Part of a weekly series of posts profiling places of worship in Wellesley

St John is one of two Catholic outposts in Wellesley (along with St. Paul) and is located at 9 Glen Rd., just off Washington Street. St John Church holds the distinction of being the oldest religious building in Wellesley, having been established in 1881 as an offshoot of St. Mary’s in Newton — it assumed its independence and current name nine years later.

The pastor at St. John is Reverend James Laughlin, who works as a a part of the St. John – St. Paul Collaborative to oversee services at both churches. Laughlin took over in 2016, having previously worked as pastor at Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland. Laughlin was reassigned by the Archbishop of Boston in hopes his experience overseeing the merger of St. Ann’s and St. Zepherin’s parishes into Good Shepherd Parish in 2011 would be relevant in establishing the new collaborative between St. John’s and St. Paul’s.

St. John is known in town for its K – 6 school, which provides a private Catholic education to 185 students from around the Greater Boston area.