About St. John The Evangelist · Bahner, Missouri
St. John the Evangelist is a historic Catholic mission chapel in the tiny community of Bahner, Missouri, roughly 19 miles southeast of Sedalia in Pettis County. It traces its origins to 1837, when nine German Catholic families settled in the Lake Creek area and began gathering for prayer and religious instruction in their homes; Jesuit Father Ferdinand Helias, now known as the Apostle of Central Missouri, was the first priest to celebrate Mass there. Once a standalone parish and the mother church of Catholic life in the Sedalia region, it is the oldest Catholic church in Missouri west of St. Louis. In 2019 it was merged with Sacred Heart and St. Patrick parishes in Sedalia to form St. Vincent de Paul Parish of Pettis County, in the Diocese of Jefferson City, and it continues today as a chapel of that combined parish.
- Established
- 1837
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Corel (Pastor in Soliduum of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, with Rev. David Veit)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jefferson City
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is a small, deeply rooted country chapel where Catholic families have worshipped for nearly two centuries — the oldest Catholic congregation in Missouri west of St. Louis. Even after the historic 1881 chapel was lost to lightning in 2023, the community continues to gather in the nearby St. John the Evangelist Community Center for weekly Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration (7:30–8:30 p.m.) as part of the larger St. Vincent de Paul Parish, which also offers weekend Masses in Sedalia, Spanish-language liturgy, RCIA, faith formation, and a network of lay ministries. It's a place to belong to a tight-knit, multigenerational faith family with deep German-Catholic roots and a long tradition of lay catechesis.
Mass times at St. John The Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesdays 5:30–6:20 PM (Spanish) — St. Patrick, Sedalia
- Saturdays 9:00–11:00 AM — Sacred Heart, Sedalia
- 1st Sundays 9:00 AM — Sacred Heart, Sedalia
- 1st Sundays 12:30 PM (Spanish) — St. Patrick, Sedalia
Adoration times
- Tuesdays 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM — Adoration Chapel, Sacred Heart, Sedalia
- Wednesdays 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM — St. John the Evangelist, Bahner (Community Center, since 2023)
- Thursdays 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM — Adoration Chapel, Sacred Heart, Sedalia
- Fridays 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM — Adoration Chapel, Sacred Heart, Sedalia
- 1st Tuesday of the month 8:00–9:00 PM XLT Adoration with Benediction — Sacred Heart
History of St. John the Evangelist
St. John the Evangelist is the oldest Catholic church in Missouri west of St. Louis. Its story begins in the late 1830s, when nine families from the Rhineland of Germany settled in the Lake Creek area of southeastern Pettis County and began gathering in one another's homes for Sunday prayer and catechesis. Visiting priests — riding in on horseback from Jefferson City and Westphalia, more than 70 miles away — eventually included the Jesuit Father Ferdinand Helias (the 'Apostle of Central Missouri'), the future Bishop John Joseph Hogan (1845), and the famed Jesuit explorer and Indian missionary Father DeSmet. By 1848 the community had grown to 18 families and built a simple church in Lake Creek Township; a second, larger wooden chapel with a bell tower was erected in 1881 under Precious Blood Father Andreas Gietl.
- 1837 — Nine German Catholic families settle in Lake Creek, Pettis County.
- 1840s — Jesuit Fr. Ferdinand Helias becomes the first priest to celebrate Mass for the community.
- 1845 — Fr. John Joseph Hogan (later Bishop of Kansas City) visits.
- 1848 — First church built; community has grown to 18 families.
- 1880 — Fr. William Schmitt becomes first resident pastor.
- 1881 — Precious Blood Fathers arrive; new wood-frame chapel built under Fr. Andreas Gietl.
- 1898 — Precious Blood Fathers depart; parish returns to secular clergy.
- 1924 — Diamond jubilee: 2 bishops, 1 monsignor, 20 priests, 47 confirmations.
- 1931 — Two Benedictine sisters arrive to teach school.
- 1955 — Parish school closes due to lack of teachers.
- 1974 — Parish mothers, trained by Sister Laura Will, take over CCD teaching.
- 2013 — 175th anniversary celebrated; Bishop Emeritus John R. Gaydos preaches anniversary Mass.
- 2019 — Merged with Sacred Heart and St. Patrick to form St. Vincent de Paul Parish.
- August 1, 2023 — Lightning destroys the 142-year-old chapel; only the chimney remains.
