About St. John the Baptist · Villa Ridge, Missouri
St. John the Baptist Gildehaus Catholic Church is a historic rural parish located at 5567 Gildehaus Road in Villa Ridge, Missouri, in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Founded in 1839 as a Jesuit mission under Bishop DuBourg, it is among the oldest Catholic communities in the greater St. Louis region and serves roughly 2,700 Catholics today across the rural townships of Union, St. John's, and Boles in Franklin County. The parish operates a parish school (Preschool through 8th grade) and is led by pastor Fr. Nicklaus Winker, associate pastor Fr. Ryan Truss, and Permanent Deacon Randall Maune. The name "Gildehaus" honors the German-settler family who donated the land on which the church was built.
- Established
- 1839
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Nicklaus (Nick) Winker
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Metropolitan Archdiocese)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist Gildehaus offers the kind of small, rooted Catholic community that is increasingly hard to find — a 180-plus-year-old parish in rural Franklin County where multi-generation families sit alongside newer members, and where the same brick church built in 1863 still hosts daily and Sunday Mass. Worship is offered seven days a week with multiple Sunday Masses, Tuesday evening Mass and adoration, weekday Masses with the parish school, and Saturday confessions — all supported by a thriving parish school that has educated local children on the grounds since the original log church of 1839. If you are looking for a faith community with deep local roots, faithful preaching of the Gospel, and a Catholic school where children learn the love of God and service to others, St. John's Gildehaus welcomes you.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm
- Tuesday 7:00 am
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00 am
Parish Identity & Welcome
St. John the Baptist Gildehaus Catholic Church is a community of Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis 'endeavoring to live out the Joy of the Gospel, and to bring others closer to Our Lord, Jesus Christ, through our commitment to being missionary disciples who know and live the Faith.' The 'Join Us' page invites newcomers warmly: the parish started in 1839 as a Jesuit Mission, the church was rebuilt after being burned during the Civil War, and modern conveniences (electricity, audio system, electric organ) have been added while original elements — like the beam supporting the loft at the church's entrance — still remain.
- Parish mission: missionary disciples who know and live the Faith
- Why the name includes 'Gildehaus' — honoring the land-donor family
- Welcoming new parishioners
Our History
The parish was founded in 1839 as a Jesuit mission under Bishop DuBourg in what is now rural Franklin County, Missouri. The Gildehaus family donated the land, and the present brick church was built in 1863 after the earlier church burned during the Civil War; the rectory followed about 1875, and both remain in sound construction today. The mission was transferred from the Jesuits to the Archdiocese in 1858, and in February 1939 ownership of the parish property passed from St. Louis University to the Archdiocese of St. Louis under Archbishop John Joseph Glennon. A commemorative book, One Hundred Fifty Years For God and Country, records the full parish story and is available by contacting the school secretary.
- 1839 — Jesuit mission founded under Bishop DuBourg
- 1863 — present brick church built (replacing Civil-War-era loss)
- 1858 — mission transferred to the Archdiocese
- 1939 — property transferred from St. Louis University to the Archdiocese
- Book available: One Hundred Fifty Years For God and Country
Our Namesake: St. John the Baptist
The parish takes its patron from St. John the Baptist, whose witness it tries to imitate. As the history page puts it: 'He jumped for joy in his mother's womb when Jesus was present. He gave his life to prepare others to receive Jesus. This is also OUR call.' The parish frames its mission around three words drawn from John's witness: Recognize the presence of Jesus in everyone, Rejoice, and Prepare the way for others to meet Him. The parish lives out that call especially through its school and faith-formation programs.
- Recognize — see Jesus in every person
- Rejoice — celebrate His presence
- Prepare — make ready the way for others
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by pastor Rev. Nicklaus (Nick) Winker, associate pastor Rev. Ryan Truss, and Permanent Deacon Randall Maune, with parish administrator Sara Maune. The pastor's office number is 636-583-2488 ext. 103 (with a direct line of 636-390-4996 for call or text, [email protected]); Fr. Ryan can be reached at extension 106 ([email protected]); and Deacon Randy is reachable at [email protected]. Parish administrator Sara Maune can be reached at [email protected].
- Fr. Nick Winker — Pastor
- Fr. Ryan Truss — Associate Pastor / In Residence
- Deacon Randy Maune — Permanent Deacon
- Sara Maune — Parish Administrator
Becoming Catholic
The parish homepage links visitors to a 'Becoming Catholic' pathway for adults and children who wish to enter the Catholic Church. The parish's overall mission — to be missionary disciples who know and live the Faith — frames OCIA as a journey of formation and conversion.
- Inquiry and OCIA (RCIA) preparation
- Sacramental preparation for children and adults
Parish School
St. John the Baptist Gildehaus Catholic School has roots that go back to 1839 — 'the log church had hardly been built for the divine service… when a school teacher was installed in the same building throughout the week to give this blessing to the children of the mission parish.' Today it educates children from Preschool (3-year-olds) through 8th grade, with a faculty overseen by principal Ruth Wissmann. The current school building was erected in 1960–61 (six classrooms, bathrooms, office, cafeteria, gym/parish center); two more classrooms and two basement rooms were added in 1976–77 following a 1975 fund drive, and a 1991 east-side addition enlarged the gym and added classrooms, a meeting room, storage, and bathrooms. The school offers before- and after-care, parent organizations, and a curriculum that intentionally teaches the love of God, family, neighbor, self, and service to others.
- PreK 3, PreK 4, and Kindergarten through 8th grade
- Before- and after-school care
- Parent organizations and parish-school community life
- Enrichment in physical education, technology, music, and art
Heritage & Community Life
The parish's rural, multi-generational character is one of its distinguishing features. The St. Louis Review has covered the parish's annual 'German Games' heritage celebration, which showcases the German-settler heritage of the Gildehaus area and the parish's chivalric traditions. Successions of headstones in the churchyard cemetery stand alongside newer members, and multi-generation families talk about the place with the affection of people whose great-great-grandparents built the first log church.
- Annual 'German Games' parish festival
- Multi-generation parish families
- Historic churchyard cemetery
Sacraments & Devotions
Beyond weekly Mass, the parish offers regular opportunities for reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration, and a full schedule of Christmas and Holy Day liturgies (midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, etc.). The Archdiocese's parish page groups these as 'Sacrament Times' for Reconciliation, Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration.
- Reconciliation — Saturday 4:30–5:15 pm and Tuesday 7:00 am
- Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesday 7:00 am
- Holy Day Vigil and Holy Day Masses (8 am, 5:30 pm; vigil 7:30 pm on the parish list)
- Christmas and Christmas-Eve Masses
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (636) 583-2488 (a second line, (636) 583-6114, is listed on the Archdiocesan directory). The parish office handles inquiries about registration, sacraments, becoming Catholic, the school, and the cemetery. The church is in unincorporated Franklin County about three miles south of Highway 100 on Highway V.
- Address: 5567 Gildehaus Road, Villa Ridge, MO 63089
- Phone: (636) 583-2488
- Fax / second line: (636) 583-6114
- Email contacts via sjg-parish.org (staff-specific addresses above)