Cathedral parishioner becomes Missouri’s 58th governor
Mass offered for Gov. Mike Kehoe the day before his inauguration
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It was a time to celebrate, to pray and to hope.
Hundreds of friends, family members, colleagues and supporters of newly elected Gov. Mike Kehoe joined him and Bishop W. Shawn McKnight at Mass in the Cathedral of St. Joseph the afternoon before Inauguration Day.
Gov. Kehoe, a St. Louis native, is a lifelong Catholic and a member of Cathedral of St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson City.
“We have a very long tradition as Catholics to pray for those who hold offices of trust and responsibility for the well-being of the state,” Bishop McKnight noted. “Because our new governor shares our Catholic faith, we are able to join in prayer together here at Mass for him.”
Midday sunlight gave fiery brilliance to the Cathedral’s recently installed stained-glass window depicting Moses receiving the Ten Commandments.
The same stone tablets in that image are represented in the allegorical frieze above the columns of the Missouri State Capitol, below which Gov. Kehoe took his oath of office at noon the following day.
There, Bishop McKnight invoked God as the Lord of History, thanking him for a glorious day of celebration for the state.
“We plead for your sacred assistance, O God of Peace and Justice,” the bishop prayed in the Inauguration Day Invocation, “so that they may serve faithfully the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Missouri, which bind us all together.
“May their service to the people of Missouri protect our civil freedoms; guide and foster our unity in times of uncertainty; nurture social concord, justice and peace; and lead us all into prosperity,” he prayed.
On Jordan’s bank
Several hundred people attended the Jan. 12 Mass for the governor in Jefferson City.
Christmas hymns and decorations adorned the Cathedral on the last day of the Christmas season, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
Joining Bishop McKnight at the altar were Father Stephen Jones, rector of the Cathedral and pastor of the Cathedral parish, and Monsignor Robert A. Kurwicki, pastor of nearby St. Peter Parish, vicar general of the diocese and chaplain of the Missouri House of Representatives, who preached the homily.
“Each and every one of us comes here today because of our love and care and desire that this man, chosen from among the people of the state to be our executive leader, will govern successfully,” said Msgr. Kurwicki.
He noted that the life of anyone in leadership is difficult, hence, the need for prayers.
“As we stand on the threshold of a new executive administration in our state, we celebrate all that’s been accomplished, we pray for Mike, and we have hope,” the priest said.
He said it’s appropriate for Catholics of central Missouri to pray and celebrate with the new governor.
“We are the people who know you, love you and care for you the most over the longest period of time,” Msgr. Kurwicki told Gov. Kehoe.
“We gather to pray for you because the office you are going to enter is one that is in need of prayer,” he said.
The priest advised the governor to stay close to his family, which will always be his greatest achievement and will help keep him grounded.
He predicted that Gov. Kehoe will succeed in his search for what is right and true because of the excellent example of his mother.
“She sees you from heaven and she blesses you and she’s proud of you,” the priest proclaimed. “She wants nothing but the best for you, which is the same emotion each and every one of us has today, as well.”
That is also is true for his spiritual mother, Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Heart, he said.
Msgr. Kurwicki also noted that at that Mass, Gov. Kehoe would receive the Body of Christ in Holy Communion, “which will give you strength to not only rise to the occasion when necessary, but also when days are not so pleasant.”
“Important step’
Gov. Kehoe’s brother, John Kehoe, and First Lady Claudia Kehoe’s sister, Sarah Umlauf, proclaimed the readings at the Mass.
Their sons, daughters and son-in-law proclaimed the General Intercessions.
Gloria Schmitz of Westphalia, and Carleen Dickneite and Annette Poettgen of Freeburg led the singing, accompanied by pianist Scott Sellner.
Deacons Dana Joyce and John Schwartze assisted at the altar.
Gov. and Mrs. Kehoe presented the bread and wine for the Mass to Bishop McKnight at the Offertory.
In informal remarks at a reception after the Mass, Gov. Kehoe said being elected to the state’s highest office is a humbling experience for him and his family.
“But, we’re excited to lead,” he said.
He thanked Bishop McKnight, the priests, and everyone who had a hand in organizing the Mass and the reception.
