History of Mary Queen Of Peace Parish

On September 25, 1921, Archbishop Glennon decreed that a new parish would be started in Glendale and it would be dedicated to Mary, Queen of Peace.  In 1922, having been refused a Parish by then Archbishop Glennon, the Reverend Michael Collins appealed to the Apostolic Delegate who sent him from a Parish in Jacksonville, Missouri (40 miles north of Columbia) to the then 10 year old community of Glendale. Fr. Collins purchased a 2 acre site on Beverly Avenue off Berry Road and built a 49 x 50 foot frame church. The original Parish consisted of 15 families.

In 1933 the little frame church was destroyed by a fire and Mass was held at the Methodist church at the corner of Lockwood and Berry Roads. Nearly two years later, a stone Gothic Church was built on the site of the wooden Church at a cost of $11,500. The Church still stands today on Beverly Avenue and is the St. John's Serbian Orthodox Church.

Father Collins died in 1939 and was replaced by Father Sylvester Tucker who in 1944 arranged with the Sisters of Loretto to open a kindergarten. The intent was to add a class each year until the School had classes through the eighth grade. The classrooms were to be in a three story red brick home at the corner of Lockwood and Berry which also served as the rectory.

One year later, Father Tucker became ill and was replaced by Father Joseph O'Toole, who would remain as pastor for the next 30 years. Fr. O'Toole's first priority was to move immediately to an eight grade school, and in 1947, 9 of the 13 rooms of the red brick house became classrooms for the school. First year enrollment was 100 students. Also that year, land was purchased on the current parish site and ground was broken for the existing school building next door. The school opened in 1948 and the church moved to the ground floor of the school.

With school enrollment increasing, the ground floor was needed for classrooms, so the next project was building the current church and rectory which was completed in 1955. Enrollment in the Parish School grew to 1100 in 1956 making Mary Queen of Peace the second largest elementary school in the Archdiocese. In 1963 the convent on the western part of the Parish grounds was constructed.

Though our Parish boundaries enclose an established neighborhood, with little if any opportunity for new residential construction, the Parish has increased its number of Parishioners in recent years. This may account for the fact that the Parish has had several years of near record numbers of infant baptisms, has had only slight declines in its enrollment in the full-time Parish School over the last fifteen years and has increased its participation in the part-time Parish School to over 100 students.

Pastors of Mary Queen Of Peace Parish

Reverend Michael D. Collins

1922 - 1939
Reverend Sylvester I. Tucker 1939 - 1946
Rev. Msgr. Joseph M. O'Toole 1946 - 1976
Rev. Msgr. Jasper J. Chiodini 1976 - 1985
Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Woracek 1985 - 1997
Rev. Gerald A. Meier 1997 - 2010
Rev. Robert J. Reiker 2010 - 2015
Rev. John R. Vien 2015 - 2021
Rev. Craig Holway  2021 - 

 


Associate Pastors

Most Reverend Marian F. Frost

1938 - 1942
Reverend Joseph O’Mara 1942 - 1944
Reverend Albert L. Stamm 1946 - 1950
Reverend Joseph B. Eilers 1950 - 1959
Reverend Thomas T. Cooper 1955 - 1961
Reverend Ambrose F. Stratma 1959 - 1963
Reverend John A. Ditenhafer 1963 - 1966
Reverend Gerald T. Simpson 1962 - 1972
Reverend Ronald J. Rubbelke 1966 - 1968
Reverend Carl J. Swaringim 1968 - 1969
Reverend Edmond J. Callahan 1969 - 1972
Reverend Andrew Sigmund 1969 - 1973
Reverend Hubert E. Creason 1972 - 1978
Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Jovanovic 1973 - 1975
Reverend Robert Suit 1975 - 1977
Reverend Timothy Vowels 1977 - 1981
Reverend Roger McDonough 1978 - 1981
Reverend LeRoy Valentine 1981 - 1982
Reverend Gary Vollmer 1981 - 1986
Rev. Msgr. John J. Leykam 1982 - 1991
Most Reverend Richard F. Stika 1986 - 1991
Reverend Paul J. Rothschild 1991 - 1995
Reverend John J. Borcic 1995 - 2002
Reverend Andrew O’Connor 2002 - 2005
Reverend John A. Brockland 2005 - 2007
Reverend Fred Meyer 2007 - 2009
Reverend Craig Holway 2010 - 2013
Reverend Aaron Nord 2013 - 2020
Reverend Tim Cook (Senior Associate) 2020-

Retired Priest In Service

Rev. Msgr. Richard J. Lubeley 1991 - 2011
Rev. Msgr. Robert Jovanovic 2016 - 2019

Permanant Deacons

Rev. Mr. Robert McKee 1987- 1993/ 1996 - 2004
Rev. Mr. Robert Riegel 1990 - 2005
Rev. Mr. William Weiss 1997 - 1999
Rev. Mr. Donald Stigall 2005 - 2011
Rev. Mr. Tom Mulvihill 2009 - 2015, 2018 -
Rev. Mr. Joe Wientge 2014 -