About St. John the Baptist · Front Royal, Virginia
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a Latin-Mass parish in Front Royal, Virginia, serving over 1,700 families in Warren County and western Fauquier County within the Diocese of Arlington. The parish is one of only a handful of 'memorial' Catholic churches in the United States, built in 1884 in memory of John Carrell Jenkins, a young Maryland Catholic who died of typhoid fever during the Civil War. The original 1884 church now serves as a perpetual Adoration Chapel and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while a larger modern church was dedicated next door in 1998. The parish is bilingual (English and Spanish), runs a robust religious education program, and sits at the heart of a remarkable Catholic educational ecosystem that includes Christendom College and several independent Catholic schools.
- Established
- 1884 (church dedicated); 1940 (designated as a parish)
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel N. Gee
- Diocese
- Diocese of Arlington (Bishop: Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is the spiritual center of one of the most concentrated Catholic communities in Virginia, anchored by 1,700+ families and surrounded by a remarkable ecosystem of Catholic schools and Christendom College. Parishioners enjoy a deeply liturgical life with abundant Mass times in both English and Spanish, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration from Monday morning through Saturday morning in the historic 1884 chapel, and a full schedule of devotions including Latin Vespers, the Flame of Love Rosary, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The parish also runs an unusually rich slate of ministries—RCIA, religious education pre-K through 12, prison ministry, a parish school of sacred music, a Knights of Columbus council offering Catholic tuition assistance, and outreach to the hungry and unhoused of Warren County—making it a place where families can put down deep roots.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM
- Tuesday: 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM
- Wednesday: 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM
- Thursday: 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM
- Friday: 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM
- Saturday: 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM (parish website) / 4:00 PM (Diocese of Arlington directory)
- And by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration in the original 1884 Chapel: continuous, Monday 8:00 AM through Saturday 7:00 AM
- Holy Days and Federal Holidays: as announced
Parish History & the Jenkins Memorial
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is one of only a handful of 'memorial' Catholic churches in the United States built in honor of a single individual — John Carrell Jenkins (1834–1861), a young Maryland Catholic who died of typhoid fever after only four months of Civil War service. The Jenkins family, traced to America's earliest Catholic pioneers of the 1600s, paid for the entire construction of the original church and supplied its pews, bell, altar, sacred vessels, and vestments. Bishop John Keane of Richmond laid the cornerstone on October 7, 1883, and dedicated the church on September 7, 1884. A marble tablet on the wall still reads: 'Pray for the Soul of John Carrell Jenkins — Died October 11, 1861 — Out of Whose means Principally this Church has been Erected.'
- Original church dedicated September 7, 1884 by Bishop John Keane of Richmond
- Mission of Sacred Heart of Jesus (Winchester) for 50+ years before becoming a parish
- Designated a parish July 6, 1940 — founding pastor: Fr. Martin T. Quinn
- New, larger church dedicated June 24, 1998 under Fr. William Ruehl
- Original 1884 church added to Front Royal Historical District (2003) and National Register of Historic Places (2003); renovated 2006–07 as Adoration Chapel
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by a pastor and three parochial vicars, supported by three permanent deacons and a lay staff that includes a Director of Sacred Music, Director of Catechesis / Business Manager, Office/Spanish Ministries staff, secretaries, a facilities manager, and an athletics director / bulletin editor. The Diocese of Arlington is led by Bishop Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge.
- Pastor: Rev. Daniel N. Gee
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. Michael R. Duesterhaus, Rev. Brian B. McAllister, Rev. James Joseph
- Deacons: Rev. Deacon David Wallace, Rev. Deacon Mark R. Jerge, Rev. Deacon Gerald Solitario (Rev. Deacon Rafael A. Goldsmith, retired)
- Director of Sacred Music & Organist: Dr. Jeffrey Alban
- Director of Catechesis & Business Manager: Subdeacon David Wallace
Catholic Schools & Educational Institutions
St. John the Baptist Parish is at the heart of one of the densest clusters of Catholic education in Virginia. Within its boundaries — Warren County plus the western portion of Fauquier County — sit Christendom College and at least seven independent Catholic schools and homeschool cooperatives serving children from infants through grade 12. The parish religious education program reaches roughly 250 English- and Spanish-speaking students, while clergy actively visit the local Catholic schools and host parish-wide retreats so the students can know one another.
