The history of St. John the Baptist reaches back to the establishment
of the mission of St. Charles in nearby Arden Hills in 1883. Masses
were celebrated in private homes; later a small chapel was built and
served by missionary priests.
By 1900, given the large influx of Polish Catholic immigrants, it was
clear that a new parish was needed. The Polish Catholics petitioned
the bishop, and eventually received permission to establish St. John
the Baptist in 1902. A basement church was completed in 1907 and
the upper church was ready for worshipers in 1922.
The area grew rapidly in the years following World War II and a parish
school was built in 1952. Due to the continued population growth,
an addition to the school was completed in 1955 which included an
auditorium church. Within the next thirteen years the community
had outgrown that church, and in 1968, a new larger church was
built. The award-winning, architecturally striking building serves a
community of some 8,000 members (2,475 families). Today, St. John
is a vibrant Catholic community that aims to assist its parishioners
and visitors to grow in love and relationship with the Lord through
many ministerial offerings.