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St. John the Apostle Catholic Church was founded in 1879. It became a mission church under the care of the St. Joseph's Church in Arcadia. Sometime between 1900 and 1910 a white frame church was erected on property that belonged to the O'Connor family. The property was located at the present site of Walnut and Maple Streets in Bismarck.
Concrete steps led up to the double wooden doors. The doors opened to expose an interior of wooden floors, a beamed ceiling and a white marble altar. In the bell tower rang a bell, dated 1894, which was purchased in St. Louis and delivered to St. John's.
The first known class of First Communicants from Bismarck took place in 1910 and was performed by His Excellency John J. Glennon, Archbishop of St. Louis at St. Joseph's Church, Arcadia, MO.
St. John's was later transferred to St. Joseph's in Farmington. Records that belonged to Bismarck were destroyed in a fire at St. Joseph's. Following the fire, the care of St. John's was transferred to St. Joseph's in Arcadia.
In July, 1956, the Diocese of Springfield/Cape Girardeau was established. On August 8, 1957, by virtue of a letter signed by the late Cardinal Joseph Ritter, Archbishop of St. Louis, the priests stationed at Immaculate Conception, Desloge, assumed the administrative duties of the mission of St. John the Apostle.
In 1965, remodeling of the Church was undertaken by Father Andrew Siegmund. The altar, which is still being used today, from Sacred Heart Church in Rivermines, was placed in St. John's along with new paneling in the sanctuary, new flooring and stained glass windows.
The parishioners always worked together on various parish activities. Many picnics were held on the parish grounds and dinners prepared in the tin-roofed wood shed that served as a kitchen for many years.
Over the years the old Church was in need of extensive repairs. In early 1973, it was decided by the newly formed parish council and the parishioners that a basement would be installed under the church and at the same time other major improvements were to be made. On August 26, 1973, Bishop Charles Koetser, Vicar of the Rural Area of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, made a visit to St. John's to see for himself the condition of the Church in view of the proposed improvements. A reception for the Bishop was held on the parish grounds to accomodate the large attending crowd. Plans, however, were never finalized for the improvements. Inspection revealed the main support beam under the Church was termite ridden. Also the possibility existed that the Church was sitting on solid rock preventing the construction of a basement. Under the leadership of Father John L. Hallemann, a new church and adjoining hall was designed. On July 5, 1975, the ground was broken for the site of the new Church beside the old Church. On November 9, 1975, the cornerstone was set with Rev. Monsigner James J. Holland V.F. Dean of the Ste. Genevieve Deanery officiating. The first Mass to be celebrated in the new Church was Christmas Eve, 1975. Dedication took place on June 13, 1976, with Bishop Charles Koester officiating at the ceremony along with many other priests.
Later the old Church was removed from the grounds but the bell and stained glass windows were preserved for future use. In early 1977, Davis Art Glass Company of St. Louis redesigned and installed the stained glass windows. In 1979, a new bell tower was constructed by Loana Contractors, Inc. of Bismarck to house the bell from the old Church. The bell was manufactured by H. Stucksteade of St. Louis and bears the date of 1894. The company was located near the brewery in St. Louis and was closed in 1956. It was made of Lake Superior copper and Banka tin and weighs 235 lbs. The bell span is 22 inches. The bell came from the Academy School, St. Louis, and was their chapel bell. Today the bell calls the parishioners to Mass on Sundays and religious days.
The priest who serves our parish at the time is Rev. Ambrose Stratmann from Immaculate Conception in Desloge. A small congregation, never large enough to be much more than a mission, has lasted over one hundred years. The people of God who form St. John's congregation are a strong breed filled with faith in God and love for their fellow men.
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