About Saint John the Baptist · Spearville, Kansas
St. John the Baptist is a Catholic parish in the small rural community of Spearville, Kansas — the 'City of Windmills,' situated about 20 miles east of Dodge City in Ford County. A member of the Diocese of Dodge City, it serves roughly 269 registered households from its historic church at 100 S. Main Street and its adjoining parish center, where the parish pastor, Fr. John Forkuoh, leads a schedule of daily, Saturday vigil, and Sunday Masses along with weekly Eucharistic Adoration, religious education for grades K–12, and active parish council committees. The parish is best known for being a tight-knit rural community rooted in a century of faith: it was organized in 1904 and worships in the same French Renaissance–style church building dedicated on September 22, 1918.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. John Forkuoh
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dodge City
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist welcomes anyone seeking a small, family-oriented Catholic community grounded in more than a century of rural Kansas faith. The parish offers daily and weekend Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, a full religious education program for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, RCIA for adults, sacramental preparation for Baptism and Matrimony, and active parish council committees covering Church & Community Affairs, Faith Formation, Finance, Liturgy, Property, and Youth. With 250+ registered families and ministries such as Operation Christmas Child, Totus Tuus summer programs, summer-camp scholarships, and a parishioner-run ministry schedule, it is a parish where involvement and hospitality are woven into ordinary parish life.
Mass times at Saint John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:45–6:15 PM
- By appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- First Fridays 6:00 – 7:00 AM
Parish History
St. John the Baptist was organized in 1903 after Catholic families in Spearville grew tired of the long trek to Dodge City or Windthorst for Mass. George Torline hosted the founding meeting in his blacksmith's shop, and on October 18, 1904, the first church was dedicated. As the parish grew from 13 to 70 families by 1917, a larger French Renaissance–style church was built and dedicated on September 22, 1918, for $33,000. The parish celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 1979 and its centennial in 2004 with the publication of a history book titled 'Windows to the Past.'
Mission, Vision & Values
The parish describes its mission as 'Ordinary People Helping Ordinary People During These Extraordinary Times,' seeking to give honor and glory to God while extending a warm welcome to a wider Christian community. Its stated goals include helping all live more closely the life of Christ, participating faithfully in the Eucharist, celebrating the other sacraments, nurturing family life, assisting parents in religious education of children, providing Catholic education for teens, young adults and seniors, welcoming new members, and offering help to those in need.
- Prayer and worship of God
- Service to the church and people
- Hospitality
- Fidelity to God and Christ
- Love of family
- Love and concern for others
- Education and formation of youth
- Compassion
- Generosity to the needy
Parish Staff
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by a parish secretary who also serves as Director of Religious Education, and a bookkeeper handling parish finances. The staff are the first point of contact for sacramental inquiries, registration, and day-to-day parish needs.
- Pastor — Fr. John Forkuoh (620-385-2212)
- Parish Secretary & Director of Religious Education — Jenny Schmidt (620-385-2202)
- Bookkeeper — Tena Gleason (620-385-0615)
Parish Council & Committees
Parish Council meets on the first Thursday of each month at 8 PM in the Oak Room of the Parish Center and serves in an advisory role to the Pastor. Its committees — each with a Chair and Co-Chair — rotate members on a 2-year basis, and any parishioner is welcome to attend the open meetings.
- President — Stephanie Hornung
- Vice President — Nathan Stein
- Secretary — Tonya Hubbell
- Church & Community Affairs — Stephanie Ackerman (Chair), Debbie Wood (Co-Chair)
- Faith Formation — Karla Gleason (Chair), Mary Benjamin (Co-Chair)
- Finance — Kaden Stein (Chair), Nathan Stein (Co-Chair)
- Liturgy — Tonya Hubbell (Chair), Barb Mages (Co-Chair)
- Property — Frank Mages (Chair), Mike Hubbell (Co-Chair)
- Youth — Jess Halling (Chair), Whitney Gleason (Co-Chair)
Religious Education & Faith Formation
The parish provides Religious Education classes for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, following the local school calendar with classes on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM (no class on days when public school is not in session). Younger students meet at Spearville Elementary, middle and high schoolers meet at the Parish Center, and 12th graders meet in the church basement classroom. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered in the church during many class sessions. First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are received in 2nd grade, and Confirmation is received at the end of 8th grade. A Faith Formation Committee also plans monthly adult formation gatherings — typically the 3rd Sunday after 8 AM Mass — with video study, talks, guest speakers, and a potluck brunch.
- K & 1st Grade — Uriah Hubbell & Sarah Stegman
- 2nd Grade — LynAnn Bowman
- 3rd & 4th Grade — Laura Stein & LaWana VanNahmen
- 5th Grade — Janell Calvin
- 6th & 7th Grade — Jenny Schmidt
- 8th Grade — Tonya Hubbell
- 9th, 10th & 11th Grade — Mary & Levi Benjamin & Riley Schmidt
- 12th Grade — Craig Bowman
- School Building Monitor — Lindsay Dvorak
- Director of Religious Education — Jenny Schmidt
Sacraments
St. John the Baptist prepares parishioners for the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Infant Baptism is celebrated when at least one parent is a practicing Catholic and there is reasonable hope the child will be raised Catholic, with baptismal preparation required; godparents must be at least 16, confirmed, and—if married—married in the Church. Adults wishing to enter the Church are invited into the RCIA journey through the liturgical year. First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are received in 2nd grade; Confirmation is celebrated at the end of the 8th grade year. Couples planning to marry should contact the pastor at least four months before the intended wedding and participate in an Engaged Encounter weekend; the parish also celebrates Anointing of the Sick and supports vocations to Holy Orders.
- Baptism (Infant & Adult/RCIA)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion (2nd grade)
- Confirmation (end of 8th grade)
- Matrimony (4-month preparation, Engaged Encounter weekend)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders / Vocations
Youth Ministry & Summer Camps
The parish's Youth Committee plans activities throughout the year for parish and community youth, including the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child, altar-server appreciation parties, and coordination with the Diocese of Dodge City to bring programs such as Totus Tuus each summer. The committee also helps students attend summer camps, mission weeks, and youth rallies. A dedicated Summer Camp Scholarship Fund, administered through the Finance Council, provides reimbursements to parishioner children for Catholic summer camps or mission weeks upon application.
- Annual Easter Egg Hunt
- Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes)
- Totus Tuus summer program (in partnership with the Diocese)
- Summer camp & mission trip coordination
- Summer Camp Scholarship fund
- Altar-server appreciation events
Diocesan & Wider-Church Resources
St. John the Baptist is one of the parishes of the Diocese of Dodge City, and the parish provides parishioners with access to diocesan programming and to FORMED, a large Catholic digital content library sponsored on a parish-wide subscription. Through FORMED, parishioners can watch Catholic movies, listen to audiobooks, and access video study series on smart phones, Apple TV, Firestick, ROKU, Chromecast, and other streaming platforms, by searching for the parish name and zip code at signup.
- Diocese of Dodge City — parish directory listing
- Parish subscription to Formed.org
- Sample ministries offered through the diocese (Totus Tuus, youth rallies)