St. John the Baptist was the thirteenth parish in the diocese, chartered in October of 1854. The first Mass was celebrated by Fr. Augustine Ravoux in 1853, in the home of William Byrne. That same year, a log church was built and a cemetery consecrated on land donated by the Byrne family. In 1866, a new frame church was constructed, and a bell weighing 1,800 pounds was hung in the tower. The bell still rings today! That church burned to the ground in 1883—and its replacement was also lost to fire on February 2, 1902. At that point, Archbishop Ireland decreed that the new church would be located in Hamilton (now known as Savage) because it had an organized fire department. The cornerstone for the new brick church was laid on October 5, 1902. The community continued to grow, and a school and convent were added in 1959, and in 1984, the present church replaced the 1902 church. Additions to the school and church in 1965, 1994, and 2000 created the present St. John campus which serves more than 2,100 families, representing more than 6,600 individuals.
