Church Council

Old St. Vincent Church Council
(Friends of Old St. Vincent Board)

The Old St. Vincent Church Council consists of elected members from the Old St. Vincent Faith Community. The Church Council was organized to assist the pastor with the ministries performed at Old St. Vincent Church. There are nine members on the council who will rotate off membership at 1, 2 & 3 year intervals. Listed below are the members with a brief biography and picture.

Father Allan Saunders

Father Allan is a native of Wisconsin and has been a priest of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau for over 30 years. He has been the pastor of Old St. Vincent Chapel and St. Mary Cathedral for three years. As pastor, Father coordinates the mission of Old St. Vincent’s as a religious, cultural center.
We participate in the apostolate of the church to evangelize (tell the Good News of Jesus) through the religious services at the chapel and the artistic beauty of the building which helps all who enter experience the beauty and majesty of the God we worship

Charles (Chuck) Ross – Council Vice President

Chuck and his wife, Nancy, have one daughter, one grandchild and two great-grandchildren. He is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. He is very active at Old St. Vincent Church serving on the Council previously and presiding as President of the Council for 5 years. Currently he is serving as the Council Vice President, a position he has held for eight years. He is a Sacristan, Lector, Eucharistic Minister and Co-Chair of the church Decorating Committee, Usher and Greeter.

Michael (Mike) Seyer

Mike is a retired businessman and a lifetime resident of Cape Girardeau and a lifetime member of St. Mary Cathedral and Old St. Vincent Church. He is married to Brenda Seyer and they have three children: Nathan, Myra, and Jonathan, and six grandchildren. He is a past member of St. Mary Parish Council, St. Mary School Board, Notre Dame School Board and member of several fund-raising committees. He is currently on the Building and Grounds Committee at Old St. Vincent Church.

Ronald (Ron) Kirby

Ron has been a member of Old St. Vincent Church since the late 1980s. He is married to Priscilla and they have 2 children and 11 grandchildren.  He has served Old St. Vincent’s and the Friends of Old St. Vincent’s in various capacities over the years.  Currently, he serves as a Lector and Extraordinary Minister, serves as a Tour Guide, and helps secure displays and permanent items for our museum.  He is a retired Professor and Chair of Physical Education at SEMO.

Carolyn (McCrate) Hajduk – Council Secretary

Carolyn is a Cape Girardeau native and 3rd generation family member of Old St. Vincent Church. She received the sacraments of Baptism through Confirmation at Old St. Vincent Church and sang in the grade school choir there. After graduating from Notre Dame High School (‘67), she attended the University of Kansas, receiving a Pharmacy degree and she is currently on staff at St. Francis Medical Center as a registered Pharmacist. Carolyn, with her late husband, David, returned to Cape after living 28 years in Houston, Texas. They were active members of St. Michael Parish. She is currently involved in giving tours of our beautiful church.

Helen Porter – Council President

Helen has been a member of Old St. Vincent Church since 1992.  She has two sons. Her son Robert and wife Tammy live in Palm Desert, California.  Her son Ken lives on the farm in southern Illinois. Helen’s sons and two grandchildren attended St. Mary’s Cathedral Grade School and Notre Dame High School.  Helen is a retired Orthopedic nurse. She enjoys attending Mass in such a beautiful English Gothic Catholic Church.  She is an active member as a Greeter and Rosary Coordinator in May and October.



		

Carole Calvin

Carole and husband, Leon, have been members of Old St. Vincent’s for over 10 years, however, they have attended OSV since their boys were young. They have 2 sons:  Craig and granddaughter, Cassie, age 9, who live in Perryville, MO.  Mike and his wife, Marjorie, with granddaughter, Ashley, age 20 and grandson Brett age 18 live in Clinton Corners, NY.  Carole retired after 30 years from St. Francis Medical Center where she worked in the Microbiology Dept. of the Laboratory.  She has been an active member of Beta Sigma Phi (an International women’s social, cultural and service organization) for 48 years.  She was also actively involved in the organization and planning of 4 state conventions with this same organization. She is currently on the Bereavement and Wedding Committees which have allowed her an opportunity to get to know many of the members of OSV.

David Kieffer

David and his wife, Cathy, have been attending Old St. Vincent since 2003. They have two children and 8 grandchildren. David graduated from Notre Dame High School and Southeast Missouri State University. He and his wife live on a farm near Kelso, Missouri. He is a real estate broker and has been for 26 years. He has served previously on parish council and is an Usher, Eucharistic Minister and Sacristan.