St. John the Evangelist, Morristown

Incorporated on May 28, 1873, the Rt. Rev. Edgar P. Wadhams, Bishop of Ogdensburg, gave the first contributions towards a church in Morristown. Prior to the completion of St. John the Evangelist Church in December of 1877, occasional Masses were offered in the old stone store on Main Street with other faithful traveling by boat to Brockville, Ontario in order to attend Mass. The first Mass at St. John’s was held December 23, 1877 offered by Father Michael Brown. The church was expanded and dedicated on January 15, 1907 by Bishop Henry Gabriels.

Originally, St. John’s Church was a station of and then a mission of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. At different times it was also a mission of Heuvelton, Lisbon, De Kalb Junction, and later of St. Patrick’s Church in Rossie. On November 20, 1935, St. John the Evangelist ceased to be a mission and became a parish with Rev. Noel Zimmerman as administrator. In 1937 Father Zimmerman was named its first resident pastor. Under the leadership of Father Zimmerman, the physical structure of the church was doubled in size and a rectory was added to the church property thanks to the generous donation of a home. The church was re-dedicated by Bishop Joseph Conroy in September 1937. Father Zimmerman has the honor of having the longest tenure as pastor of St. John’s Parish serving for seventeen years until 1954.

In the 1980’s, largely due to the influx of summer parishioners, it became obvious that the church was too small to accommodate the faithful at Sunday Masses and so under the direction of Msgr. Harry Snow, who was pastor at the time, plans were developed for a larger church structure. The old church was demolished and the current church was dedicated by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana on January 10, 1988. Also, around this time beginning in 1970 under the pastorate of Rev. Kevin Conners, in addition to the Masses at the church, an outdoor Mass was offered during the summer months at Jacques Cartier State Park in Morristown. Although popular with local and summer residents, it was discontinued in 1998.

It was during the pastorate of Rev. Douglas Lucia (2006-2008) that serious discussion regarding a possible merger began with the parish council of St. Peter’s in Hammond with St. Patrick’s Mission Church and the parish council of St. John the Evangelist in Morristown. This merger was realized under Father Lucia’s successor, Rev. Kevin McEwan, on January 20, 2009 and the new parish of “The Roman Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond & Rossie” was formed.


St. John’s Catholic School

In 1949 a large stone house on the corner of Morris and Gouverneur Streets was purchased which, thanks to the generosity of parishioners and members of the community, and under the guidance of Father Zimmerman, was to become St. John’s School. The school opened in the Fall of 1949 with 65 students being taught by three Sisters of St. Joseph, with Sister Mary Alice as principal.

With help from volunteers, including students from Wadhams Hall Seminary, a new school on Morris Street was begun in the1950’s adjacent to the stone building which at the time was being used both as a school and convent. Rev. Paul Hagan, pastor at this time, started a campaign to raise funds in 1958 and the new building, which was to include four modern classrooms and a gymnasium, was dedicated in 1960 by Bishop James J. Navagh. In 1961 The Catholic Directory listed 100 students in Grades K-8 with 4 Sisters of St. Joseph. The school closed in 1969 but the building continues to serve as a parish center and is used for Religious Education, Adult Formation and Community Activities.




Church Time Line

1873 – 1877 Station of the Cathedral
1878 – 1887; 1891 – 1892 Mission of the Cathedral
1888; 1903 – 1906 Mission of Heuvelton
1889 Mission of Lisbon
1897 – 1902 Mission of DeKalb Junction
1907 – 1915 Mission of Rossie
1907 Church Dedicated
1937 – 2009 Resident Pastor
January 20, 2009 Incorporation The Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond & Rossie


Clergy Time Line

1937 – 1954 Rev. V. Noel Zimmerman
1955 – 1957 Rev. James L. Meehan
1958 – 1962 Rev. Paul M. Hagan
1963 – 1970 Rev. James P. Igo
1970 – 1972 Rev. L. Kevin Conners
1972 – 1974 Rev. Thomas G. Votraw
1974 – 1976 Rev. Arthur J. LaBaff
1977 – 1982 Rev. Bernard E. Christman
1983 – 1985 Rev. John R. Murphy
1986 – 1997 Rev. Harry K. Snow
1998 – 2002 Rev. Msgr. Leeward J. Poissant
2003 – 2006 Rev. Albert J. Hauser
2006 – 2008 Rev. Douglas J. Lucia
2008 – January 20, 2009 Rev. Kevin D. McEwan