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 A HISTORY OF

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST

CATHOLIC CHURCH

BY: BOB MINGS

 Bob Mings had been a member of our parish for many years and being a writer for the El Dorado Times we asked Bob if he would like to take on a special project. He dove into this project, learning and writing the history of St. John the Evangelist with lots of enthusiasm. Bob died on August 15, 2006, but not before he finished his writing of St. John’s history. We are pleased to have this document and would like to share it with you in the next several issues of The Evangelist. This is what we have included in The Evangelist so far.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church celebrated its 120th birthday in the summer of 2004.

 However, the faith has been practiced here since 1870, when a missionary celebrated Mass at a farm south of El Dorado. For 133 years the church has been a story of Catholic faith, love and charity, judging by the way parishioners have responded to every call they received when something needed doing—church, school, boys’ home, etc.

 The parish, a mission attached to Florence was established in 1884. It remained a Florence mission until 1886, and then it became a mission of Augusta. Finally, El Dorado Catholics got there own church in 1890 although it was just one room, it was still special. The first pastor was Rev. John Kennedy (1917). Three sources were used in compiling the history—The El Dorado Times, The Wichita Eagle and the Catholic Advance. Their stories on the events at St. John’s provided facts that would have been nearly impossible to get elsewhere.

 St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church has grown from a room in a private home and a school classroom to an El Dorado landmark.

 Formed in 1884, St. John’s has been at its location at Second and Denver since 1890. At that time it was located at Seventh and Farmer. The streets were renamed in the early 1920’s.

 The church’s history actually dates back to 1870 when Jesuit Missionary Father Paul Ponzigliona celebrated Mass at the J. Mannion home six miles from El Dorado.

 One day, Father Ponziglione recalled, he came upon a Catholic family seven miles to the east of the Mannion home. They had no shelter of any kind. “The poor man was broken down with sickness and discouragement”, the missionary said. So the next morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, Father Ponziglione celebrated Mass for them.

 The first pastor, Rev. N. Fowler, came here from Florence to conduct services, because as previously stated, the El Dorado church was a mission of Florence for two years.

 In 1886, when it was switched to an Augusta mission, the Rev. Thomas Butler was pastor and he served for the next five years. For some time services were conducted in the home of Mrs. Fred Meyer on South Washington. According to the late pastor, Rev. John F. Kraemer in a Times article April 29, 1955, he said her house was inhabited by Mrs. Elizabeth Ellis, and services also were conducted in a wing of the old stone Central School building.

 According to the Times, the first church was a converted three-room cottage. It was purchased in 1890 and at that time it was the smallest Catholic Church in the State. This was purchased for $300 and was 14’ by 24’ building with the kitchen measuring 10x10. When Joseph Ellis bought the building 25 years later for $100, it was moved to Riverside (here in El Dorado) where it later housed a grocery store.

Rev. James Hayes of Augusta began coming to El Dorado to celebrate Mass, according to the Times, usually on Saturdays. Rev. Hayes stayed here many years, the Times said, and was here when the new church was built in 1915.

Bishop John J. Hennessy became owner of the property on which the first St. John’s Church stood. It originally was lot 26 and conveyed by Deed Nov. 23, 1877 to Edward L. Lowe. He sold it for $100 to W.A. Sallee, who in turn deeded it for $50 on May 28, 1878 to William W. Kepner. Kitte Dick paid $50 for it October 3, 1883 and on June 10, 1884, Lizzie Robinson bought the lot. She sold it to Walter N. Carter Feb. 1, 1887. Carters heirs deeded it to L.M. Funk Feb. 28, 1889 for $475. Bishop Hennessy  willed the property to the Right Ref. J. Henry Tihen of Denver and to the Most Rev. John J. Glennon of St. Louis. These two deeded it to August G. Schwertner, who willed it to the Most Rev. Christian H. Winkleman. Now the property belongs to the Diocese of Wichita, KS.

In 1915, when the first church was dedicated, it drew people from Burns, Augusta, and all the territory around El Dorado. After the ceremony, the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Schmiehousen, Vicar General of the Wichita Diocese, delivered a sermon entitled “Ninety and Nine”. His thought was directed to the one who was not within the fold and appealed strongly to the large audience, according to the Catholic Advance, the Diocesan newspaper.

A special quartet comprised of Mrs. M.A. Flanagan, soprano, Mrs. Marie Keenan, alto, John McKenzie, tenor and J.M. Clearly, bass, provided the music. The Times said priests who served here beginning in 1884 were believed to be Fathers N. Fowler, Goolen, Schmandt, Leydecker, Hilderbrandt, Maloney and Kienhoefer. This first church building cost $6,000 to build and equip, and the Times reported it was fully paid for.

Father Hayes stayed until after the church was dedicated and then that summer Rev. J.A. Klug replaced him. Rev. J.L. Kennedy became pastor from October 1917, to March 31, 1919. In April of that year, according to the Times, Rev. T.J. O’Sullivan came here and stayed until July 1927, when Father Kraemer arrived.

In January 1918, the congregation purchased a home for the pastor. It was located across the street in the middle of the block. On a tract of 115 ft. long, it was a modern seven-room house owned by Dr. C.E. Boudreau. In 1922, the rectory was moved east of the church (across the street). A year later, 1923, a residence was bought for the teachers at the school, which was built under the direction of Father O’Sullivan. The school was a brick building with 10 large rooms, a large hall, four cloakrooms and several corridors. When classes began on September 10, 1922, it had 54 students. With instruction by The Sisters of St. Joseph, attendance had grown to 60 by the time the building was dedicated the next month. Sister M. Mechtildis was Superior.

The Right Rev. A.J. Schwertner, D.D., dedicated the school October 28, 1922. The dedication began with a procession down Denver Street a half-block to the block from the school. The building was blessed formally, followed by a sermon by Rev. F.J. Morrell that dwelt upon the necessity of an education that developed all individual’s faculties. He also went into the topic of facilities for those who wish to go to a Catholic School. “We pay our share of taxes so that such schools may be erected and we help support them”, he said. “Those are our share of the state and we discharge them fully. We have constitutional privilege to educate our own children, and when we provide the money we are strictly within that right in providing our own schools. We discharge our full duty and we stand on our right. They say it is undemocratic to educate children in separate schools from state schools. Then it is undemocratic to worship in different churches”. Father Morrell also stated “No one holds that”.

“After school Catholic children play with the neighboring school and mix with them. They have been going to their own schools ever since the beginning of this nation and democracy has never suffered. Catholics stand shoulder to shoulder with their non-catholic neighbors on the field of battle and in civic affairs...upon the objections that are being so forcibly put forward against the Catholic schools at this time.”

Bishop Schwertner's speech was in the same vain. After congratulating St. John's pastor and the people upon the success of their project, he stressed the fact that school meant the permanency of the parish. Then he discussed charges that were said to be frequently heard that Catholics are not local and they are opposed to public schools.

"The record made by Catholics in the late war (WWI) is a direct refutation of the charge of disloyalty" the Bishop said. "The Secretary of the Navy, who was in the Marines, stated recently that 65% of the great body of fighting men were Catholics. Statistics prove that 45% of the men in the Navy were Catholics and the statistics made for the National Catholic Welfare Council prove that the Wichita Diocese furnished more than its quota of service men. when we consider the total number of service men who went from the Diocese of Wichita and then the Catholic population, figures show that Catholics furnished 114%. All of the Dioceses of the country that have reported thus far have a record of having sent more men than the 100% of what could have been expected when population is considered", the Bishop said.

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