St. Thomas, Kansas City, Kansas

St. Thomas Parish, at Shawnee & Pyle in the predominently Hispanic Argentine neighborhood, is no more. This church isn't located in the heart of old Kansas City, Kansas; instead, it's down in the Kaw (Kansas) River bottom quite a distance south of the neighborhoods built by the various Central and Eastern European immigrants we're about to tour.

As you can see, the church's cornerstone was laid in 1917. Being without any history as of yet (I've got a few leads on it), I'm not sure when St. Thomas was surpressed, and I couldn't get inside, but judging from the signs for the "Cross-Lines" community service center and the fact that the stained glass has been removed throughout the building, it is apparent that the church interior has been stripped.

As I said as I was touring two closed churches in Missouri, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Holy Trinity, that are in neighborhoods populated predominantly by Mexican immigrants and their descendants, I'm amazed that a Catholic parish can't make it there.

Admittedly, the part of the Argentine area in which St. Thomas is tough--mostly industrial facilities in the Kaw (Kansas) River bottom, with the sense that the area has depopulated over the years, and I don't know how close the nearby churches are. When I do get ahold of a history, I'll share more information.





UPDATE JANUARY 25:
I found more information on the web about the founding of St. Thomas. This is taken from the History of Wyandotte County Kansas and its People ed. and comp. by Perl W. Morgan. Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1911. 2 v. front., illus., plates, ports., fold. map. 28 cm. [Vol. 2 contains biographical data. Paged continuously.]

ST. THOMAS' CHURCH.
The largest parish school in Kansas is that of the St. Thomas parish in Kansas City, Kansas, at No. 626 Pyle street. With one of the very best of school buildings under the direction of the Rev. A. W. Jennings, with nine Sisters of St. Joseph as teachers, the school now has an enrollment of more than five hundred pupils, teaching complete grammar and commercial courses.
The organization of the St. Thomas parish was effected in 1881. The Right Reverend Thomas C. Moore, who was administrator of the diocese of Leavenworth after the death of Bishop Pink, but at that time director from Covington, Kentucky. was the first rector. A two story building which he erected was used for church and school purposes. There were but sixteen Catholic families in the parish at that time.
Father Moore was succeeded by the Rev. John Lee, who was rector until 1895, when he was succeeded by the Very Rev. John Ward of the cathedral at Leavenworth, who is now bishop of the diocese. Under Father Lee the church grew and flourished, and it was during his pastorate that the Sisters of St. Joseph were introduced as teachers in the parish school. Father Lee built the convent for the use of the sisters, the priests' house and the basement for a fine church, which later was roofed over and used for church purposes until the flood of 1903, which carried away the roof. Church services have since been held in the auditorium of the parish school building.
The Rev. A. W. Jennings took charge of St. Thomas' parish in 1900 and is the present rector. In 1902 he began the erection of the present fine school building, which cost about $25,000 and is both model and modern in every way. It was first occupied in January, 1903. During the spring of that year came the great flood, completely covering the basement chapel and rising to the second floor of the residence, school and convent. But Father Jennings was not discouraged. He bravely stayed at his post, and already the parish has recovered from the catastrophe. The school is larger than ever, and about two hundred and seventy-five families are again numbered in the membership of the parish