About Saint John · Crystal Springs, Mississippi
St. John (formally St. John the Evangelist) is a small Roman Catholic parish serving Crystal Springs, Mississippi, a town of about 5,000 in Copiah County in south-central Mississippi. Established in 1948, it is part of the Diocese of Jackson and shares its sacramental ministry with the companion mission of St. Martin of Tours in nearby Hazlehurst. The parish gathers weekly for Sunday Mass and offers weekday Mass on Fridays along with First Friday Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Janice Stansell serves as Lay Ecclesial Minister for both communities, and the parish is currently served by Reverend Kevin Slattery as Sacramental Minister.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Reverend Kevin Slattery (Sacramental Minister)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson
Why belong here
St. John offers a small, intimate Catholic home in Copiah County where members know each other by name. The parish shares a pastor and office staff with the St. Martin of Tours mission in Hazlehurst — a long-standing twinned arrangement that lets the two communities support one another's Mass schedule, faith formation, and sacramental life. If you are moving to Crystal Springs, returning to the practice of the faith, or simply looking for an English-language Sunday Mass in the area, the parish welcomes you to its 10:30 a.m. Sunday liturgy at 221 East Georgetown Street.
Mass times at Saint John
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Wednesday, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- First Friday, 10:00–11:00 AM (with Benediction)
Parish Identity & Patron
The parish is formally known as St. John the Evangelist, Catholic Church. Its feast day — the Feast of St. John the Evangelist — falls on December 27 in the Roman calendar. Although locally shortened to 'St. John,' diocesan records and historical archives preserve the full 'St. John the Evangelist' name, distinguishing it from other Mississippi parishes of the same common name.
- Patron: St. John the Evangelist
- Feast day: December 27
- Year founded: 1948
- Diocese: Jackson
History
St. John the Evangelist was established in 1948 to serve the Catholics of Crystal Springs and the surrounding Copiah County area. Its origin date is recorded in the University of Notre Dame Archives of Catholic Parish History, drawing on local coverage in Mississippi Today. For decades the parish and its twin mission, St. Martin of Tours in Hazlehurst, were pastored together — a tradition reflected today in their shared office, mailing address, and staff. Among those pastors, Father Tom Delaney stands out in local memory; ordained in 1957 after recovering from tuberculosis, he was still active ministry at age 83 when the Mississippi Catholic profiled him in 2017. In February 2022, Bishop Joseph Kopacz appointed Father Kevin Slattery as Sacramental Minister for both the Crystal Springs and Hazlehurst communities, beginning February 1, 2022.
- 1948: Parish founded as St. John the Evangelist, Crystal Springs
- Father Tom Delaney served as pastor of both Crystal Springs St. John and Hazlehurst St. Martin of Tours (profiled at his 60th anniversary in 2017)
- Feb. 1, 2022: Rev. Kevin Slattery appointed Sacramental Minister by Bishop Joseph Kopacz
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. John publishes a small, simple weekly schedule through the Diocese of Jackson Parish Finder. The principal liturgy of the week is the Sunday Mass, with a weekday Mass offered on Fridays. First Fridays include Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction following the morning Mass, giving parishioners a regular monthly hour of eucharistic devotion.
- Sunday: 10:30 AM (English)
- Friday: 10:00 AM (English)
- First Friday: Adoration & Benediction, 10:00–11:00 AM
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish and its mission are staffed as a single ministerial unit. The Sacramental Minister is Reverend Kevin Slattery, appointed in February 2022 by Bishop Joseph Kopacz; he also serves the St. Martin of Tours mission in Hazlehurst. Janice Stansell serves as Lay Ecclesial Minister for both communities and is the principal staff contact listed by the Diocese of Jackson.
- Sacramental Minister: Rev. Kevin Slattery
- Lay Ecclesial Minister: Janice Stansell
Twin Mission: St. Martin of Tours, Hazlehurst
St. John is twinned with St. Martin of Tours parish in Hazlehurst, just a few miles south on U.S. 51 in Copiah County. The two communities share a pastor, a Lay Ecclesial Minister, a mailing address (P.O. Box 167, Crystal Springs, MS 39059-0167), and a phone number (601-892-1717). St. Martin of Tours, the older of the two (founded c. 1882 per Notre Dame parish-history records), offers Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM in English and 1:00 PM in Spanish, with Adoration & Benediction on the first Thursday of each month.
- St. Martin of Tours, 113 E. Conway Street, Hazlehurst
- Shared Sacramental Minister and Lay Ecclesial Minister
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM (English) and 1:00 PM (Spanish)
- First Thursday Adoration & Benediction
Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by mail at P.O. Box 167, Crystal Springs, MS 39059-0167, by phone at (601) 892-1717, or by fax at (601) 892-0746. The shared e-mail is [email protected]. The parish's primary online presence is through the Diocese of Jackson's Parish Finder page. There is no separate parish website at this time.
- Address (street): 221 East Georgetown Street, Crystal Springs, MS 39059
- Mailing: P.O. Box 167, Crystal Springs, MS 39059-0167
- Phone: (601) 892-1717
- Fax: (601) 892-0746
- Email: [email protected]
- Online: jacksondiocese.org Parish Finder
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Tom Delaneythrough at least 2017 (ordained 1957)
Profile in Mississippi Catholic (May 2017) on his 60th anniversary of ordination; still served as pastor of Crystal Springs St. John and the Hazlehurst St. Martin of Tours mission at that time.
- Reverend Kevin SlatteryFeb. 1, 2022–present
Appointed Sacramental Minister by Bishop Joseph Kopacz for St. John Parish in Crystal Springs and its mission St. Martin in Hazlehurst, effective February 1, 2022.