In decades past, Butte boasted 10 Catholic churches within its city limits.

As the years passed, one by one, four of those neighborhood churches, Sacred Heart, Holy Savior, St. Lawrence, and St. Mary would close its doors.

After this past weekend, add two more to that list.

On Saturday and Sunday, dozens of Butte Catholics attended the final Masses said at Butte Catholic Community Central’s St. Joseph Church and St. John the Evangelist Church.

The main celebrant for the services was Bishop Austin Vetter of the Diocese of Helena, who told members of both congregations that they had every right to feel anger, disappointment and frustration, because it was a day of sadness.

“Something we love has to change, but there’s a home for you always in His church,” said Bishop Vetter. “You are not forgotten.”

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Over the last year or so, the Diocese of Helena had asked church officials in Butte to evaluate the needs of each individual parish and requested their input when planning for the future.

“No bishop wants to close the doors of a church,” said Bishop Vetter. “But it’s my responsibility to be the caretaker and make hard decisions.”

Dan Bartleson, communications director with the Helena diocese, noted in a phone interview that closing the two churches was by no means an easy decision for the bishop to make, but a necessary one.

“The closures of the two parishes will help address some challenging financial realities for those two parishes,” said Bartleson. “Operating six parishes with Butte’s population, it became just too difficult.”

Unfortunately, the closures are a nationwide trend — not just for Catholic churches, but other denominational churches, as well. Fifty years ago, the Butte City Directory listed 40 churches of all denominations. At present, that figure is now at 26.

According to a May 22, 2023 article from National Public Radio, the average congregation size across the United States has also dropped dramatically, in some cases more than half. Further proof was shared by the Pew Research Center, which estimated that three-in-10 adults have no religious affiliation.

Here in Butte, it’s not that reality hadn’t set in for the parishioners of these two Catholic churches. Collectively, they knew of the hardships both churches had been facing prior and following the death of Father Bob Hall, who oversaw both parishes.

Father Hall died Oct. 28, 2022, and because of the decreasing number of priests, no replacement was found.

Bartleson noted that changes can be painful to parishioners.

“There is a history and family ties connected to these churches,” Bartelson said.

Bartelson is right. There is a definite history behind both churches.

St. Joseph Church was established in 1902, and its congregation was made up of a melting pot of people, including the Polish, Germans, French, Irish, and Slavic-born. A fire destroyed the original church, along with the school, on Feb. 1, 1911, but all were quickly rebuilt.

Ironically, St. John’s came to be because the parish of St. Joseph was not big enough to hold its growing congregation. The expanding Catholic population of Butte’s south side also needed to be addressed.

So, the newest church was organized in March 1917, and dedicated on Jan. 6, 1918. Its congregation grew and 31 years later, a larger edifice, said to be “marked by simplicity of its beauty,” replaced the original church.

For the men and women that attended St. Joseph’s and St. John’s, these churches were an integral part of their lives, and for many, from childhood to present day.

Henry and Colleen (Nolan) Klobucar were married at St. Joseph Church in 1967, all three of their children were baptized there, and daughter Melissa married Gary Burt on July 23, 1994, at St. Joe’s.

“Five generations of my family have been part of this church,” said Colleen. “That’s unique.”

As adults, the husband and wife taught Catholic education to the church’s younger parishioners and were members of the first group of Eucharistic ministers.

“It’s such a sad day,” said Henry.

Joe Lee, who was baptized, received his first Holy Communion, and confirmed at St. Joseph’s, was also an altar boy from sixth through eighth grade.

“You knew everyone through the church,” said Lee, “and everyone got along like a family.”

For Mary Kay Maloney, St. Joseph’s, church and school, was where she made not just lifelong friendships, but lifelong memories.

A 1967 graduate of the grade school, for Maloney, the church had always felt like home to her.

“It’s as familiar to me as my mother’s front room,” said Maloney.

Susan Paynter, who was the office manager at St. John’s, knows there is nothing she or any other parishioner can do to stop the closure of St. John’s, but she will miss working and worshiping there. She also misses the late Father Bob Hall, who was not only her boss, but her friend, too.

Memories of the times spent with Father Hall and his mother, Helen, surfaced as she and her friend, Terry Streit, looked around the church.

“Christmas time was the best time, as Father Hall’s mother and me would decorate the tree and Terry would do the manger,” recalled Paynter.

“I loved this church,” said Streit. “It’s another part of history lost.”

Streit will especially miss gazing at the crucifix, which she found especially unique.

“The lighting in that church was really something, too,” Streit said.

Through the years, Gary Shea spent countless hours inside St. John’s. It’s where he was baptized, had his First Holy Communion, and was confirmed.

“It was our family church and played a significant part in our lives,” said Shea. “The church helped create a bond within our family which is what a church does.”

The church was such a constant in his formative years that as an adult, he continued to attend Mass at St. John’s

“It’s a sad day,” said Shea, “but I do understand the reasons why.”

Mass had just ended at St. John’s. Outside stood Colleen Boyle and Patty McGeehan, the two women gazing upwards towards the church.

St. John’s was their childhood parish.

“It’s just so unbelievable,” said Boyle. “It really makes me sad.”

The women described the last Mass as the end of a wonderful era that both were lucky to have experienced.

“I’m glad we were here,” said Boyle. “The memories were wonderful,” added McGeehan.

As for the churches, now closed, both will be put up for sale to pay off outstanding debts.

St. Joseph’s Church also includes a former residence and furnishings; St. John’s includes a house, former convent, and parking lot.

“It’s sad, it really is,” said Bishop Vetter, “but we had to do something.”

When asked if any other Butte church’s fate was questionable, the bishop replied, “There are no plans to close another church.”

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