There have been three churches called St. John the Evangelist in Plaquemine. All three have occupied the same ground. The first church faced the river and the second and the current church face Bayou Plaquemine. Father Charles Chambost erected the first St. John Church in 1840. The census of 1850 recorded 12,214 inhabitants in all of Iberville Parish. In 1852, a cholera epidemic decimated the population. A year later, a yellow fever epidemic devastated the community again.
By 1855, the College of the Immaculate Conception was established and empowered by the State of Louisiana to grant BA and BS degrees in 1856. In 1857, the Marianite Sisters of the Holy Cross came to Plaquemine to teach. Just as Catholic education appeared to be establishing itself in Plaquemine, disaster struck. In February of 1858, fire broke out destroying the church, boys’ school and the college.
Construction began on the second church in 1858, just 4 months after the fire. Fire broke out again in 1907 and destroyed St. John Free School. The church was barely saved from that fire. The second church was demolished in 1926 to make way for the present edifice.
The third and current St. John Church is the stateliest of the three churches that have stood on the property. On July 4, 1926, the cornerstone was laid, and, on October of 1927, the church was completed. The church seats 1000 persons. The building is of pressed brick both inside and out and is trimmed in marble and stone.
This achievement and work symbolizes the people of Plaquemine, their deep faith, rich Catholic heritage and dedication to building the Kingdom of God. The church is an outstanding example of Italian Romanesque architecture having been designed by the Architect Albert Bendenagel who is also known for having designed St. Joseph Abby Church at St. Benedict and the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. The center isle measures 172 feet from the doors to the Altar. The church also includes a beautiful marble baldachino. Today it is affectionately referred to as the “Cathedral on the Bayou.”