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History

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON PARISH HISTORY

On June 5, 1981, Bishop Bernard F. Law established St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, selecting her as patroness with the hope of eventually establishing a Catholic school for the rapidly growing southern Springfield community. The parish initially consisted of 200 households from St. Agnes and Immaculate Conception parishes.

Early Years:
- Saturday evening Mass was celebrated in the Carmelite chapel of St. Anne.
- Sunday liturgies took place at Skateland on South Campbell Avenue.
- Daily Mass was celebrated in the rectory chapel on West Swan Avenue.

Multipurpose Building:
- In the fall of 1982, Fr. Michael McDevitt was appointed pastor.
- A multipurpose building was constructed and dedicated in December 1982, serving the parish for nine years.

New Church Dedication:
- A new church was completed and dedicated on December 1, 1991.
- Fr. Fergus Monaghan became the pastor in August 1993.

Expansion and Dedication:
- A significant expansion was dedicated on March 28, 2003, featuring additional worship space, classrooms, kitchen, dining room, offices, a prayer garden, and a labyrinth.

Growth and Achievements:
- The parish, initially small, grew into the largest in the diocese over 30 years.
- Under Msgr. Thomas E. Reidy's leadership (pastor since August 2004), SEAS Elementary School opened in 2005.
- In 2011/2012, additions were made to the school, PSR classrooms, Adult Ed Room, and O'Reilly Youth Center.
- In 2020, the chapel, roof, church maintenance/updates, and rectory renovation were completed.

Recent Leadership Transition:
- Msgr. Thomas E. Reidy served as pastor for 17 years, encouraging the growth of ministries and activities.
- In June 2021, Father Thomas P. Kiefer became the new pastor, and Msgr. Reidy became the full-time pastor of Immaculate Conception in Springfield.
- Father Kiefer previously served as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Springfield and is also the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

Tour & History of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish