In the Beginning

It is believed that the first Catholic Mass was offered in Beloit, Kansas, in 1871. By 1876, Mass was being offered somewhat regularly by visiting mission priests and the Catholic Cemetery was blessed by Bishop Louis M. Fink in September of that year.

The first resident priest in Beloit, Father John Timphaus, was appointed in 1877 and served between 25 and 30 families. Father Timphaus soon found that the second-story hall where Mass was being held was not adequate for his growing congregation. The first Catholic Church in Beloit was completed in 1878 followed by the opening of a parochial school for grades one through eight in the fall of 1879, staffed with one teacher and 15 students enrolled.

The Holy See established the Roman Catholic Diocese of Concordia on August 2, 1887, with Most Reverend Richard Scannell serving as the first Bishop. The diocese was renamed the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina in 1944.

Dreams Require Sacrifice

When Monsignor Michael Heitz was appointed pastor of St. John’s in 1898, he found a small stone church with bulging walls held together by a steel rod. Within a year after his arrival, he announced plans for a new church to serve the needs of the current congregation and to prepare for future growth. Joseph Marshall, a Topeka, Kansas, architect, was acquired to bring Monsignor Heitz’ dream of a church, modeled after the Romanesque Church of St. Richard in his native France, to a reality.

All segments of the parish were enlisted for participation in the mammoth construction project which extended over a period of four years. Tools and equipment in the early 1900s were primitive resulting in hard, back-breaking labor for all involved. Thousands of loads of limestone was quarried by hand and hauled, along with sand, in horse-drawn wagons over trails and dirt roads.

Work began on the foundation, built around the old church, in early October 1900, with Bishop John F. Cunningham of Concordia blessing the site and laying the corner stone on June 4, 1901. In 1904, Monsignor Heitz’ vision and leadership resulted in the completion of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Monsignor Heitz led a parish of mostly German and Irish descendants in a united effort that produced what they first thought impossible.

St. John’s was the first church in the United States built with flying buttresses and a ceiling entirely made of stone. It was, at the time, the largest church west of the Mississippi River. In 1975, the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Continued Growth

Growth continued and again, under the leadership of Monsignor Heitz, plans were drawn for the present convent located northwest of the church, with construction completed in 1911. Construction of the present grade school followed in 1913-14. St. John’s High School opened in 1920 with classes held in the grade school, then moved to the current high school/gymnasium structure in 1951.

Source: “Our Church A Mighty Fortress: The History of St. John the Baptist Parish, Beloit KS 1869-1982,” edited and compiled by Rev. Monsignor John A. Duskie, P.A., J.C.D.

In the Beginning

It is believed that the first Catholic Mass was offered in Beloit, Kansas in 1871. By 1876, Mass was being offered somewhat regularly by visiting mission priests and the Catholic Cemetery was blessed by Bishop Louis M. Fink in September of that year.  

The first resident priest in Beloit, Father John Timphaus, was appointed in 1877 and served between 25 and 30 families. Father Timphaus soon found that the second-story hall where Mass was being held was not adequate for his growing congregation. Building plans were initiated and parishioners with stone quarries were asked to furnish 22 cords of stone each; while neighboring parishioners were asked to help quarry and haul the stone to the building site. The first Catholic Church in Beloit was completed in 1878 followed by the opening of a parochial school for grades one through eight in the fall of 1879, staffed with one teacher and 15 students enrolled.

It is reported that the Beloit congregation numbered 70 to 80 families by 1883 where approximately two-thirds were of German descent and one-third were Irish. Only one-third of the families lived in town while the other two-thirds were scattered throughout the countryside. The parish completed construction of a school and convent in the fall of 1886, staffed by two Sisters of the Precious Blood from Maria Stein, Ohio.

The Holy See established the Diocese of Concordia on August 2, 1887, with Most Reverend Richard Scannell serving as the first Bishop. The diocese was renamed the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina in 1944.

Again, parishioners quarried and hauled stone and sand to build the present, two-story, limestone rectory in 1894. During this time-frame, four Sisters of St. Joseph, Concordia, Kansas, staffed the frame, two-room grade school where 88 pupils were enrolled in 1897.

