A Brief History of St. John the Evangelist Parish
Our roots as a Catholic community are an outgrowth of the efforts of early French Jesuit missionaries of the 1600's.
Fr. Jacques Marquette and Fr. Henri Nouvel are among those who traveled the Michigan wilderness in service to the Chippewas,
Iroquois, Ottawas and Huron Indians as well as early fur traders. Fr. Nouvel's personal journal indicates that he
celebrated the first Mass in the Saginaw Valley on the banks of the Saginaw River, December 3, 1675.
The areas
of Bay City, Essexville and Hampton Township began to grow and flourish in the 1850's with the purchase of land by Joseph
Hudson and John T. Essex family. The original settlers were primarily of French-Belgian and Dutch descent. There
was also sizeable German influence. Fishing and lumbering were the first occupations which eventually transitioned to
farming as the primary industry. Today, farming sugar beats, potatoes, corn and beans continues but, just as nationalities
and cultural representations expanded, so have the varieties of occupations. Still, some of our current parisioners
trace their ancestry back to those first settlers. Some of our oldest parisioners are lifelong members of 80 and 90
plus years.
Representing the Dutch people of the area, Gerardus Vennix made the request for a church to serve the Flemish-speaking Catholics
living in Essexville. At that time, residents of Essexville and Hampton Township traveled five to six miles,
often on foot, to attend Sunday Mass. The cornerstone for St. John the Evangelist Parish was laid by Bishop
Richter of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, on August 31, 1884 as a mission parish of St. James Church in Bay City.
Under the guidance of Fr. Thomas Rafter the two-story structure was built as a combination church and school on the
corner of Hudson and Pine Streets. The land was donated by Johanus Hagans. From 1884
to 1887, Fr. Byrne, assistant pastor at St. James, ministered to the community at St. John.
St. John the Evangelist became an independent parish with the assignment of Rev. Cornelius
J. Roche as pastor. His first task was to build a rectory which was complete in 1888. When
Fr. Roche lost his life on August 8, 1900, Fr. Kinney acted as interim pastor for 8 months. At the same
time, Bishop Richter asked the Norbertine Fathers from De Pere, Wisconsin to minister to the parishioners at St. John because
they could speak Flemish. Beginning with Fr. Peter Bresson, nine Norbertine Fathers served the parish as
pastors with the assistance of more than 30 associates over the course of 81 years.
The new church was built in 1892 to accommodate the growing parish community. The original church was then
dedicated solely to school work. In 1917, the church was struck by lightening in an electrical storm and
burned to the ground. A new church was erected on the same sight and dedicated in 1919. This
structure stood as a symbol of Catholic faith in the Essexville-Hampton community until 1988. Time had
taken its toll on the church building, and after much discussion and study, plans for a new church structure were undertaken.
Construction began in 1987 and the current church was dedicated in the Spring of 1988.
In 1889, Fr. Roche invited the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids to come to St. John to teach.
In addition to teaching at St. John School, the Dominical Sisters built Holy Rosary Academy on property donated by
Fr. Roche. It was opened as a girl’s boarding school on October 12, 1896. The
academy burned in 1904 as a result of arson. It was rebuilt in Bay City. The Dominican
Sisters stayed to teach at St. John School. They continued to serve our parish community in education,
and later in pastoral ministry through July, 2000.
Catholic
education has been a part of the character of this parish throughout its history. In 1925 a new elementary/high
school was built under the direction of Fr. VanRooy. In 1950, under the direction of Fr. Greven, a new
grade school was opened to house first through fourth grades. Today, that building is utilized as charter
alternative high school, Bay-Arenac Community High School. The 1925 structure continued to provide classrooms
for fifth through twelfth grades. In 1957, the current grade school on the corners of Hudson and Main Streets
was opened for fifth grade through high school. In 1965, the addition of a gym and cafeteria was completed.
In 1968, grades 11 and 12 were dropped and students attended either the new public high school or All Saints High School
in Bay City. The high school closed in 1970 and grades seven and eight were moved to the former high school.
Today, the school serves pre-school through fifth grade under the auspices of Bay Area Catholic Schools.
Parishioners maintain a strong sense of commitment to the school which holds the name St. John the Evangelist Elementary
School.
A convent was built for the Sisters serving
our parish in 1906 on the site where Holy Rosary Academy had once stood. An addition was constructed in
1941. The building still stands and is the current parish center. It accommodates 11
staff, including Fr. Pat, and one of three Atriums for the elementary faith formation program.
St. John Parish answered the call of the Second Vatican Council in the sixties which, inspired
by Pope John XXIII, called for a renewal in faith and understanding, a renewal of Liturgy, establishment of a Parish Council,
and the enablement of lay leadership. St. John the Evangelist Parish is a vibrant community of approximately
1500 families committed to faith to the service of God, one another and the community beyond.
