St. John the Evangelist

St. John the Evangelist Parish was founded in 1865 as a satellite of Our Mother of Sorrows Church. The original congregation of just 20 families met in the Rowe tavern building on Ridge Road West until 1876, when they were able to construct a stone church on the site. The tavern building then became the priests' rectory. Father John M. Maurice served as the first pastor from 1865 to 1872.

From 1882 to 1908, members of the Holy Ghost mission in Coldwater shared St. John's priest, with services held on alternating Sundays. The parish maintained this arrangement for over 25 years as both communities grew.

The gradual trickle of young homeowners from Rochester turned into a flood after World War II. The original 20 families of 1865 had grown to 400 by 1949 and 1,500 by 1959. Parochial school enrollment reached 1,001 students in 1955, reflecting the rapid suburban growth of Greece.

The parish's current church—located behind the historic stone church, near the Mall at Greece Ridge—was designed by architect James H. Johnson and opened in 1964. The original stone church still stands, and as part of the parish's 160th anniversary celebration in 2025, a display was created featuring photographs and artifacts preserved by parish historians, including the wooden cross that topped the stone church for 149 years.