Dreams Require Sacrifice

When Monsignor Michael Heitz was appointed pastor of St. John’s in 1898, he found a small stone church with bulging walls held together by a steel rod.  Within a year after his arrival, he announced plans for a new church to serve the needs of the current congregation and to prepare for future growth. Joseph Marshall, a Topeka, Kansas, architect, was acquired to bring Monsignor Heitz’ dream, of a church modeled after the Romanesque Church of St. Richard in his native France, to a reality. The firm of Nelson and Tulian of Topeka, Kansas, was awarded the general construction contract with a bid of $26,045.00. 

All segments of the parish were enlisted for participation in the mammoth construction project which extended over a period of four years. Tools and equipment in the early 1900s were primitive. Imagine quarrying thousands of loads of stone with hand tools and hauling stone and sand in horse-drawn wagons over trails and dirt roads. There were no motorized bulldozers and large semi-trucks, no hydraulic lifts or power tools. It was all hard, back-breaking labor as confirmed by some of the persons involved.

For example, “Anton Eilert assisted in the construction by hauling rock from a quarry eight miles northeast of Beloit. He hauled not only the thirty loads, stipulated by the pastor, but, because of his age, he was unable to quarry rock, so he compensated for this by hauling eighty loads.” (cf. Eilert Family History).

Kenneth Wendell, son of charles Wendell, recalls his father saying:  “They quarried stone for nearly two years before the church was built, hauled it to the parking lost west of the church until it was filled and most of it was used in the foundation… When needed Sister Regis (superior of St. John’s School) would call farmers with quarries to tell them that Monignor Heitz wanted more rock.” 

Louise Matheis, daughter of the late John Matheis, remembers her father speaking about quarrying and hauling rock for the church. His father, Nicholas Matheis, complained that his best team of mules was “worn out” after his boys, Peter and John, finished hauling the Matheis quota of rock.

A news story published in the Beloit Gazette (4-26-1900) gives more insight to the project. “…Stone is being placed on the ground for a church which will be a monument to the Catholic congregation… the building when completed will cost about $30,000.00, besides probably $15,000.00 which will be donated in windows, stone and labor… it will require 900 cords of stone and an immense amount of sand which will be donated by members of the congregation.”

Work began on the foundation, built around the old church, in early October 1900, with Bishop John F. Cunningham of Concordia blessing the site and laying the corner stone on June 4, 1901. As construction progressed, the old church was eventually dismantled, and the stone salvaged, while parishioners continued to quarry and haul stone and sand.

Construction continued slowly over the next two years. Prolonged Kansas winters, breaks required for farmers to plant and harvest crops, as well as a shortage of skilled craftsmen and laborers contributed to the delay. When the eight large Indiana Bedford limestone pillars arrived, they were so heavy they remained parked near the depot on railroad flat cars. Once there was a good snow, huge sleds were built to bring them, one at a time, to the church site by horse power. At last, in 1904, Monsignor Heitz’ vision and leadership resulted in the completion of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Monsignor Heitz led a parish of mostly German and Irish descendants in a united effort that produced what they first thought impossible. 

Interestingly, original plans for the church specified steeples for the twin towers. However, as the building progressed, it was decided to omit the steeples for fear of structural problems because of the prevailing, strong, Kansas winds.  St. John’s was the first church in the United States built with flying buttresses and a ceiling entirely made of stone.  It was, at the time, the largest church west of the Mississippi River.   In 1975, the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Continued Growth

Growth continued and again, under the leadership of Monsignor Heitz, plans were drawn for the present convent located northwest of the church, with construction completed in 1911. Construction of the present grade school followed in 1913-14. St. John’s High School opened in 1920 with classes held in the grade school, then moved to the current high school/gymnasium structure in 1951.

Source:  “Our Church A Mighty Fortress: The History of St. John the Baptist Parish, Beloit KS 1869-1982,” edited and compiled by Rev. Monsignor John A. Duskie, P.A., J.C.D.