St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) facts for kids
St. John the Evangelist Church is a special church community in Center City, Philadelphia. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Church and is part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This beautiful church was finished in 1832. It is built in the Gothic Revival style, which looks like old castles and cathedrals. You can find it on 13th Street, close to Market Street and Philadelphia City Hall.
For many years, from 1838 to 1864, St. John's was the main church, or cathedral, for the entire diocese. Since 1991, a group of Franciscan priests called the Capuchins have been in charge. Before that, regular priests from the diocese served the church. The current leader of the church is Father Thomas Betz.
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Church Activities and Services
St. John's is a very busy church in Philadelphia. Many people come here for services. On Sundays, there are Masses at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. There is also a Mass on Saturday evening at 5:15 p.m. These services happen in the main part of the church, called the upper church.
During the week, there are three Masses each day in the lower church. These are at 7:45 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 5:15 p.m. Many people who work or shop in downtown Philadelphia attend these services. Long ago, there was even a special "Printers' Mass" at 2:45 a.m. on Sundays. This was for people who worked at night in nearby newspaper printing plants.
St. John's is also one of the few churches in the area that offers confession on many days. You can usually go for confession from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday. Even though not many families live right next to the church (only 821 homes are registered), it serves a huge number of people who work in the city. You can find the weekly church bulletin online to see all the schedules and events.
History of St. John's Church
How the Church Started
The idea for St. John's Church began on December 27, 1830. This day is known as the feast of St. John the Evangelist. Bishop Francis P. Kenrick gave permission for the church to be built. Father John Hughes was chosen to lead the new parish.
The church building was officially opened on April 8, 1832. Inside, there was a beautiful painting by Nicholas Monachesi. He was a famous portrait painter in the area. In 1834, a very important musical event happened here. The famous composer Mozart's Requiem Mass was performed in the United States for the very first time at St. John's. Later that year, on August 1, a fire broke out on the block where the church was located.
Becoming a Cathedral and Facing Challenges
In 1838, St. John's Church became the main church, or Proto-Cathedral, for Philadelphia. The bishop even moved into the church's rectory, which is the priest's house. Before this, the main church was Old St. Mary's Church.
In 1844, there were big problems in Philadelphia called the Nativist Riots. During these riots, several Catholic churches were destroyed. To protect St. John's, General George Cadwalader placed cannons near the church. Because of this protection, St. John's was not damaged during the riots.
In the 1850s, two people who would later become saints were connected to St. John's. Katherine Drexel received her first communion and was confirmed here. Also, John Neumann became the new bishop in 1852. He lived in the rectory of St. John's when it was the cathedral.
From 1855 to 1860, a different group of priests, the Jesuits, helped run the church. In 1864, a new, larger church, the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, became the main cathedral. St. John's then went back to being a regular parish church. When St. John's was the cathedral, there were about 170,000 Catholics in Philadelphia.
The Fire of 1899
In February 1899, a big fire badly damaged St. John's Church. The fire also destroyed many other buildings on the same block. Sadly, three firefighters died when the building collapsed. A fourth firefighter died later from an illness he got while fighting the fire in the cold weather.
A special Mass was held for these brave firefighters in the Academy of Music. This was because the main part of St. John's Church could not be used. Today, a Mass is still held every year to remember them. After the fire, the church school moved out of the basement. The basement area was then made into a lower church. This allowed services to continue while the main (upper) church was being fixed.
International Connections
The first pastor, Father Hughes, became good friends with a church member who had lived in Mexico. Because of this friendship, St. John's kept strong ties with Mexico for many years. Mexican merchants living in Philadelphia even helped the church financially.
When the exiled Mexican Emperor Augustín de Iturbide was executed in 1824, his family moved to Philadelphia. His wife, Empress Ana Maria Huarte de Iturbide, is buried in St. John's Churchyard Cemetery. Other family members are buried there too. In the 1920s, during a time when Christians were not treated well in Mexico, a group of nuns called the Sisters of the Visitation had to leave Mexico. They lived at St. John's for several years before moving to their current home.
In 1939, Bishop Yu Pin asked the Chinese community in Philadelphia to connect with St. John's. Many Chinese people joined the parish. Later, a special chapel was opened about six blocks away in Chinatown. This chapel is now called Holy Redeemer Church, and it is still an active church today.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Juan Evangelista (Filadelfia) para niños
