St. Mary Magdalen in Brentwood celebrates 100 years of 'witnessing Christ'

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There have been a lot of changes at St. Mary Magdalen Parish since it began 100 years ago in what would become Brentwood. But one thing has remained constant.

"It's 100 years of witnessing Christ," said pastor Father Jack Siefert. "That's the key to what we do."

Today St. Mary Magdalen is a busy, active parish with 900 households. Many of those parishioners are longtime, even lifelong members of the parish, including families with several generations of parishioners. The parish seems to inspire strong loyalty among its members.

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The beginning

When founding pastor Father Joseph C. Fehlig established the parish in 1912, the area was known as Maddenville. There were 45 families in the parish, including the Maddens. The first Mass of St. Mary Magdalen Parish was celebrated March 17, 1912, in a renovated building on the corner of North and South Road (Brentwood Boulevard) and Russell Avenue. A year later the church was moved to its second site, a former grain shed across the road. A few years later flooding prompted church relocation to the parish hall at Manchester and what would become Brentwood Boulevard, where the parish grounds are to this day.

"Our location is a gift of our parish to the Church, this prominent location," Father Siefert said. "Just being here on the corner of Brentwood and Manchester, visible, and with the bells ringing, what a great tool of evangelization. This is one of the best representations of the Catholic Church, here on this very busy intersection. It's busy 24-7 and we are here, and we are representing Christ."

In its early days, the parish continued to grow, with its first school built in 1922, staffed by three Dominican Sisters, serving 120 students in its first year. The second floor of the school, which was an auditorium used for many parish events, became the fourth home of the church in 1929 when the floor collapsed in the old parish hall serving as the church.

Father Fehlig led St. Mary Magdalen for many years, even though he suffered from crippling arthritis, and oversaw the parish's silver anniversary in 1937 when the parish had grown to 300 families, with more than 200 students in the school. A number of parish organizations were active, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society, formed in 1922 and "the oldest parish organization in terms of consecutive years of existence," according to the parish history. A convent was built in the late 1930s.

Parish memories

The Altar Society, founded in 1912, is another active group. Lifelong parishioner Mary Van Cleave, 85, was in the Altar Society for 46 years. "I think I've cleaned every spot in the church," she joked, then reminisced about her years at St. Mary Magdalen School. "I graduated from there in 1940. I had eight children who graduated from there, and a number of my grandchildren as well."

The "brief history" of the parish noted that Father Bernard Wegman, the second assistant pastor, was instrumental in opening the parish to black Catholics in the local community in the early 1930s. The first member of St. Mary Magdalen Parish to die serving his country in World War II was African-American parishioner Donald Munroe. The first vocation from St. Mary Magdalen was Father Wilfred Charleville, who celebrated his first Mass in June 1944.

Under the leadership of pastor Father Gerald McMahon, a new parish church was begun in the early 1940s, although work was interrupted because of World War II. The church, which serves the parish today, was dedicated by then-Archbishop Joseph Ritter on May 25,1947. A new rectory was also dedicated. The next year the second floor of the school was partitioned into classrooms. In 1951 a small chapel was added to the convent.

A new school was the goal of the third pastor, Msgr. Thomas F. Durkin, since enrollment had grown to 700 students. The parish responded with financial support and in January 1962 the new (and current) St. Mary Magdalen School opened its doors.

Bishop Casey

About that time a new assistant pastor, Father Morgan Casey, came to serve at St. Mary Magdalen. He remained a few years, leaving in 1965 to work in the archdiocesan Latin America Apostolate, serving in the missions in Bolivia. Today he is Bishop Morgan Casey, vicar apostolic of the Vicariate of the Pando, mission territory in northwestern Bolivia. But when Bishop Casey returns to St. Louis for a visit, he always heads to St. Mary Magdalen.

"When Bishop Casey comes, it's an event," said Father Siefert. "The church is packed. People here love him."

Dan Fitzgerald, assistant chief of police for the City of Brentwood and another lifelong St. Mary Magdalen parishioner, said, "Bishop Casey is amazing. When he was here, he was in charge of the CYC and did a really good job with the young people. Many of them are still at St. Mary Magdalen and whenever he comes back, he celebrates Sunday Mass and a lot of those same people make sure and come. And our parish supports his mission work in Bolivia and has since he went down there."

Progress continues

The next pastor was Msgr. James Finley, known as an astute administrator, who served from 1975-83. By then the parish reached more than 1,300 families. During Msgr. Finley's tenure the first permanent deacon for the parish was ordained, Deacon Lee Martin, who continues to serve St. Mary Magdalen.

The next pastor, Father John M. Kilcullen established CARE (Christian Action Really Evident), a parish organization to help parishioners and others in the community in need of assistance. Father Kilcullen also organized the Minutemen, an organization of parish volunteers who could do small repairs and maintenance on parish buildings, and re-established the Ladies Sodality.

Father Bernard J. Wilkins, pastor from 1994-2009 and now in residence at St. Gertrude Parish in Krakow, has been known to make DVDs. He made one about the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair in 2006 and donated sales proceeds to St. Mary Magdalen School. Father Wilkins also created a DVD telling the history of St. Mary Magdalen Parish. He updated it for the centennial and is donating it to the parish so all parishioners can receive a copy on Sunday, Feb. 5, when Archbishop Robert J. Carlson celebrates the centennial anniversary Mass.

From July 2009 to August 2010, the pastor was Msgr. C. Eugene Morris, a graduate of St. Mary Magdalen School. When he left to serve on the faculty of the Josephinum College in Columbus, Ohio, Father Siefert began his service as parish pastor.

Parishioners speak

St. Mary Magdalen continues to be active and thriving, and the parish and community remain strongly tied together, the pastor said. "St. Mary Magdalen is so much a part of Brentwood." He pointed out an upcoming event, the three-way Brentwood Charity Chili Contest on Friday afternoon, Jan. 20, when representatives of the Brentwood Fire Department, Police Department and St. Mary Magdalen will compete to see who makes the best chili, with all proceeds benefitting the parish school.

When Mary Van Cleave and her late husband sold their business, she said, "I didn't want to leave my parish and I didn't want to leave Brentwood. ... We just had our reunion for St. Mary Magdalen School, 71 years." Five people attended, she said, a testimony to the loyalty the parish inspires.

Fitzgerald, the assistant police chief, said, "One of the neat things about St. Mary Magdalen is the whole Brentwood community. Everybody knows each other. A lot of families have been here a long time. My parents still live here, my kids are going through the same school I did."

Centered on Jesus

To the pastor, the parish's strength is its focus on witnessing Jesus Christ. Under his leadership the parish started having noon weekday Mass and weekday morning adoration. People working in the surrounding community have responded well. On a recent first Friday, more than 50 people attended noon Mass and many had come early for adoration.

The school has adoration every first Friday, said principal Amy Sauer. "At school our students know 'we are friends of diversity, students of innovation and witnesses of the Risen Christ.' We have an active school, strong parish support and a strong emphasis on our Catholic identity."

Father Siefert said, "It is our strong witness of Christ that will lead to another successful 100 years."

Visit St. Mary Magdalen Parish: smmpf.org

Visit St. Mary Magdalen School:  stmmlab.com

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