***to learn more about Catholic sites within the city of St. Louis, click here***
As fascinating as St. Louis is, there are some wonderful family-friendly day trips that will bring alive a slice of middle America and further connect us with our Catholic heritage.
Venerable Augustus Tolton (Hannibal, MO and Quincy, Il)
While everyone knows the fictional character of Tom Sawyer, as imagined by Mark Twain, fewer may know the real life story of a courageous Catholic hero who lived on the other side of the Mississippi in Quincy (Illinois), the Venerable Augustus Tolton. About two hours north of St. Louis on the Mississippi are two towns that bring these stories to life: Hannibal, Missouri and Quincy, Illinois.
The hometown of Mark Twain, Hannibal brings alive the rich imagination of this famed American writer. Walking its streets and touring the Mark Twain attractions, brings alive many of the scenes from his most popular work, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. You can go to the Mark Twain Cave, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum (complete with the white picket fence made famous in the novel), check out the town’s newest attraction – Karlock’s Kars & Pop Culture – the and even take a dinner river cruise along the Mississippi.
Just across the Mississippi is the town of Quincy, Illinois, which is the hometown of a Catholic hero and runaway slave that could have easily been a character in one of Mark Twain’s novels, the Venerable Augustus Tolton. Father Tolton, born into slavery, escaped with his mother to freedom in Quincy. He then began an unpredictable journey to become the first Black American to be ordained a priest. At a young age, he fell under the tutelage of Quincy’s Irish pastor, Fr. McGirr, who helped form him in his studies and brought other local priests together to support his formation. Despite this local support, Augustus was rejected from every seminary he applied to in America. He ultimately had to go to Rome to complete his studies and was ordained in the Pope’s cathedral, St. John the Lateran, before returning to America.
The Quincy Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has a well developed five stop itinerary through downtown Quincy that takes you past the historic sites linked to Fr. Tolton, including St. Boniface church where he celebrated his first solemn mass (and which was his first parish as a child in Quincy), St. Peter’s Church, where he was a parishioner under the care of Fr. McGirr and later returned as a parish priest, and St. Peter’s Cemetery, where he is now buried. Fr. Tolton was declared venerable by Pope Francis in 2019 and his cause for canonization continues to this day.
While the opportunity to make a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Fr. Tolton is the main draw for visitors to Quincy, the city is rich in history with a number of sites connected to the Underground Railroad and as a venue of one of the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates of the 1850s. This short guide from SeeQuincy nicely ties the strands together.
Before leaving town, take time to stop at the Church of St. Francis Solanus. The nave is lined with statues of Franciscan saints; relics are displayed of three great Franciscan saints – Francis Solanus, Francis Assisi and Francis Xavier – available for veneration.
Springfield, Illinois
About 90 minutes from St. Louis is the state capital of Illinois and the city in America most closely associated with Abraham Lincoln, Springfield. Several days can be filled in the city, exploring the impressive Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the home in which Lincoln lived for nearly seventeen years, the old state capitol and Oak Ridge Cemetery, where his massive tomb is located.
In the heart of the capital city is a most unique cathedral, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Built in the American federal or Greek Revival style, it is lined with Greek columns and could appear more like a turn of the century bank or post office than a church. However, inside it is adorned with gorgeous religious artwork and an ornate ceiling designed to replicate that of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. The sanctuary is dominated by a stunning painting of Our Lady Immaculate, framed by the words MACVLA NON EST IN TE (“there is not a spot in thee”).
The stained glass windows are also unique in telling the American story, including a window featuring George Washington conferring with Bishop Carrol, another window featuring Abraham Lincoln commissioning Archbishop Hughes of New York to embark on a mission to the French Emperor; and a third depicting the 1926 Eucharistic Congress in Chicago.
Springfield is as good a place as any to reflect on how the Catholic Church in America was divided, fighting on both sides of the Civil War. In the middle were countless religious sisters who provided desperately needed medical care to the wounded among both the Confederate and Union troops. At that time, neither army had the large professionalized medical corps that exist today and these nuns volunteering their support to care for the wounded made a world of difference on the battlefield. President Lincoln held these “nuns of the battlefield” in very high esteem, publicly remarking on how the powerful witness of mercy they exhibited. When the tomb and monument of President Lincoln were unveiled at Oak Ridge Cemetery, at a ceremony led by President Ulysses S. Grant, nuns from the Dominican Sisters of Springfield were selected to publicly unveil the statue; a fitting tribute to their role in the Civil War (learn more about this story here).
