St. John

Parish History

St. John's is one of the older Catholic communities in the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The first Mass was said in Plankinton in December 1881 by Father Tobin, who traveled in from Mitchell. From 1881 onward, Mass was offered in the upstairs of the local hardware store and in private homes. In 1884 a foundation was laid on the west part of town for a church but it was never used; the following year the old schoolhouse was purchased and moved to the present location, serving as the first dedicated church for eleven years. In 1894 Father Hoffman came to Plankinton and built a second St. John's Church in 1896.

Growth and the Present Church

From 1881 to 1904 the Plankinton mission was served from a distance by priests based in Mitchell, White Lake, and Mount Vernon. In September 1904 Father Kelly became the parish's first resident pastor and built the present rectory in 1906. Father Slattery, who arrived in September 1919, oversaw the construction of the present church building in 1923 — the building still in use today.

• 1881 – first Mass said by Fr. Tobin (Mitchell)
• 1884 – foundation laid on west side of town (never used)
• 1885 – old schoolhouse moved to present site, used as church for 11 years
• 1894 – Fr. Hoffman arrives
• 1896 – second St. John's Church built
• 1904 – Fr. Kelly becomes first resident pastor
• 1906 – present rectory built
• 1919 – Fr. Slattery arrives
• 1923 – present church built

Location, Staff & Clergy

St. John is grouped with neighboring parishes into the Our Lady of Grace pastorate of the Diocese of Sioux Falls. As a result, the parish is served by a shared pastor, parochial vicar, and office staff who minister across Plankinton, White Lake, Kimball, Stickney, and Chamberlain.

• Address: 308 E. 3rd St., Plankinton, SD 57368
• Pastor: Rev. Richard D. Fox
• Parochial Vicar: Fr. Randy Phillips (ext. 6245, [email protected])
• Office Assistant: Peggy Freidel (ext. 2219, [email protected])
• Diocese: Sioux Falls

Religious Education & Faith Formation

The parish runs a parish-based religious education program for school-age children, divided into an afternoon session for younger students and an evening session for middle- and high-schoolers. Both groups meet on Wednesdays during the school year.

• Coordinator of Religious Education: Natalie Briggs
• K–5th Grade — Wednesdays 3:45–5:15 pm (afternoon)
• Grades 6–12 — Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 pm (evening)

Our Lady of Grace Pastorate

St. John in Plankinton is one of several small Catholic parishes in central South Dakota that share clergy and staff as the Our Lady of Grace pastorate. The other parishes in the grouping include St. Margaret (Kimball), St. Peter (White Lake), St. Mary (Stickney), and St. James (Chamberlain), each with their own Mass and adoration schedule published on the shared parish website.

• St. Margaret – 409 S. Elm Street, Kimball
• St. Peter – 101 S. Ellis Street, White Lake
• St. John – 308 E. 3rd Street, Plankinton
• St. Mary – 414 Main Street, Stickney
• St. James – 400 S. Main Street, Chamberlain