About St. John the Baptist · Lesterville, South Dakota
St. John the Baptist is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural community of Lesterville, South Dakota, in Yankton County. Founded in 1889, it is one of the historic parishes that make up the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate, an eight-parish grouping led by Father Tom Anderson and administered under the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Although the parish discontinued regular weekend Masses in July 2024 as part of a diocesan-wide restructuring, it continues to operate as a parish — maintaining a parish council, finance council, Altar Society, weekday Masses, funerals, baptisms, religious education, and traditional devotions such as the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and Divine Mercy Chaplet.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Fr. Tom Anderson (St. Martin of Tours Pastorate, lead pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers Catholics in the Lesterville area a continuing spiritual home rooted in more than 135 years of rural Dakota faith. Even after the 2024 loss of regular weekend Masses, the parish keeps its own councils, Altar Society, cemetery, religious education, and traditional devotions like the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and Divine Mercy Chaplet, and welcomes parishioners for funerals, baptisms, weddings, and an occasional weekday Mass. Worshippers join a tight-knit community bound to seven sister parishes through the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate under the Diocese of Sioux Falls.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (call 605-583-4318)
About St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic parish in Lesterville, South Dakota, within the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish traces its origins to 1889, when it was established to serve the Catholic farm families of Central Township in Yankton County. Today it is one of eight parishes that make up the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate, sharing pastoral leadership with parishes in Yankton, Tabor, Scotland, Springfield, Tyndall, and Idylwilde. Although the parish no longer offers regular weekend Masses as of July 2024, it remains an active parish with its own councils, Altar Society, cemetery, religious education, and devotion schedule.
- Founded 1889
- Diocese of Sioux Falls
- St. Martin of Tours Pastorate
- Yankton County, South Dakota
Parish History
St. John the Baptist was founded in 1889, during the homestead era that filled southeastern Dakota Territory with Bohemian, German, and Polish Catholic settlers. The accompanying St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery, located in Section 21 of T95N R57W, is documented in the WPA Graves Registration Project of December 1940 and remains a tangible record of the pioneer families. In modern times the parish was grouped with seven sister communities into the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate; in 2024, Bishop Donald DeGrood directed a reduction from 13 to 10 weekend Masses across the pastorate, leading Father Tom Anderson to discontinue regular weekend Masses at Lesterville (and Tabor) effective July 1, 2024. Father Anderson emphasized that this was not a closure: 'Those things don't go away. You continue to be a parish.'
- Founded 1889
- St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery — Central Township, T95N R57W Sec. 21
- Grouped into St. Martin of Tours Pastorate
- Weekend Masses discontinued July 1, 2024 (restructuring, not closure)
Pastorate Restructuring (2024)
In response to declining priest numbers and changing demographics across the Sioux Falls Diocese, Bishop Donald DeGrood ordered the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate to reduce weekend Masses from 13 to 10. Father Tom Anderson, as lead pastor, conducted parish council consultations and announced in spring 2024 that effective July 1, 2024, Sacred Heart (Yankton) would drop from four to three weekend Masses; that St. John the Baptist in Lesterville and St. Wenceslaus in Tabor would no longer host weekend Masses; and that other parishes would see adjusted times. Anderson underlined the difference between reducing Masses and closing: Lesterville was not closed like St. Agnes (Sigel) or St. Columba (Mayfield). The changes are part of the diocese's 'Set Ablaze' initiative.
- Bishop Donald DeGrood directed reduction from 13 to 10 weekend Masses
- Father Tom Anderson led the consultation
- Effective July 1, 2024
- Distinct from parish closures (St. Agnes, St. Columba)
Devotions and Other Services
Even after the 2024 restructuring, St. John the Baptist continues to host the devotions and sacramental celebrations that mark a traditional Catholic parish life. These include the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, along with funerals, baptisms, religious education, and an occasional weekday Mass.
- Rosary
- Stations of the Cross
- Divine Mercy Chaplet
- Funerals
- Baptisms
- Religious education
- Occasional weekday Masses
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. John the Baptist retains its own parish life through the parish council, finance council, and Altar Society, and holds a seat on the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate Council. Religious education for parishioners continues at the parish level alongside sacramental preparation.
- Parish Council
- Finance Council
- Altar Society
- Religious Education
- St. Martin of Tours Pastorate Council
St. Martin of Tours Pastorate
St. John the Baptist is one of eight parishes in the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate, led by Father Tom Anderson under the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The pastorate covers Catholics in Yankton and Bon Homme counties and includes Sacred Heart and St. Benedict in Yankton, St. Leo in Tyndall, St. Boniface in Idylwilde, St. George in Scotland, St. Vincent in Springfield, St. Wenceslaus in Tabor, and St. John the Baptist in Lesterville.
- Sacred Heart — Yankton
- St. Benedict — Yankton
- St. Leo — Tyndall
- St. Boniface — Idylwilde
- St. George — Scotland
- St. Vincent — Springfield
- St. Wenceslaus — Tabor
- St. John the Baptist — Lesterville
Cemetery
St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery is located in Central Township, Section 21 of T95N R57W, in Lesterville. The cemetery was documented in the December 1940 WPA Graves Registration Project and remains a historic resting place for the pioneer Catholic families of Yankton County.
- Location: T95N R57W Section 21, Central Township, Lesterville
- Documented in the WPA Graves Registration Project (December 1940)
Visit and Contact
St. John the Baptist is located at 701 1st Street in Lesterville, South Dakota 57040. The parish phone line is 605-583-4318. The official parish website is http://www.stjohnls.org, and online giving for the Yankton Catholic community — including St. John the Baptist — is available through the St. Martin of Tours Pastorate at yanktoncatholiccommunity.weshareonline.org.
- Address: 701 1st St, Lesterville, SD 57040
- Phone: 605-583-4318
- Website: stjohnls.org
- Online giving: yanktoncatholiccommunity.weshareonline.org