About

History of St. John the Evangelist Church

Serving South Siskiyou

According to church records and local articles, St. John's started life as Church of the Sacred Heart in September 1894. Before then, services had been provided in various locations in South Siskiyou County by Father Quinn and, later, by Father McGrath. Land had been scouted "above town" for creating a central church in the area for Catholics and in July 1891, on the occasion of Bishop Manogue's visit from Sacramento, the land was purchased.

Photo courtesy of Ron McCloud and Railroad Park.

Growing Community

The services continued to attract both Catholics and non-Catholics alike, and a parish was established in 1899. Communities like Dunsmuir, such as in Sisson, McCloud, and Weed, continued to grow thanks to local industry, and families needed additional places of worship. These became missions sprung forth from the Dunsmuir parish.

The onset of the Depression, however, reduced the number of worshipers. Despite that, the parishes in Mount Shasta (formerly Sisson) and McCloud soon had churches of their own, but only the Mount Shasta parish remained a mission of the Dunsmuir church.

Photo courtesy of Alan Moder.

Through Fire

The original Sacred Heart Church was ravaged by fire in 1932 and had to be demolished. The site was excavated and built upon anew - there was no shortage of workers in the congregation as it was during the Depression. By 1935, the rebuilt church was completed and re-christened as St. John the Evangelist Church.

Another fire would test St. John's in 1975, set aflame by a would-be arsonist. The fire department saved most of the exterior, but sanctuary furnishings and the altar were lost, as well as instances of extreme smoke and water damage. An insurance settlement saw that the interior was completely restored.

Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Sacramento.

T H E C O M M U N I T Y

Father Pepin Dandou

When l was ordained priest 27 years ago (April 1997) in Congo-Brazzaville, l chose the passage of Saint Paul to the Philippians (Phil 4:13) as my word of life: “l can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. I chose this passage because l personally believe that God is Providence; and with Jesus in my life and on my side, nothing will be impossible, and l’ll lack nothing. Jesus with his gospel, with his Body and Blood in the Eucharist, with his presence in the Blessed Sacrament, is the divine source that gives me strength and new energies for my journey of faith. Jesus is the only one who strengthens my life and my priestly ministry. Therefore, l obviously let Jesus Good Shepherd be the only Captain of the boat of my life and of my priestly mission. For Him, l have left everything and have accepted to be a missionary of his gospel, to be an apostle and a pilgrim of hope here in America, to bring the joy of the gospel to my brothers and sisters in Christ, parishioners of Saint John the Evangelist of Dunsmuir California.

As Saint Augustine said, “ To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; To seek Him is the greatest adventure; To find Him is the greatest human achievement”.

Deacon Tim Louie

Deacon Tim Louie was born and raised in the same area where he now faithfully serves as a deacon in the Catholic Church. His deep roots in the community trace back to 1859, when his ancestors first settled and established a cattle ranch. As the fourth generation to be raised on the ranch, Deacon Tim grew up with a strong sense of tradition, hard work, and family values. As an adult, he pursued a career as a licensed general engineering contractor, owning and operating his own successful construction company. Deacon Tim and his wife, Shirley, have been blessed with five children and nine grandchildren, with whom they share their rich heritage and love of faith. In 2014, he was ordained as a deacon and now serves the very parish in which he grew up, bringing his lifelong connection to the community and his steadfast devotion to his ministry.

St. John's Pastoral Council

Janine Scharf, Deacon Tim Louie, Eileen Congi, Father Pepin Dandou, Jan Garrigus, Halie Williams, Kathleen Shirley

St. John's Financial Council