The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-05

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Gray and silent stands ST. Johns Catholic
Church in the midst of the hum and the
dust and the traffic of the busy city.
For more than half n century it has stood
there at the corner of Fifteenth and Chest
nut streets, while the fashionable town grew
up around II and then disappeared, leaving
the district to decline into tenement houses.
and worse. or to grow smoke-begr:med
and noisy by the springing up of factories.
Within the walls of Old St. Johns there is
peace and purity-the symbolic perpetual
light swings before the white altar day and
night, and the lingering faint perfume OF
incense cl.nss to the ai..
Without-surro unding the church on all
sides-there flourishes district long since
avoided as residence place by those who
once built homes Of solid brick and stone
that they might withstand the wear and
tear OF time and so down a substantial
inheritanGe to their children's children.
Just az 4stle TO the west of the portal of
st. Johns one may step over the boundary
line of what has within the last score of
years come to be called by the press and
police Death Valley" and believed by the
public to be the wickedest district of St
Louis.
Other churches may have moved further
uptown and sought more fashionable locali-
ties. but the wayfaring one, firing of the
garishness and emptiness of the life he is
leading. may find within the hush and soli-
tude of st. Johns something of the rest
that his world has denied him.
The parish of St Johns embraces a
populous district-it reaches on the north to
Franklin avenue, on the south 10 the rail-
road tracks. on the east TO Eleventh street
and on the west to Twenty-second street.
The population of this parish is a floa ting
one.
In all the big congregation of ST. Johns
there are not now more than fifty property
owners who live within the parish confines.
For the most part, the dwelling places
within close proximity to st. Johns are old
and dingy, some having reached a ram
shackled state that earns for them no more
elegant term than shanties.
The congregation of St. Johns Is cosmo.
politan in the extreme.
This one may discern by a glance at the
dress and general appearance of those who
needing the deep-toned bell of st. Johns
go to mass on Sundays, if upon no othel
day Of the week.
The little contribution envelopes that are
distributed and collected at mass each Sun
day, with names and addresses OF the con
tributors written on the envelopes show
that there are sojourners from all parts o
the world-from Cuba, Canada, Mexico
Italy and various quarters of Europe.
That the Sunday contributions in ST
Johns amount 10 more than 5000 annual,
is the tribute TO the faithfulness of tn
worshipers who gather there, for thes
come from among the poorer people. TIL
Sunday contributions are mainly depends
upon for the support of the church.
ST. JOHNS HAS STOOD
FOR HALF A CENTURY.
The original small structure of St. Johns
built more than half a century ago, nov
serves only as a chapel. the present large
building having been constructed during tn
days Of the Civil War. somewhat delaye
in its building by the stirring and unsettle
conditions of the times. but long before til
end of the conflict the message of peace o
earth was being delivered before its altaI
and through all the years ST. Johns ha
stood as sentinel whore 1t was planted, il
work. and the need of its charity increas
ing as the years have gone on.
In the parochial school of ST. Johns, a
Sixteenth and Walnut streets, there is a
average daily attendance Of 800 children