Our Legacy of Faith THE HISTORY OF A LIVING PARISH THE CHURCH OF ST.JOHN THE EVANGELIST 1950-2000 Our Parish 2 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Heb. 13:8 March 8, 2000 Dear Father Goman and Parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Church, I am very pleased to congratulate the people, past and present, of St. John the Evangelist Church in Hopkins, celebrating 50 years of being a parish community. You have shown the stamina and vision that comes from faith. Your humble beginnings of worshiping in a movie theater with the pastor living in the school office have helped you grow with the grace of God into a vibrant community. You now worship God in a beautiful Church, educate your children in a wonderful and successful school, and continue to serve people with dedication in the spirit of God’s own love. The spirit of your founding pastor, Monsignor Joseph Vacek, seems to have permeated the community in a lasting way. He served the parish community first and totally, and established a community with standards of faith and zeal that continue to show God’s love in action. What Father Vacek began continued under Father Leo Howley as the parish constructed a most beautiful Church for a community to worship in. What a wonderful legacy! And that legacy has been honored and deepened by quality worship and prayer, by creative dedication to Catholic education, and by ready response to the needs of your congregation and people in need beyond your parish. That legacy now will continue under the outstanding leadership of your present pastor, Father Ralph Goman, whom I salute and applaud and also to whom I owe deep gratitude for his priestly ministry. May God bless your anniversary celebration, and may God grant you all joy in your faith and continued guidance of His Spirit as you continue to develop a legacy of faith for future generations. With blessings and good wishes, I remain Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn, D.D. Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis 3 Our Pastors 1950-1955 1955-1970 1970-1983 Rev. Joseph Vacek* Rev. W. Leo Howley Rev. Robert Thurner 1983-1986 1987-1994 1994-1996 Rev. James Remes Rev. Frederick Campbell Rev. Lawrence Johnson *deceased 4 June 1, 2000 Dear Friends of St. John the Evangelist Parish, What a privilege to be pastor of St. John the Evangelist community anytime, but particularly at this time of our 50th parish anniversary! There has been a spirit of excitement and anticipation in the air since we first gathered, almost three years ago, to begin preparations for this historic event. The spirit was not new. God’s spirit has guided our community from the beginning when Archbishop John Gregory Murray established this parish to serve the growing population of the area following World War II. That spirit was inspired by the heroic men and women who founded a community on the firm foundation of faith and service. Father Joseph Vacek, Father Leo Howley, Sister Mary Bernard, Robert Tickle, teachers, visiting missionaries, assistant and weekend priests—these and many others are names some remember and some do not. But each of them contributed to the spirit of this community of faith. We celebrate at 50 years this remarkable tradition that has been passed on to us. Looking back honors such a tradition of remarkable people and events. That living spirit also provides us with a sense of direction. As we remember who we have been and what we have done, we are renewed in being people called to worship God through Jesus Christ in the Catholic faith and to serve God in the people with whom we journey. As to that future—we will continue to build an ever new and faithful community of worship, education and service responding to the ever-new challenges and opportunities offered to us. 199 6 Rev. Ralph Goman (Rev.) Ralph Goman 5 Proclaim JUNE 25 2000 His Holiness, Pope John Paul II grants his Apostolic Blessing. 6 Our Mission The PeopleCelebr of St.John the Evangelist Churchate are a Catholic parish community united in the love and grace of Jesus Christ to celebrate the sacraments and our faith, Proclaimto proclaim and teach the Gospel values of Christ and His Church, to nurture our faith community and to respond to Nurturethe needs of those in and beyond our parish, Rthrespondough worship and service. 