St. John the Baptist Catholic Church crowns Kansas City's Strawberry
Hill.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is an ethnic
Croatian parish established by immigrants residing in the Strawberry Hill
neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas in 1900. The cornerstone of
St. John the Baptist was blessed on May 15, 1904. Every pastor in the history
of this congregation has been Croatian speaking.
The altars and pulpit at St. John the Baptist Catholic
Church were made in Austria. The original bell is still in the bell tower
and is inscribed in Croatian with "The Living I Summon, the Dead I Mourn,
the Thunder I Disperse." The stained glass windows were made at the Skarda
factory in Berne, Switzerland.
This beautiful church is only open during mass and other
events, but arrangements to tour the building may be made through the nearby
Strawberry
Hill Museum and Culture Center. The Strawberry Hill Museum building
served as the St. John the Baptist Children's Home until 1988.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church sits atop Strawberry
Hill and boasts a magnificent view of downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church includes alcoves forming the shape
of the cross.
Main Altar - The focal point is St. John the Baptist, baptizing Jesus.
Lower and to the left is St. Peter, and
to the right is Mary, the Immaculate Conception, wearing a crown with
seven diadems. Angels kneel on
either side of the Tabernacle. Below each angel is the Alpha and Omega.
The four golden figures on each
side of the Tabernacle are the Four Creatures from the Book of Revelation.
The left bottom panel depicts
the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham and the angel stopping his arm. The
right bottom panel depicts the sacrifice
of Melchizedek. The statues flanking the main altar of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus and the Sacred Heart of Mary.
Ceiling behind main altar - Jesus Christ sitting on a cloud holding
a book depicting the Greek Symbols for
"Jesus Christ Conquers All." Jesus is surrounded by the three major
prophets: Jeremiah with the Book of
Lamentations resting on his knees, Isaiah holding a live coal to cleanse
his tongue as he speaks the Word
of God, and Elias with the crow that brought him bread in the desert
The center mural in front of the Choir Loft is an orchestra of Angels.
Two wall hanging flank the main door of the church: Jesus on the left
and St John with Jesus on the right
Croatian hymns
View of Kansas City, Missouri from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
St. John the Baptist Church Kansas City Map
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