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History / Historia
St. John the Evangelist Church is modeled after the first Church built in Tucson at the foot of A Mountain. This Church was built by Fr. Garcez in 1775, and was known as San Jose de Tucson. The "Mission" style front holds a trinity of bells in its open gable. One of the bells is a memorial to the martyred Fr. Garcez.
St. John's was first built as a Chapel to All Saints Parish. Ground broke for the Chapel on August 14, 1933, at 3709 South 7th Avenue. The first Mass was celebrated by Fr. Victor Stoner on September 4, 1934.
St. John the Evangelist Church is modeled after the first Church built in Tucson at the foot of A Mountain. This Church was built by Fr. Garcez in 1775, and was known as San Jose de Tucson. The "Mission" style front holds a trinity of bells in its open gable. One of the bells is a memorial to the martyred Fr. Garcez.
St. John's was first built as a Chapel to All Saints Parish. Ground broke for the Chapel on August 14, 1933, at 3709 South 7th Avenue. The first Mass was celebrated by Fr. Victor Stoner on September 4, 1934.
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According to the Catholic Register, on Sept. 14, 1941, Bishop Daniel J. Gercke re-established the former parish of St. John the Evangelist with Fr. Victor R. Stoner continuing as pastor. St. John's was Canonically erected as a parish on September 4, 1941. By 1947, the parish consisted of 192 families actively attending Mass. Fr. Victor served as pastor until the Holy Ghost Fathers assumed direction of the parish in 1948. Fr. Joseph B. Murphy was appointed pastor by Bishop Gercke under the direction of the Holy Ghost Fathers. Only three months after becoming Pastor, Fr. Murphy wrote in his weekly bulletin letter that he hoped to have a Parochial School and a permanent church that would seat 600 people by Sept of 1949...
Msgr. Raul P. Trevizo, V.G.
has served as pastor of St. Johns since Sept. 1993.
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Work started at the present site at 12th Ave. & Ajo Way on April 4, 1949. On Sept. 25,1949, Bishop Gercke blessed the new church.
By September of 1950, the Sisters of Charity, who had been teaching Sunday School to the children, would open St. John's School. The construction for the school began in June 1950 and was completed in 90 days. On Sept. 8, 1950, St. John's school opened with 104 students in grades 1-4 as a three room school. The Holy Ghost Fathers served at St. John's from 1948 until its change to Diocesan priests in 1991. 
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