The 2023 Lightning Fire and the Road Forward
In the early hours of August 1, 2023, lightning struck the bell tower of the 142-year-old St. John the Evangelist Chapel at about 5:15 a.m. The wooden structure burned so quickly that fire crews could not save it, and the heat even partially melted siding on the nearby Community Center. The historic chapel — built in 1881 under Precious Blood Father Andreas Gietl — was a total loss, though no one was injured and the sacramental records survived. That same evening, Father Joseph Corel and the faithful gathered in the adjacent St. John the Evangelist Community Center for a Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City wrote that the flames 'may have consumed the physical structure of St. John the Evangelist Chapel, but they cannot destroy the spirit and resilience that have defined the chapel community of St. John in St. Vincent de Paul Parish for years.' Weekly Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration at the Bahner site has continued at the Community Center, and the parish remains an active chapel of St. Vincent de Paul Parish of Pettis County.
- Lightning strike: ~5:15 a.m., August 1, 2023
- Historic chapel age at loss: 142 years
- Casualties: none; sacramental records preserved
- Only the brick chimney survived the blaze
- Same-day response: Eucharistic Holy Hour in the St. John Community Center
- Bishop W. Shawn McKnight's statement: 'spirit and resilience' of the chapel community unbroken
- Parishioner Michael Bahner: the surviving chimney 'symbolizes the spirit of the people here, a spirit that goes back all the way to the Civil War'
Parish Life and Ministries
St. Vincent de Paul Parish describes itself as a 'parish family following in the footsteps of Christ' — a community of faith committed to worship, education, and service. Ministries span the whole sacramental and pastoral life of the parish: Baptism Preparation, Confirmation Preparation, Marriage Preparation (with a six-month notice), Funeral Planning, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), the Parish School of Religion (PSR / CCD), Health Ministry, and Nursing Home Visitation. The Parish Pastoral Council serves as an advisory body, while Parish Organizations and FORMED.org (a 'Catholic Netflix' media library free to parishioners) round out formation and fellowship opportunities.
- Baptism Preparation
- Confirmation Preparation
- Marriage Preparation (call 660-827-2311, 6+ months in advance)
- Funeral Planning
- RCIA — Becoming Catholic (Bob & Jean Simon, 660-221-4612)
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — Mariela Messina, 660-827-2311 / [email protected]
- Health Ministry
- Nursing Home Visitation
- Pastoral Parish Council
- Parish Organizations (faith, service, fellowship)
- Liturgical Resources / Choir
- Stewardship
- FORMED.org — free Catholic media library for parishioners
Clergy and Staff of St. Vincent de Paul Parish
St. John the Evangelist is served through the combined St. Vincent de Paul Parish of Pettis County, which is led by two Pastors in Soliduum: Rev. Joseph Corel and Rev. David Veit. The parish office is located at 421 W 3rd Street, Sedalia, MO 65301, and can be reached at (660) 827-2311 or (660) 826-2062. The Diocese of Jefferson City chancery offices can be reached at (573) 635-9127.
- Rev. Joseph Corel — Pastor in Soliduum
- Rev. David Veit — Pastor in Soliduum
- Parish Office: 421 W 3rd Street, Sedalia, MO 65301
- Parish Office Phone: (660) 827-2311 or (660) 826-2062
- Diocese of Jefferson City Chancery: (573) 635-9127
The Three Chapels of St. Vincent de Paul Parish
The merged St. Vincent de Paul Parish of Pettis County gathers at three chapel sites across the Sedalia–Bahner area, each with its own history and role. St. Patrick and Sacred Heart are in Sedalia proper, while St. John the Evangelist continues as a mission chapel serving the Bahner community southeast of town.
- St. Patrick Chapel — 415 E 4th Street, Sedalia
- Sacred Heart Chapel — 421 W 3rd Street, Sedalia (parish office and Adoration Chapel)
- St. John the Evangelist Chapel — 30602 (30628) Highway V, Bahner / Smithton
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Ferdinand Helias, S.J. (visiting)1840s
First priest to visit and offer Mass for the Lake Creek settlers; known as the 'Apostle of Central Missouri.'
- Fr. John Joseph Hogan (visiting)1845
Future Bishop of Kansas City.
- Fr. DeSmet, S.J. (visiting)19th c.
Renowned Jesuit explorer and Indian missionary.
- Fr. H. Plarrer (visiting)19th c.
Came frequently from Jefferson City.
- Fr. William Schmitt1880
First resident pastor; served only several months; built the little parsonage.
- Fr. Andreas Gietl, C.PP.S. (visiting/assigned)1881–1898 era
Precious Blood Father under whose pastorate the 1881/1883 wood-frame chapel was built.
- Fr. Thomas Meyer, C.PP.S.April–July 1898
Last of the Precious Blood Missionary priests at St. John's; parish returned to secular clergy in 1898.