Mission Statement

St. John the Evangelist parish is a Eucharistic faith community that ministers to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of its members and the needs of the larger communities to which we belong, to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and by action.

Our Parish Vision

St. John's is a welcoming, inclusive faith community reaching out to all people. Each year many families/individuals join our parish, bringing with them fresh ideas, vitality and challenges. We hope to make people feel a part of a community that speaks to their needs and hopes. Our faith community of 900 registered households is continually looking for ways to help people meet people. At our monthly Coffee Hours after the Sunday morning Masses, new and old parishioners gather and exchange ideas. A variety of social events get people involved and develop attitudes of support and care.

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Order of Christian Initiation of Children are vital components of our parish life. We welcome those who have not had a faith background as well as others who continue their journey of faith now considering the Catholic community.

Our Youth Minister and our Director of Religious Education work on making sure that youth feel a part of the community. Youth Group, Confirmation and Junior High religious education offer opportunities to our younger parishioners. Many of our youth are visible at our worship serving in various ministries.

Our Parish Visitor stays in contact with over 500 of our Senior members.

We are a prayerful parish. Our worship together has a reputation for inspiring, uplifting and revitallizing all who participate. We offer a variety of worship experiences each weekend and many opportunities for prayer throughout the year. Our Sunday morning Masses include a Traditional Choir at 11:15 AM, singing and leading us in song; a Contemporary Music Ensemble at the 9:30 AM Mass; and a quieter Mass at 8:00 AM. Parishioners are encouraged to offer any musical talents with voice or instrument to our prayer experience. The 9:30 Mass each Sunday allows parents to come with children of all ages: we provide child-care, a Children’s Liturgy of the Word for five to ten year olds, and the involvement of older children.

Faithfully each Wednesday evening a core of parishioners gather in the Chapel of the Church for the recitation of the Rosary.

Reconciliation Services are offered several times a year, providing a setting of prayer to focus on the experience of forgiveness for people of all ages.

We also feature special times of Morning and Evening Prayer during Holy Week of Lent.

We are a hope-filled and caring parish. Our members are highly capable and motivated to reach out in nurturing, supportive ways to one another and to people in the larger community. The presence of our parish radiates out from the church building on Humboldt Street. We have parishioners involved in a wide range of ministries, Blessed Sacrament Supper Program, jail ministry, Habitat for Humanity, neighborhood associations, etc. Our parishioners have leadership roles in the local judicial system, law offices, hospitals and schools. We work with Blossom Seniors and Winton Senior Services, have a visitation program for our elderly, follow up with people coming home from the hospital with Outreach Ministers and provide prayer support to parishioners at Nursing homes.

Some of our parishioners find direction through Notre Dame Retreat House, Mercy Prayer Center, or the Sisters of St. Joseph Spirituality Center. We continue to search for ways to serve others in the larger community; we do assist with our monthly food collection to Dimitri House as well as our Christmas sharing and Adopt-A-Student program (helping financially some of our Catholic school parents.) Our Social Ministry efforts continue to search for ways of expanding the circle of life to others in our world. As an example, St. John has been a sponsor of Kosovar refugees, and helped them become assimilated into American life. The parish has tried to sustain itself in a fiscally responsible way, providing salaries of justice and equity for our staff. Our Church building now includes a hearing loop as well as an elevator, recognizing the growing need for a handicap accessible facility.

We are a Parish eager to grow in our faith development. We seek out intergenerational, circles of educatrin, dialogue, and action to learn about, witness to, and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Catholic school and Family Education program invite a wide spectrum of people into activities and learning opportunities. School classrooms that are buddies one-to-another, as well as adopted Grandparents, give young and old the place and time to share stories of life and faith.

Religious education at St. John’s combines the formative powers of the family with the Gospel centeredness of the Parish. The goal of the Family Religious Education program is to foster growth in faith through the entire life cycle. A summer Vacation Bible School has provided opportunities for children ages 4-10 to come together for prayer, learning and fun activities. We believe the partnership of parish community and family is fundamental to the healthy life of the church and society.

Our Sacramental celebrations, especially of Baptism and Eucharist, purposely involve people of different generations coming together to share the life that makes us Christians. We share a lived faith and foster new ways to expand our understanding and growth. In addition, the Women of Hope spirituality group provides an opportunity for deepening of the life of Christ for many in our community. Periodic Fireside Chats foster attention on current topics/issues, too.

We are a Parish recognized and valued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester and other Parishes for creating an empowering environment where children and adults can dicern their gifts and their calls to ministry. Our Ministerial Staff, with its collaborative style of leadership, brings to our community of faith a rich background of experiences both in and out of the Church setting. They are a talented and gifted group who look to the future to build on the past. Ministry is shared and encouraged among the community of believers here at St. John’s.

All this we are in response to God's unconditionsal love. We are a people who know the graciousness of a God who has first loved us and continues to love us even as we fall short of the mark of this Vision. We humbly recognize that what we hope for is yet to come... it is in a spirit of anticipation that we proclaim our faith. Amen!