Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church

Bohemian immigrants, leaving their home land to find a new
and better life, came to America. They settled in Michigan,
and founded Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church, in
Antrim County, named for the patron saint of
Czechoslovakia.
The settlers, most of who emigrated from Prague, named the
community Praga.
Their first thought after building their homes and starting to
work on the soil was two-fold. One to educate, teaching their
children about their heritage, and two bring their religion from
Czechoslovakia to their new home Praga.
Assistance for the spiritual needs was sought. The traveling
priest, Father Zorn, from the Harbor Springs area, came to
Praga to tend spiritual needs.
His first recommendation was to build a school for their
children and then to build a Catholic Church.
Church services and school were held in many Bohemian
homes and other large farm buildings.
The school was built in 1877, a log cabin, on the Southwest
corner of M-32 and St. John Road, Jordan Township, Antrim
County. Mr. Frank Severance was the first teacher.
The school lasted until 1887 when it was replaced by a
frame structure and remained as a school until 1945 when it
joined the East Jordan school system.
Note: The land for the school was donated by the GR&I RR.
The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad.
The frame building remains there today
In 1885 the Bohemian immigrants, who settled in “Praga”
(Locally known as the “Bohemian Settlement”) built the Saint
John Nepomucene Catholic Church which was
predominantly Bohemian.
This Gothic Revival church built in 1885, on land donated by
John Votruba, was a wooden frame structure.
When our ancestors set about building homes and churches
that these remain in use today speaks well of their abilities.
They were tried and true craftsmen from the old country
rendering their trade with love and pride in Praga, their new
home.
The church was erected by area Catholic men and women
who were reported to be heard singing Bohemian songs as
they worked. This was a labor of love for their religion and
Catholic faith.
The church was blessed by Father Graf as Saint John
Nepomucene.
Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen
of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the
confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk
is considered the first patron against calumnies and,
because of the manner of his death.
1893 The church remained basically unfinished inside until
Father Bruno Torka worked with Francis Kolin and the final
interior work was done.
The steeple and bell were added in 1893.
Note: The bell was dedicated to Saint Aloysius. Saint
Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) is the Patron Saint of
Catholic Youth.
Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church 1893
The church altar and some statues date from 1894
Virgin Mary
St. John Nepomucene
Note: It is not known if the statues were brought from Prague
or made by the men of the Praga community. They are
simply very beautiful and emblematic of the skilled
Bohemian craftsmen
“Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm”
1907 the church was remodeled. Sleeping quarters were
added to allow visiting clergy to have a place to stay.
The Priests generally came by train, were met at the station
or rail side and taken by horse or wagon to the church. They
were taken to area homes for meals and returned to the
church for the night.
Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church 1907
In 1924 under the guidance of Father Drinnan the church
underwent a major remodeling.
With the expansion of better roadways and availability of
automobiles the traveling Priests did not require overnight
lodging.
Tom Jensen, a qualified, Stone Mason was employed to do
the exterior work. The quality of the work as seen today is
quiet testimony of his skill as a craftsman.
The sleeping quarters at the back of the church were
removed. A sanctuary and partial basement were added and
the fieldstone veneer was added.
This fieldstone is one of the first things to catch the eye of
people as they travel M-32.
Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church 1924
February 18, 1993 Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church
became a Michigan Historical Site
In 2010 the Saint John again was extensively remodeled.
Most of the work was done by the area parishioners.
June 26, 2010, under the direction of Gaylord Bishop
Bernard A Hebda, Catholic Mass was held to celebrate the
125 year since the founding of Saint John Nepomucene
Catholic Church.
Gaylord Bishop, Bernard A. Hebda and Fathers
Duane Wachowiak, Pastor and David DuPuis
Fathers David DuPuis, Duane Wachowiak and John Falicki
serving as Deacon assisted in the service.
About one hundred people were in attendance when the 100
year old church bell called the faithful to service.
In January the church was used in filming the WW 1
documentary “The Polar Bears” The Diocese of Gaylord
approved the use and the St. John church was seen
nationally.
Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church 2011
Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church 2011
Two area cemeteries are the final resting places for many of
St. John parishioners.
St. John Cemetery M-32
St. John Pioneer Cemetery 1871 Pesek Road
The old names inscribed on the markers, many European
languages, represent many of the prominent family
descendants that remain in the area today.
It would behoove you to visit these area cemeteries to read
the inscriptions on the head stones. You might need to be a
linguist as some are in English and others in the Slavic and
Latin language.
Since its founding, Saint John Church has been served by
neighboring priests. Some of the priests, known to be in the
area were:
Fr. Bruno Torka
Fr. Ladislaus Czech
Fr. William Sliszka
Fr. James Gardiner
Fr. Drinnan
Fr. Damian Koziolek
Fr. Stanislaus Jaworski
Fr. William Sliszka
Fr. Albert Narloch
Fr. J. A. Moleski
Fr. Francis Kupinski
Fr. M. J. Ostroski
Fr. Peter Jakubowski
Fr. Jerome Szydlowski
Fr. Dennis Stilwell
Fr. Zorn
Fr. John O. Ladd
Fr. David DuPuis
Fr. Thomas A. Neis
Fr. Francis C. Partridge
Fr. Duane Wachowiak
I can personally well appreciate the people from the
Bohemian settlement as my wife’s Grand Mother, Martha
Wanek Behling, (1898-1976) was born in the Bohemian
settlement at the head of the Jordan Valley. Her family of 7
lived in a small two room log cabin on a hill overlooking
March Road. At this juncture the Saint John Nepomucene
Catholic Church, was affiliated with St. Anthony of Padua in
Mancelona.
Martha enjoyed relating to her grandchildren time spent
attending this church.
My thanks to:
The Boyne Valley Catholic Community, their staff and lay
persons. Especially Patty and Sue from Boyne City.
To Donna Theibert and her husband who gave, my wife Pat
and I, a tour of St. John Church and a beautiful verbal history
of her linage.
Also the many area people who unequivocally offered and
rendered their help without reservations.
Edward May III
Curmudgeonly Historian