McHenry Countly Historical Society to plaque St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Johnsburg

The

McHenry County Historical Society Committee announced the June 29th

plaquing at 12 noon of Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church located in

Johnsburg, Illinois at 2302 W. Church Street.

The parishioners Saint John the Baptist

Church, who, along with the Diocese of Rockford, have taken the utmost care in

preserving and restoring their magnificent parish church for over 112 years,

will be awarded their historical plaque in a public ceremony. 

St. John’s story begins in 1841, when McHenry County was only 5 years old.

During this time immigrants
from Germany, began arriving to this area. Finally free from religious persecution, a small group of the newly-arrived

German immigrants: Nicolaus Frett, Nicolaus Adams, Jacob Schmitt, and Johann
Baptist Muller, organized one of Illinois’ first Catholic parishes, Saint John
the Baptist, in what was then called Miller’s Settlement.



In 1842 the first Saint John the Baptist
church was erected, a log cabin, which
also served as a meeting hall and the first Catholic school in McHenry County. The first priest to serve this new congregation was
delivered there by friendly Indians who found him lost in the woods of
Wisconsin.

In
1850 the log cabin was replaced by a larger frame church and by 1852, St. John's acquired its first resident
pastor, Father Jacomet. German
Catholics near and far depended upon St. John’s parish for services in their
own language.

St. John’s parish continued
to grow and in 1867 work began on a third church.  This new church was 50’ x 133’ and built of
masonry, in the Gothic style, so popular in Germany. It took thirteen years to

complete the new church. During this time the village of Johnsburg was platted

in June of 1868. Twenty years after its completion St. John’s, the pride of the

Johnsburg community, was tragically destroyed by fire on February 19, 1900. So
devastating was the fire that many grave markers of the early settlers, in the
adjoining cemetery, were destroyed.

Two
months later, on the same exact site as the three previous churches, work began
for the construction of a new and even grander church. Amazingly, in less than
2 years a magnificent new Saint John the Baptist Church rose from the ashes and
was dedicated in 1902.  

The
original building plans, architects and tradesmen’s names have long been lost.
Word has it that many of the parishioners, German immigrants helped build today’s
church at the cost of approximately $90,000. That’s nearly 2.5 million dollars
in today’s money.

Saint John the Baptist church truly symbolized the power
of the builders and the strength of their religion. It is clearly a landmark building, rising high above all the surrounding
structures. Surmounted by two spire like steeples and five side towers, this
cathedral, was the skyscraper of McHenry County.

The steeples and towers are decorated with
floral finials and topped off with ornate crucifixes. The main steeple rises up
159 feet, which, at one time, served as a clock tower, has gargoyle water

spouts and houses a working belfry. The bells, with their original wood

cartwheels still attached, are dated 1900, were cast in St. Louis, specifically

for St. Johns, and are rung on a daily basis.

The traditional Gothic trefoil symbol can be
seen on the gabled areas of the steeples and over the main entryways. High above
the main entrance is a beautiful circular window, called a Rose window, very
typical of Gothic design throughout Europe.

Like most cathedrals and great churches,
St. John’s is of a cruciform, or Latin cross, ground plan. The large narthex, or lobby, displays
church information, houses a small shrine with votive candles, and is separated

from the nave, or main cathedral, by a glazed and paneled oak partition.  This area also gives access to a curved choir
loft staircase. At the top of the staircase is a small gathering area with
access to the belfry service steps and the choir gallery, look up and the bell
rope holes are still visible. The choir gallery, bathed in warm suffused light
from the Rose window, houses the large pipe organ, air compressor room, and
access to the attic.

Enter the nave, or main body of the
church and the first thing that strikes you is the elevation, more so than the
horizontal space. Here you find the defining characteristics
of Gothic architecture, the pointed, ribbed arch. The intersecting ribbed vaultings
exceed 40’ in height and are supported by larger cluster style columns.  General
lighting is provided by 8 very large pendant lights.  High above the arched ceiling, out of the
general public’s eye, is a complex superstructure of rafters, hand hewn beams,
huge steel turnbuckles, and meandering cat-walks

The focal point of St. John’s is located at the
end of a long and wide approach, the sanctuary. The area in and around the
sanctuary includes the beautifully ornate main altar and left and right
flanking altars, all with colorful, and inspirational statuary. The altars and
flanking confessionals were meticulously hand carved, stained and gilded in
Germany, then reassembled here in Johnsburg. Behind the main altar is a second, smaller, pipe organ, large
hand painted murals, and a stained glass window titled “the Eye of God.”

Another Gothic feature of St. John’s is an
ambulatory path that allows the guests to walk around the interior of the main chapel and view the magnificent clerestory stained glass windows
adorning the high-rising exterior walls. The beautiful, and highly valued stained
glass windows, hand crafted in Germany, embellish the church with vivid colors
and warm ambient light.

There is no
doubt that St. John the Baptist church is a high quality built structure, but
looking this good, at 112 years old, comes at a great monetary cost. In1975and 1992 major repairs and
restoration had to be performed, and once again, repairs are necessary today,
such as a beautiful, long lasting and expensive, copper roof presently being
installed. We salute the parishioners of St. John’s, Pastor Reverend Jacek  Junak, the Bishop of Rockford, the Most

Reverend David J. Malloy, and the Rockford Diocese, for their hard work and determination in keeping this parish
church maintained for us and future generations to enjoy.

Winston Churchill said

“First we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." This is very

true, especially here in McHenry County. Unfortunately very few of us in

McHenry County know the historical background of the buildings around us, the

buildings that shape us, such as St. John the Baptist church.  Your McHenry County Historical Society is
working to change that. We invite people with architectural and/or historically
significant buildings, homes, businesses, farms, to apply for a plaque. Please
contact the McHenry County Historical Society at 815-923-2267, Info@MCHSonline.org  or go to

www.MCHSonline.org