A new bishop for a vast, historical diocese
Bishop-elect W. Shawn McKnight is set to become the leader of a relatively new diocese but one with Catholic roots stretching back to the early 1800s.
A textured mosaic
The longest-serving active parish in the diocese is St. Stephen in Indian Creek, established in 1833.
The newest, St. Andrew in Holts Summit, dates from 1974.
One of only two national shrines in Missouri, the National Shrine of Mary, Mother of the Church, is located on the grounds of St. Patrick parish in Laurie.
Other pilgrimage destinations include the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Starkenburg and the Shrine of St. Patrick in northeastern Missouri.
The University of Missouri’s flagship campus in Columbia is located in the diocese, as are Truman State University in Kirksville and the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. All three have thriving Catholic Newman centers.
The diocese is also home to several other institutes of higher learning, some with significant populations of Catholic students.
Tourist destinations Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake, Lake Pomme de Terre and Mark Twain Lake attract visitors from all over the country.
Also within diocesan jurisdiction are corrections facilities housing more than 13,000 members of the state’s prison population.
Changes and opportunities
Venerable Pope Pius XII (+1939-1958), the 259th successor to St. Peter, established the Diocese of Jefferson City on Nov. 29, 1956.
It is a suffragan, or subordinate, of the Metropolitan See of St. Louis.
The diocese comprises territory that was previously part of the St. Louis archdiocese and the former dioceses of Kansas City and St. Joseph.
A well-organized system of rural parishes, particularly in Cole, Osage, Adair, Ralls and Monroe counties, was the result of early and mid-19th- century Jesuit missionary activity and primarily German, Italian and Irish immigrations.
The local Church and the unique communities in which it finds manifestation continue to change.
Economic and demographic trends — including tectonic shifts in farming practices over the past 50 years — have led to the growth of some parishes and the diminishment of others.
Meanwhile, immigrants from Central and South America — many of them Catholic — are contributing to the growth and viability of parishes throughout the diocese.
Immigrants from other parts of the world — including Eastern Europe, Vietnam, the Philippines and several African nations — are also presenting energy and diversity.
The local Church of the 21st century presents new challenges for ministry and evangelization, specifically to young people, people who are vulnerable and marginalized, and those who don’t fit neatly into any simple classification.
Bishop-elect McKnight sees these developments as new opportunities for people of faith to encounter Christ in one another and in those around them.
“I am eternally grateful to God for my vocation as a priest, unworthy as I am, and the many rich and varied experiences I have had as a diocesan priest,” the bishop-elect stated during his first visit to Jefferson City.
“I also wish to express my gratitude to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who is giving me the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel in the central and northeastern counties of Missouri as bishop of Jefferson City,” he said.
“I pray that our local Church may fulfill the vision of Pope Francis for a missionary Church, reaching out to the margins with the beauty, truth and joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Diocese of Jefferson City at a glance
AREA
22,127 square miles
38 counties — northeastern and central MO
Mostly rural
Largest urban cities — Columbia, Jefferson City
POPULATION
Total population — 920,234
Catholic population — 81,958
EDUCATION/HEALTH CARE
37 Catholic elementary schools
3 Catholic high schools
2 Catholic hospitals
CLERGY/RELIGIOUS
60 active priests
19 retired diocesan priests
14 priests from other dioceses
6 religious priests
70 permanent deacons
1 De La Salle Christian Brother
35 religious sisters