Perryville, Missouri – National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Perryville is a small town about 80 miles from St. Louis along the Mississippi River. It was originally settled by Catholic migrants from Maryland and out of desperation for getting their own parish priest, they offered 600 acres of land for the construction of a seminary in their town. This seminary, established by the Vincentians in 1818 to train priests in the mission territory of America, became the first Catholic seminary west of the Mississippi. This is really ground zero for the priestly order founded by St. Vincent de Paul – the Vincentians – in America. From here, they spread across the U.S.
The Shrine of our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which was built in 1929, is located within the Church of St. Mary’s of the Barrens on the beautiful campus of the Vincentian seminary. The grounds includes a brand new rosary walk, a grotto of our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, maple tree lined paths, and even a log cabin that belonged to the first bishop of St. Louis, Bishop Rosati.
The artwork, statues and side altars that fill the shrine provide a great laboratory for teaching young children the lives of the great French and Vincentian saints and the virtue of charity they modeled, whether it is St. Vincent de Paul ministering to the enslaved to Blessed Frederic Oznam’s outreach to the homeless of Paris.
The most significant chapel is that dedicated to the miracle of the Miraculous Medal and its adjoining votive light room, where there are tens of thousands of votive candles lit and burning for prayer intentions submitted from across the U.S. The apparition of Our Blessed Mother to St. Catherine Laboure, which sparked the miraculous medal devotion, occurred in the Vincentian church in Paris, and it is likely that word of the apparition spread quickly among the early Vincentians in America and gave them additional fortitude in their labors.
Buried at the shrine is the Venerable Fr. Felix deAndreis. He was the first to bring the Vincentians to America, traveling with his community from Italy in 1816 and eventually settling in St. Louis in 1818 and led the Vincentians during their formative years in St. Louis. He was likely the animating force behind the missionary activities of the Vincentians who came to the Mississippi River Valley to minister to the natives, the European adventurers, the Catholic farmers, and the unchurched pioneers. This mission was personally approved by Pope Pius VII in 1815. Prophetically, in his spiritual writings of early 19th century, Felix was already warning that the most formidable enemy we face is that of indifferentism.
For a different experience before leaving Perryville, you could also pay a quick visit to the impressive collection at the American Tractor Museum.
Journey to the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs – Springfield, Branson, and Eureka Springs
About five hours from St. Louis is the Ozark Mountains town of Eureka Springs in Arkansas, where a massive outdoor Passion Play is staged three times a week over the summer months, faithfully bringing to life the pinnacle of the Gospels.
While it is a relatively long drive from St. Louis, it is worth it, with several fascinating stops along the way.
First, take time out to explore the “Queen City of the Ozarks” – Springfield (MS) – where you can visit the History Museum on the Square which traces the region’s pioneer and Indian heritage, as well as the history of Route 66 in the city where it began; visit the first Bass Pro Shop in the US and its huge outdoor themed experience; and explore the Discovery Center for children and the Fantastic Caverns. At “America’s drive thru cave,” families can ride a Jeep-pulled tram along an ancient underwater river bed to explore the immense caverns.
Branson is well known for its unique museums, theme parks and live dinner shows, and provides a more family-friendly alternative to a Las Vegas vacation.Some of Branson’s most popular attractions include the 1880’s themed amusement park – Silver Dollar City; Bigfoot Fun Park; Titanic Museum; and the city’s aquarium.
The ultimate destination for this road trip, however, lies across the state line in northern Arkansas, in the mountainside town of Eureka Springs. Within the main stretch of town is the only Catholic Church in America to have an entry in the Guiness Book of World Records: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church. This oasis of a church is noted around the world for the fact that visitors must enter the church through its bell tower.
Just outside of Eureka Springs is the Christ of the Ozarks monument and the Great Passion Play park. The Passion Play is staged outdoors on a 550 foot wide multi-level outdoor stage that faithfully re-creates the world-famous Oberammergau Passion Play that is staged in Germany every ten years. The Eureka Springs production starts with the resurrection of Lazarus and follows the Passion Narrative, ending with Christ’s Ascension into Heaven. The show is staged three times per week from July to October in a large outdoor amphitheater on the park grounds. Other attractions within the park include a two hour interactive Biblical tour of the Holy Land (as re-created at the park), various outdoor trails, a Bible Museum and a Sacred Art Museum. Although the park is not operated by Catholics, the Play itself mirrors the Catholic production staged in Germany and nonetheless dramatically brings the story of the Passion to life.
CATHOLIC CONCIERGE 
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