was integral in forming other congregations, the members at Hanover Lutheran Church recognize their place in the region's religious history. The congregation is considered the "mother" of all Missouri Synod-Lutheran churches in Cape Girardeau, including churches in Egypt Mills, Jackson, Scott City, Tilsit and Gordonville.

The first Hanover Lutheran Church was built in 1854 and was used until a newer building was dedicated in 1887. The current church building was erected in 1969. The old church is still used for German-speaking services held during the holidays.

First Presbyterian Church came to Cape Girardeau in 1835 and was reorganized in 1850 after a period of inactivity. The first church was a two-story brick structure built at Broadway and Lorimier Street. The church still stands today in that same location, though new buildings have been erected.