“This is a really important step for our family to start off in church,” he said.
He asked for everyone to keep praying for him.
“This is a really challenging time,” he said. “If you run a family, if you run a business, if you run a farm or you run the State of Missouri, you always need prayers and people on your side who are really going to help you.”
Work and pray
Bright sun and frigid temperatures greeted the assembled spectators on the South Lawn of the State Capitol Jan. 13 for the inauguration of Gov. Kehoe, Lt. Gov. Dave Wasinger, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, State Treasurer Vivek Malek and Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
Gov. Kehoe had his late mother’s rosary with him and placed his hand on her Bible while taking his oath of office.
“I learned a lot about life, faith and relationships from her,” he said in his Inaugural Address. “Every time we kids complained about something we didn’t have, she had a simple answer: ‘Pray harder, work harder.’
“Mom was right,” he said. “If you work hard and you love the Lord, you can get anywhere you want to go in this state and this country.”
Bishop McKnight, in his invocation, petitioned the Supreme Ruler of the Universe to support the state’s officers in fulfilling the awesome trust of the people.
“Through their stewardship of our resources, may they ensure opportunities for education, jobs, commerce, health and well-being of our citizens,” the bishop prayed, his words condensing in the frigid air. “May they preserve and defend the physical and moral integrity of our beloved state, founded with trust in you.”
The bishop’s prayers echoed off historical St. Peter Church, surrounding state government buildings and the century-old, Corinthian-column-clad Capitol.
Hints of the previous week’s snowfall highlighted northern rooftops.
Flags and bunting swayed in nippy bursts while the dormant trees rested.
The sky was impeccably blue.
The bishop asked God to make himself present to the state’s leaders, “especially in the lonely moments of fateful decisions which may be theirs to make for us and our world.”
Using the words God instructed Aaron and his sons of the priestly order to use in blessing the Israelites in the time of Moses (Numbers 6:24-26), the bishop prayed:
“The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”
Deep roots
Outdoor inauguration ceremonies, depending on the weather, have been a Missouri tradition since the current Capitol was under construction over 100 years ago.
Another time-honored custom involves waiting until the Angelus bell in nearby St. Peter Church strikes at noon for the governor to take his oath of office.
Gov. Kehoe is the second Catholic to serve as governor of Missouri and the first since the late Gov. Joseph Teasdale served from 1977-81.
Gov. and Mrs. Kehoe have called Missouri home for more than 30 years.
Gov. Kehoe once said that being Catholic is “the core of who I am.”
The youngest of six siblings, he grew up four doors from what was then Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the Baden neighborhood of North St. Louis.
His father left his mother when young Mike was a year old, leaving his mother to raise the children by herself.
Gov. Kehoe was taught by Sisters of Loreto at the parish school and brothers and priests of the Society of Mary at Chaminade College Prep near St. Louis.
Gov. Kehoe’s mother, Loraine, went to daily Mass. The family was active in parish activities.
Gov. Kehoe’s sister, Carol, died young of leukemia.
The governor and Mrs. Kehoe got married in 1989.
An early and important friend and mentor gave Gov. Kehoe some important advice before dying: “Don’t forget your roots.”
“I will always remember where I came from,” the governor stated in his inaugural address.
“Lots of help”
Gov. Kehoe and his family have taken up residence in the historical Governor’s Mansion, where once stood Jefferson City’s first Capitol building.
Lawmakers in the 1840s narrowly voted against selling the former Capitol, which Irish Catholics had helped build, to the St. Louis archdiocese for use as a church after the second Capitol was completed.
Nearby stands the Upschulte House, in which Jesuit Father Felix Verreydt reportedly offered Jefferson City’s first Mass in 1831.
While Gov. Kehoe was serving as a state senator in 2010, his mother gave him for Christmas a plaque containing an image of the Blessed Mother under her title Our Lady of Perpetual Help, holding the infant Jesus.
The inscription reads: “To my son, the senator, with love and prayers from Mom, with lots of help from Mary.”
“It will be on my governor’s desk,” Gov. Kehoe told his friends at the reception. “So, she’ll be with us.”
