From The New Associate Pastor’s Desk,

Praised be Jesus Christ!
It is with great joy that I begin (began) my assignment here at St. Agnes on August 4th, the feast of St. John
Vianney, the patron of parish priests. I look forward to the many opportunities to meet all of the members of
the parish and to enter into the life of faith with all of you.
I first felt an attraction to the priesthood as a young child, and I was always interested in what the priest was
doing at Mass. I grew up in Immaculate Conception Parish in Jackson, MO. As I got older that attraction to
the Mass only grew stronger, and after high school I entered the seminary for the diocese. After a year and a
half I left the seminary and pursued a degree in Special Education at Southeast Missouri State University in
Cape Girardeau, MO where I was very involved in the Newman Center.
My love for the Church and my interest in the priesthood never fully waned. In my time at SEMO, I became
keenly aware of God’s mercy in a new way and felt called to share that mercy with others. I entered Kenrick
Seminary in St. Louis after graduating from SEMO and was ordained a priest on June 12th of this year, 2020.
I have enjoyed the last 6 weeks of priesthood; reconciling the faithful with God through the sacrament of
Reconciliation, celebrating Mass for the needs of the people, and witnessing the beautiful union of young
people in the sacrament of Matrimony. I look forward to continuing my ministry here at St. Agnes. If you
have any sacramental needs, I am here to be at your disposal, please contact me.
Email: akirchner@sta-cathedral.org or 831-3565 ext. 104
Please pray for me and know of my prayers for you! `Fr. Allen Kirchner
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge
of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.” (LK 1:76-77)
A special Thank you to Virginia Mayeux for agreeing to help us with altar linens!