7 Our Beginning On June 25, 1950, approximately 350 people gathered as Father Joseph Vacek celebrated two Masses at the Hopkins Theater. This was the official opening of our parish, The Church of St. John the Evangelist, and the beginning of OUR LEGACY OF FAITH. The new parish was named by Archbishop John Gregory Murray for his MAY 1950 personal patron saint. On June 2nd Father Joseph Vacek was appointed the first pastor and assigned to assume his new duties on June 14, 1950, Church property the day Archbishop Murray would formally announce the formation of is purchased by the new parish. the Archdiocese. On Sunday, June 18, 1950, an announcement was made at St. Joseph’s Church listing the new parish boundaries and informing the people assigned to the new parish that Masses for them would be held the following Sunday at the Hopkins Theater. The boundaries included MAY 1950 three townships: the eastern district of Hopkins, southern John Markham, St. Louis Park and eastern Edina. editor of the Hennepin County The projected 110 families from Review, gave Father St. Joseph’s Parish, 35-40 families Vacek a fifty-cent endowment for the from Holy Family Parish and 120 parish, saying he families from the Meadowbrook wanted to be the first Manor development of Most to contribute to the Holy Trinity Parish would form success of the the basis for the new parish. new parish. These parishioners became our charter members, “the building blocks” of The Church of St. John Rev. Joseph Vacek celebrates the first Mass the Evangelist. of the parish at the Hopkins Theater, June 25, 1950, with Gerald Mashek as altar server. 8 Father Vacek’s assigned duties as pastor included building a school with eight classrooms and a gymnasium to serve as a temporary church on a recently purchased site in Interlachen Park. No funds were made available for the project. Masses were to be celebrated at the Hopkins Theater (currently the site of Hopkins Honda) on Sundays and Holy Days until construction of the new building was completed. First students enroll at St. John’s It was evident from the start that The Church of School, October 15, 1951. St. John the Evangelist would be an active, “living” parish. Planning for the new building began immediately and $10,000 was borrowed to hire an architectural firm to begin preliminary designs. Equally evident was the concern of the neighbors regarding the construction of a church and school in their area. At first Interlachen Park residents tried to encourage a different building site for the church. Later a petition was 1950 AUGUST 18 circulated among the Interlachen Park residents to express their concerns The Parish held about increased traffic and insufficient parking spaces. A meeting of the an Ice Cream Social Hopkins Zoning Commission was and a reception to held to discuss a proposal for a city welcome Father Vacek. These parishioners parking ordinance for churches. A became our charter study was to be made and a proposal was to be presented in a joint public members, “the building hearing with the City Council. There blocks” of The Church is no evidence that any further action was taken on this matter. of St. John the Evangelist. 1950 SEPTEMBER 3 The first plans for the new building were presented on August 6, 1950. The Parish was incorporated and Approved by Archbishop Murray, the plans called for a 55-feet by 130-feet Erling Rice and brick and masonry building on the Interlachen site. Due to property concerns Neil Cronin were and in an effort to reach an agreement with the area residents, excavation for named first lay the new building was delayed until December of 1950. A bid of $210,000 trustees of the parish. by Standard Construction was accepted for the building, which would house eight classrooms and a 450-seat auditorium. The construction was scheduled 9 Our Beginning to take 240 days, meeting the The school office would deadline for the beginning of the become the parish office 1951-52 school year. and a windowless storage The first parish rectory was a small house located on the church property closet would become the at 36 Interlachen Road. Archbishop parish rectory. Murray donated an altar for the NOVEMBER 5 1950 chapel on the first floor of the house so Father Vacek could celebrate daily Fall bazaar Masses and baptisms. Furnishings and equipment for the rectory were raises $2,252. donated by parishioners or purchased from funds generated by numerous Women‘s Club Bake Sales at the Olson-Pfeifer Drugstore in Hopkins. Early 1951 saw the continuing of the construction, with no major problems NOVEMBER 11 1950 for the parish, although it was necessary for Father Vacek to leave the four- state area to find sisters to teach in the school. Traveling east, he found Father Vacek the Order of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Melbourne, Kentucky. He moved into the first parish rectory at arrived home the middle of July with a commitment that four sisters from 36 Interlachen Road. the order would arrive prior to the opening of the new school year.