- Chelsea Academy (K–12, liberal arts)
- Christendom College
- Divinum Auxilium Academy (Montessori foundation)
- John Paul the Great Montessori Academy
- John XXIII Montessori Center (ages 1–17)
- Our Lady of Champion Academy (K–5 classical hybrid homeschool)
- Padre Pio Academy (K–12 homeschool cooperative)
- St. Joseph the Just School for Boys (independent high school)
- St. Edith Stein School for Girls (independent high school)
- Seton Home Study School (Catholic homeschooling)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish religious education program provides instruction from preschool through 12th grade, including two-year sacrament preparation classes for First Penance/First Communion and Confirmation. RCIA classes are open to all parishioners and non-Catholics exploring the Catholic faith.
- Religious Education (Pre-K–12) — Subdeacon David Wallace, DRE
- RCIA — contact parish office
- First Holy Communion parish Mass — first Saturday in May
- Confirmation — celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Broglio (next: October 17, 2026)
Parish Ministries
Beyond worship, St. John the Baptist runs a deep bench of parish and outreach ministries serving every age and stage of life — from cradle Catholics to homeschool families, expectant mothers, the incarcerated, the hungry, and the elderly. The parish's Prison Ministry and the Knights of Columbus Catholic Education Tuition Assistance (CETA) program are especially notable apostolates.
- Sacred Music Choirs (adults and children) — Dr. Jeffrey Alban
- Knights of Columbus Council 7771 — Catholic Education Tuition Assistance (CETA)
- C-CAP — safety-net food, clothing, and financial help
- Loaves and Fishes Pantry
- Dinner Together (parish cooks the first Thursday of each month)
- Front Royal Pregnancy Center
- Thermal Shelter (winter shelter for unhoused adults)
- St. John's Prison Ministry (RSW Regional Jail, Wednesday evenings)
- Natural Family Planning (St. Anne's Fertility)
- Parents' Support Group for Children with Special Needs
- Prayer Chain
- Senior Group (55+, monthly)
- Seven Sisters Apostolate
- SHELL — homeschool support group
Contact & Visit
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is located at 120 West Main Street, Front Royal, VA 22630 (corner of Main Street and Luray Avenue), with the rectory at 123 W. Main Street. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed 12:00–1:00 PM for Mass and lunch. Visitors and newcomers are encouraged to download the parish Welcome Booklet from the website's 'I'm New' page.
- Address: 120 West Main Street, Front Royal, VA 22630
- Phone: (540) 635-3780 | Fax: (540) 635-2683
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.sjtb.org
- Parish Office: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Martin T. Quinn1940–1946
Founding pastor of the parish
- Fr. John J. Conley1946–1951
- Fr. Francis V. Bambrick1951–1953
- Fr. Joseph W. Hirsch1953–1957
- Fr. Joseph G. Heye1957–1960
- Fr. John Cilinski1960–1964
- Fr. John McMahon1964–1968
- Fr. John Riordan1968–1970
- Msgr. Eugene P. Walsh1970–1972
- Fr. Patrick Cassidy1970–1971
- Fr. Edmond V. Kollar1971–1975
- Fr. John W. Rea1975–1978
- Fr. John Munley1978–1983
- Fr. William Ruehl1983–2005
Longest-serving pastor; oversaw construction and dedication of the new church on June 24, 1998
- Fr. Edward Hathaway2005–2007
- Fr. Jerome W. Fasano2007–2020
- Fr. Phillip Cozzi2020–2021
Administrator
- Fr. Daniel N. Gee2021–present
Initiated the weekly Spanish Mass in 2008 during earlier assignment at the parish