About St. John the Evangelist · Davison, Michigan
St. John the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish in Davison, Michigan, in the Diocese of Lansing. Founded in 1871 by German-speaking Catholic families who settled in Richfield Township, it is one of the oldest parishes in Genesee County. The parish operates across two campuses — St. John in Davison and Blessed Sacrament Oratory in Burton (merged in) — and is home to roughly 2,817 households and 7,525 registered parishioners from 66 zip codes. It currently serves as the second-largest Catholic parish in Genesee County.
- Established
- 1871
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew A. Czajkowski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is a vibrant, growing parish of more than 7,500 registered parishioners, where Sunday and weekday Masses are celebrated on two campuses (Davison and the Blessed Sacrament Oratory in Burton). It offers a deep sacramental and devotional life — daily Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, regular Confession, RCIA, faith formation for PreK–8, youth ministry and young adults, and beloved groups such as the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the World Apostolate of Fatima (Blue Army), and the Rosary Makers Guild. Parishioners are actively engaged in Christian Service, Outreach East, and the North End Soup Kitchen, and the parish maintains its own 28-acre cemetery and chapel–mausoleum — making St. John a true community of worship, formation, service, and remembrance.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at St. John
- Saturday 6:50 p.m. – until all are heard at Blessed Sacrament
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursdays after the 10:00 a.m. Mass until 8:00 p.m. (St. John), with Benediction at 8:45 p.m.
Welcome & Mission
The Catholic Community of St. John the Evangelist and Blessed Sacrament is one parish spread across two campuses — St. John in Davison and Blessed Sacrament Oratory in Burton — home to 2,817 families and 7,525 parishioners from 66 zip codes. The parish describes itself as 'two lungs with heart,' called to know, love, and serve the Lord and one another. Its mission statement reads: 'We the Catholic Community of St. John the Evangelist and Blessed Sacrament, guided by the Holy Spirit and nourished at the Tables of Word and Eucharist, strive to remain true to our heritage of faith by living lives of discipleship. We seek to spread the Gospel by being the hands, the feet, the voice, and the heart of Christ.'
Parish History
St. John the Evangelist was founded in 1871 by a small group of German-speaking Catholic families who had settled in Richfield Township around 1860. From those humble beginnings — a 20-by-40-foot frame church and only a handful of Masses each year — the parish grew steadily, especially after Father Henry Mayotte became its first resident pastor in the early 20th century. By 1938 it had 170 families, and today it is the second-largest Catholic parish in Genesee County.
- 1860 – German-speaking Catholic families from New York settle in southern Richfield Township
- 1871 – Frame church (20 × 40 ft) built at Richfield & Oak Roads; Masses only 3–4 times per year
- 1893 – Renamed St. John the Evangelist; stone church dedicated by Bishop John S. Foley of Detroit on Oct. 7
- 1894 – New stone church on Genesee Street in Davison (built for $4,974.74); Father Francis C. Kelley serves from Lapeer
- Early 20th c. – Mission becomes independent parish under Bishop Michael J. Gallagher with Father Henry Mayotte as first resident pastor
- 1923 – Father Thomas Carey appointed; parish grows from 21 to 97 families by 1928
- 1938 – Father Lewis Dion becomes second resident pastor (170 families)
- 1944 – Father Earl V. Sheridan becomes pastor
- 1983 – Father Andrew Czajkowski returns as pastor (had been a deacon there in 1973)
- 1984 – Three permanent deacons ordained by Bishop Povish
- 1989–1990 – 'Faith in the Future' campaign; Parish Hall dedicated March 10, 1990
- 2006 – St. John Chapel–Mausoleum dedicated October 29 by Bishop Mengeling
Blessed Sacrament Oratory (Burton)
Blessed Sacrament Parish was founded in 1957 to serve the Catholic faithful — including Hungarian Catholics — on the eastern side of Flint and Burton. It was later merged with St. John the Evangelist and now operates as an oratory of the parish. Mass is offered there on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m., and Confessions are heard Saturdays at 6:50 p.m. until all are heard.
- Mass: Saturday 6:00 p.m.; Sunday 9:00 a.m.
- Confession: Saturday 6:50 p.m. until all are heard
- Office Phone: (810) 742-3151
Clergy & Staff
St. John is currently served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, and a permanent deacon, supported by a staff of about 34 full- and part-time employees and many volunteers. The parish office is staffed Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Rev. Andrew A. Czajkowski — Pastor ([email protected], ext. 222)
- Fr. Dieudonne Ntakarutimana — Parochial Vicar ([email protected], ext. 244)
- Deacon Dan Fairweather — ([email protected], ext. 248)
- Veronica Ur — Business Manager ([email protected], ext. 252)
- Dawn Seidell — Bookkeeper ([email protected], ext. 221)
- Lisa Patykowski — Receptionist ([email protected], ext. 223)
- Elaine Ouellette — Director of RCIA ([email protected], ext. 272)
- Chris Maniaci — Coordinator of Religious Education, PreK–8 ([email protected])
- Sue Schroeder — Faith Formation Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Tom O'Brien — Coordinator of Youth Ministry & Young Adults ([email protected])
- Julie Richards — Liturgist/Musician ([email protected])
- Krysten Hergert — Media Specialist
- Juliann Pumphrey — Preschool Director ([email protected], ext. 278)
- Joe Jared — Coordinator of Guest Services and Campus Events (ext. 269)
- Gloria Randall — Coordinator of Cemetery Sales ([email protected])
- Gene Forro — Custodian, Welcome Desk
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. John spans early childhood through adulthood. The parish runs a Preschool as well as a PreK–8 religious education program (P.R.E.P.), a Youth Ministry and Young Adults program, and a year-round RCIA process for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church.
