Thursday, April 24, 2014
Search Site Tips  Home  Activists  Dorchester Illustration of the Day  Agriculture  Architecture  Artists  Authors  Books  Cemeteries  Churches     First Church     Second Church     Third Church     First Methodist Episcopal Church     St. Mary's Church (Episcopal)     St. John     More on Churches..  Dorchester Historical Society  Entertainment  Entertainers  Industry & Commerce  Institutions  Maps  Monuments  Myths  Postcard Images  Public Figures  Schools  Town History  Walking Tours		St. John  Although the Archdiocese considers St. John's to be part of Roxbury, the church building is situated technically in Dorchester. Rev. Hugh P. Smyth of St. Joseph's in Roxbury purchased land on Blue Hill Avenue, Dacia and Dalmatia (now Woodcliff) Streets in 1888. Here he erected a school/chapel. The chapel, on the upper floor, was dedicated as St. John's on April 2, 1892, and the school was opened in the following September. By 1894 construction had begun on the permanent church on the front of the lot, but the upper church was not dedicated until November 24, 1907. Father Smyth resigned St. Joseph's in 1901 to become the pastor of the new St. John's parish. The second pastor Patrick J. Supple, 1908-1932, finished off and put into use the upper church by 1917, which had hitherto been left bare and usually unoccupied. He also reconstructed the mission church, St. Hugh's, so extensively that it was rededicated by the Cardinal on November 16, 1913. Sources: Lord, Robert H., John E. Sexton and Edward T. Harrington. History of the Archdiocese of Boston. New York: Sheed & Ward, 1944. 3 vols. Feedback Do you know something about this topic? Do you have other pictures or items or knowledge to share? What about a personal story? Are you a collector? Do you have questions? Contact us here. Created: September 28, 2003   Modified: September 28, 2003