ST JOHN – This year marks a beautiful milestone for our beloved Day Chapel at St. John the Evangelist – 100 years of prayer, sacraments and sacred memories. As part of our Oktoberfest weekend, we begin with what is most central to who we are as a Catholic community: the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
SJE warmly invites you to join us on Friday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m. for a special Centennial Mass celebrated by Father Sammie Maletta, accompanied by beautiful sacred music. This is more than just a moment to look back – it’s a time to give thanks, to remember, and to allow God to speak to our hearts in the very space where generations have encountered Him.
When you step into the Day Chapel, you can’t help but be struck by its quiet majesty. The windows, rather than traditional stained glass, are hand-painted works of art crafted in Germany – each one telling a story, each one a prayer in color and light. But what makes the chapel sacred isn’t just its beauty – it’s the presence of Christ, and the faith of those who have gathered here across the decades.
The roots of St. John the Evangelist go all the way back to 1839, when John Hack, a German immigrant, and ten other families built a humble log cabin for the celebration of Mass. Through time and trials – including disputes, reconstructions, and the faith-filled resilience of generations – a more permanent church structure took shape. A brick church built in 1851 stood tall until 1923, when it made way for a new church that would become our cherished Day Chapel.
The cornerstone was laid in 1923, and on Sept. 27, 1925, the chapel was dedicated by Bishop F. Noll. From that moment on, the chapel became the spiritual heart of the parish, with all Masses and confessions held there until 2008.
The sacred space is filled with quiet treasures:
– Four exquisite statues welcome you at the entrance: a child and his guardian angel, St.
Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Anne with the Blessed Virgin Mary as a child and St. Michael the Archangel.
– A glimpse inside the confessional reveals a stunning window of the Sacred Heart – aflame
with love, crowned with thorns, marked by the cross, and Christ’s wounds.
– Directly opposite, along the choir loft stairs, the Immaculate Heart glows with roses, fire, and the sorrowful sword.
– Above, in the loft, rests the organ – an instrument that has lifted voices and spirits for
decades.
Behind the altar, one of the chapel’s most striking stained-glass images captures the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Our Blessed Mother stands to the left, the priest elevates the
Eucharist, and an angel lifts a soul from purgatory into the light of Christ.
Encircling the chapel are the Stations of the Cross, guiding the faithful through Christ’s
Passion. And on either side of the church, the saints stand watch: men to the north, women to
the south, each one a companion on our journey of faith.
There is so much history. So much holiness. And so many hearts have found peace
here. So please come celebrate this sacred treasure with us.
Let us honor the past, rejoice in the present, and entrust our future to the One who
makes all things new. Let’s Be Disciples who Make Disciples.
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Centennial Mass of Thanksgiving – Friday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. St. John the Evangelist Day Chapel, at the southwest corner of US Highways 41 and 30, St. John.
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Lynda Hemmerling is the communications coordinator at St. John the Evangelist in St. John.