- Preschool — Juliann Pumphrey, Director
- Religious Education, PreK–8 (P.R.E.P.) — Chris Maniaci, Coordinator
- Youth Ministry & Young Adults — Tom O'Brien, Coordinator
- RCIA — Elaine Ouellette, Director
Spiritual Growth & Devotions
Alongside daily Mass and Thursday Adoration, the parish nurtures Marian devotion and prayer through several long-standing groups. The Blue Army prays the Rosary Mondays after the 10:00 a.m. Mass and participates in First Saturday Mornings of Prayer and the Annual Fatima Convention and Rosary March. Volunteers knit prayer shawls, make rosaries for the missions, and staff a Prayer Line for those in need.
- World Apostolate of Fatima (Blue Army)
- Pilgrim Virgin Evangelization (PVE 2000)
- Shawl Ministry
- Prayer Line
- Rosary Makers Guild — meets second Monday at 3:00 p.m. in the Family Center
- Gift Shop — Saturday 4–6 p.m. and Sunday 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Community Service & Outreach
Serving the wider community is central to parish life. St. John Christian Service — staffed entirely by volunteers — provides food and emergency assistance from the Community Services ('425') Building at 425 N. Genesee. Outreach East assists needy persons along the M-15 corridor, and parishioners help prepare and serve meals at the North End Soup Kitchen on the third Thursday of each month. The parish also hosts Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
- St. John Christian Service — drop-in Tuesdays 3–5 p.m. and Fridays 9–11 a.m.; emergencies: (810) 241-9796 or (810) 259-3524
- Outreach East — Jan Lebert, (810) 653-7711
- North End Soup Kitchen (N.E.S.K.) — third Thursday of the month, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
- Ministry to the Home Bound / Sick — Fridays 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
- Annulment Ministry — Deacon Dan Fairweather
Cemetery & Mausoleum
The parish cemetery occupies the very ground where the original 1871 frame church stood — at the corner of Richfield and Oak Roads. It has grown to 28.1 acres with memorial gardens, and in 2006 Bishop Mengeling dedicated the indoor St. John Chapel–Mausoleum, which provides crypts for burial and niches for cremated remains, and is used for committal services in inclement weather.
- Cemetery Office: 404 N. Dayton Street, Davison, MI 48423
- Coordinator: Gloria Randall — (810) 658-7114, [email protected]
- Annual Memorial Day Mass at the Cemetery
- Annual All Souls Day Noon Prayer Service in the Mausoleum
Annual Events
Several signature events mark the parish year, including an outdoor Memorial Day Mass at the cemetery (with light refreshments and Mausoleum tours), the All Souls Day Noon Prayer inside the Mausoleum, and an annual Bereavement Mass and Brunch for families who have lost loved ones.
- Memorial Day Mass at St. John Cemetery
- All Souls Day Prayer Service (Mausoleum)
- Annual Bereavement Mass and Brunch
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The Gift Shop in the chapel lobby is especially stocked for First Communion, Baptism, Confirmation, and Weddings. Those in need of an annulment can meet with Deacon Dan Fairweather for guidance.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- Marriage preparation and Weddings
- RCIA for adults
- Anointing / Communion to the Sick and Homebound
- Annulment Ministry
Contact, Visit & Facilities
St. John Parish is located at 404 N. Dayton Street in Davison, Michigan. The parish office is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The 1990 Parish Hall (sometimes called the '505 Building') hosts concerts, seminars, retreats, receptions, and diocesan gatherings, and the former parish school now serves as the Community Services Building (the '425 Building') for outreach programs. St. John Church itself is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for personal prayer.
- Parish Office: (810) 653-2377 — [email protected]
- Office Voice Mail: (810) 658-4776
- Fax: (810) 658-1123
- P.R.E.P. Office: (810) 653-4056
- Bingo Hotline: (810) 658-9902
- Emergency Line: (810) 658-1484
- Cemetery Office: (810) 658-7114
- Blessed Sacrament Office: (810) 742-3151
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Henry Mayotte
First resident pastor when the mission became an independent parish under Bishop Gallagher
- Father Lewis Dionfrom 1938
Second pastor; by then membership had grown to 170 families
- Father Maurice Olk
Succeeded Fr. Lewis Dion
- Father Palmeruntil 1923
Served the Davison mission area
- Father Thomas Careyfrom 1923
Appointed with several newly ordained assistants; grew parish from 21 to 97 families by 1928
- Father Earl V. Sheridanfrom 1944
Later pastor
- Rev. Andrew A. Czajkowskifrom 1983
Current pastor; had served as deacon at the parish ten years earlier; led 'Faith in the Future' campaign and the 1989–90 Parish Hall construction