In Perryville, Vincentians established hallmarks of educating clergy, serving the poor

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In Perryville, Vincentians established hallmarks of educating clergy, serving the poor

Nestled among the aging trees and the cornfields of Perry County stands St. Mary's of the Barrens Church in Perryville.

While visitors from all over come to this church to pray before the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, perhaps the real hidden jewel is the connection this place has to the early days of Vincentian influence in the region.

Since the Vincentians arrived in Perryville in 1818, among them the future Bishop Joseph Rosati, the community has carried out two important goals as set forth by its founder, St. Vincent de Paul — to educate men for the priesthood and to provide care for the poor.

Brother Rick Zoellner, a native of Perryville, counts himself among numerous religious vocation stories that have emerged from this area, thanks to the influence of the Vincentian family.

A 1967 graduate of St. Vincent High School, Brother Rick said it was the parish in which he grew up, and seeing the Vincentian seminarians, brothers and priests, that attracted him to a vocation as a religious brother. He entered the community following graduation and eventually took his vows as a brother in 1972.

"It was through my affiliation here and the church participation, which was the usual fashion of the time," that led him to seek out the Vincentians, he said. "We'd be serving at Mass, with the parish choir, serving at funerals or weddings." His twin brother, Randall, also entered the Vincentians, but ultimately decided on a vocation to the priesthood with the Benedictines.

As part of their charism of educating men for religious vocations, the Vincentians established St. Mary's Seminary in 1822. The community noted it holds the distinction of being the first Catholic seminary in the Louisiana Purchase. It eventually closed in 1985. Some of the buildings remain on the campus, including Rosati Hall, the oldest building at St. Mary's, which dates back to 1850.

At one point in time, the Vincentians likely educated about one-third of diocesan clergy in the United States, said Father James Garcia Ward, president of the Association of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville and a Vincentian priest for 33 years. The Vincentians also had another role in educating future clergy — at Kenrick Seminary (later Kenrick-Glennon), where they served as faculty and administrators from 1893-1995.

Father Ward began thinking about being a priest when he was 7 years old.

"I grew up in Chicago in the baby boom years, so there were many of us who thought about priesthood and religious life," he said. His parents' home was about five blocks away from DePaul University, a Vincentian institution. "I had heard they were priests who educate ... and I wanted to teach."

The Vincentians also have for centuries been in tune with those in need: the poor, the sick, the hungry. There were no boundaries. Any age, any race, any religious background.

Father Ward experienced that when he worked with more than 150,000 Hispanics in the Diocese of Little Rock, Ark., before coming to his assignment in Perryville. "We might have traveled 200-300 miles a weekend, celebrating Masses and being in different communities." He also worked as a nurse in a prison infirmary, where he offered "compassion and support to those who often may not see a lot of compassion and support."

"We continuously try to see the face of Christ in the poor and needy, the hungry."

Today, there are more than 160 Vincentian priests, brothers, permanent deacons and novices in the Western Province, which covers roughly the western half of the United States and is headquartered in St. Louis. The province also includes Kenya, which currently has more than 40 Vincentian seminarians, and Cuba.