St. John Church razed

With one final blessing of the building and the construction crew, St. John the Evangelist Church was demolished on September 2 after sitting in the parking lot of St. Therese the Little Flower Parish, Rapid City, for 50 years. Structural issues, mold, asbestos, lead paint, and the cost of repairs led to the building’s demolition.

According to former pastor Fr. Kerry Prendiville, the parish and finance councils began talking about what to do with the building approximately ten years ago.  “We looked for a purpose for it but it would necessitate very expensive upgrades — mechanical, electric, HVAC, interior walls, ADA compliant doorways etc.,” he explained. “Ultimately, we judged it would be better to purposefully build something. We also began to see the benefit of some additional green space for outdoor activities with children.”

To complete the project before a new priest was assigned to the parish, Fr. Kerry began the process of removing the church from the property. Sacred items had long been removed from the property, and the parish had been designated for secular use.

With final approval, Fr. Mark McCormick, in his first week assigned to the parish, announced that the building would be torn down. On July 19, parishioners of St. Therese celebrated the building with a procession from the current church to the steps of St. John while the bell rang out from the bell tower one last time for a blessing of the inside and outside of the building.

In April of 1940, the Church of St. John the Evangelist was established by the Bishop John Lawler. The first boundaries were defined as “all of the city lying north of Rapid Creek, and all of the area lying 10 miles north of the city limits.”

In August 1940, Rev. Michael T. Costigan was appointed pastor and, under his direction, the church and rectory was completed and furnished. Articles of Incorporation were filed with the State of South Dakota and on November 27, 1941, the new church was dedicated by Bishop Lawler and the first Mass was offered. The parish consisted of 165 families.

In 1948, a parish school opened with classrooms in the basement of the church until a school building was erected in 1951 and three years later a gym/auditorium was built. By 1960, two more classrooms were added. The school closed in May 1972.

On November 1, 1963, a fire severely damaged the interior of the church with damage estimated at $60,000. The building was used until 1975, when tentative plans were announced for the building of a new church and rectory. The building, St. Therese the Little Flower, was dedicated on May 30, 1976.

Before demolition the bell, two crosses, the cornerstone, and two faux stained-glass windows from the doors were preserved. The space will be repurposed as a green space for children to play.