About St. John the Baptist Catholic Church · Crescent City, Florida
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Catholic parish in Crescent City, Florida, one of the oldest churches in the community. The parish was established in 1906, and its 1910 Late Gothic Revival chapel at 240 S. Main Street is a contributing property on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation outgrew the original chapel and built a larger church south of town in 1959 at 2725 Highway 17 South, which today serves as the main worship site. The parish belongs to the Diocese of St. Augustine and is currently administered by Rev. William Villa, with daily Mass offered in the historic chapel and weekend Masses celebrated in both English and Spanish.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. William Villa
- Diocese
- Diocese of St. Augustine
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers a rare combination of deep history and living bilingual community. Parishioners can worship in the 1910 Late Gothic Revival chapel on weekday mornings and in the larger 1959 church on weekends, with Masses in both English and Spanish, plus a Friday Spanish evening Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation before every Mass. Active lay ministries — from Knights of Columbus and Juan XXIII to a Hispanic prayer group, Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, and a parish cemetery — give families concrete ways to serve, and baptism preparation is offered twice a month in both languages.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 45 minutes before each Mass
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the main church before the 6:00 p.m. Spanish Mass)
About St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
St. John the Baptist is one of the oldest churches in Crescent City, Florida, founded in 1906. Originally located at the heart of Crescent City, the parish later expanded and moved to the outskirts of the city in exchange for a larger house of worship. Today it is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish of the Diocese of St. Augustine, with a historic 1910 chapel still in active use for weekday Masses.
Parish History
The Roman Catholic community of the Fruitland Peninsula organized as a parish in 1906, with Father Patrick Barry as its first priest. As the Catholic population grew, James A. Howe's gift and local fundraisers financed a Late Gothic Revival chapel in 1910 at the corner of Lemon Avenue and South Main Street, built for $2,000. That chapel is still in use and is a contributing property on the National Register of Historic Places. By the late 1950s the original chapel could no longer hold the congregation, and the present church was built in 1959 at 2725 Highway 17 South, where the parish offices and weekend liturgies are now centered.
- 1906 — Parish established in Crescent City
- 1910 — Gothic Revival chapel built at 240 S. Main St. (gift of James A. Howe; cost $2,000)
- 1959 — New, larger church built south of town at 2725 Hwy 17 S.
- Historic chapel today: contributing building on the National Register of Historic Places (NRIS #96001367)
Historic 1910 Chapel
The 1910 St. John the Baptist Catholic Chapel at 240 South Main Street is a small but architecturally significant Late Gothic Revival building. It is a contributing building on the National Register of Historic Places (NRIS #96001367) and is individually eligible for listing. Daily 9:00 a.m. Masses (Tuesday–Friday) are still celebrated in this historic chapel.
- Style: Late Gothic Revival
- Built 1910 at a cost of $2,000
- Funded by James A. Howe's gift and parish fundraisers
- Located at the corner of Lemon Avenue and South Main Street
St. John Baptist Cemetery
The parish operates its own cemetery, St. John Baptist Cemetery, as part of its ministry to Catholic families in the Crescent City area. Information about burial plots and arrangements is available through the parish office.
Sacraments
The parish prepares families and individuals for the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, the Eucharist, and Marriage, and ministers Anointing of the Sick to those in need. Baptism preparation is held the First and Third Sunday of every month at 1:30 p.m. in both English and Spanish. Couples preparing for marriage and families seeking Anointing of the Sick should contact the parish office directly.
- Baptism Preparation — 1st and 3rd Sunday, 1:30 p.m. (bilingual)
- Reconciliation — 45 minutes before each Mass or by appointment
- Eucharist — daily and weekend Masses; Friday Adoration
- Marriage and Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. John the Baptist supports an active mix of English- and Spanish-language lay ministries, with named coordinators and contact persons listed on the parish website.
- Eucharistic Ministers (English) — Marie Willis
- Ministros de la Eucaristía (Spanish) — Agustin Silva
- Liturgy Coordinator — Kathy Matheny
- Proclamadores de la Palabra (Spanish lectors) — Silvia Garcia
- Grupo de Oración Discípulos de Jesús camino a Emaús — Friday 7:00 p.m.; contact Valentin Benítez, 386-559-7184
- Juan XXIII — Tuesday 7:00 p.m.; contact Ruben Montiel
- Knights of Columbus — 3rd Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m.
- Baptism Preparation (bilingual)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is administered by Rev. William Villa of the Diocese of St. Augustine. The parish office can be reached at (386) 698-2055 or [email protected] for staff contacts and appointments.
- Administrator: Rev. William Villa — [email protected]
- Parish Office: (386) 698-2055 / fax (386) 698-4146 / [email protected]
Visit, Contact & Office Information
Parishioners and visitors are welcome at both worship sites. The main church and parish office are at 2725 Highway 17 South on the southern edge of Crescent City; weekday Mass is in the historic chapel at 240 South Main Street in the heart of town. Office hours and the parish mailing address are listed below.
- Parish Address: 2725 Highway 17 South, Crescent City, FL 32112
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 908, Crescent City, FL 32112
- Chapel (weekday Masses): 240 S. Main Street, Crescent City, FL 32112
- Phone: (386) 698-2055
- Fax: (386) 698-4146
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.sjbch.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Patrick Barry1906–c.1910
First priest of the newly formed parish; traveled by water or dirt road to celebrate Monday Mass in local homes.