St. John the Baptist-Gildehaus Church

08/27/2026

08/19/2026

Amid the many attractions at this year’s Washington Town & Country Fair, a new scene drew steady crowds: a priest in full clerical attire hearing confessions.

Father Ryan Truss set up a makeshift confessional near the “Washington Catholics” booth, a joint effort of several local parishes during the fair’s Aug. 5-9 run.

Parishioners helped staff the booth, offering rosaries, holy cards, and other religious items and sacramentals, along with a Catholic-themed photo booth.

“It was successful beyond anything I could have imagined,” said Father Truss, associate pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes in Washington and St. John the Baptist-Gildehaus and chaplain at St. Francis Borgia High School in Washington. He teamed up with his pastor, Father Nick Winker, and Father Jeff Maassen, pastor of St. Francis Borgia Parish and Assumption in New Haven.

Father Truss said he was struck by fairgoers’ reactions to seeing a priest hearing confessions in public in full clerical attire.

“Even if they didn’t receive the sacrament right then and there, my hope is that it was a reminder to them of God’s love and mercy,” he said.

“On occasion, as I was extending my hands for absolution, I would look up and see people staring at us as they walked past — not staring in a rude way, but in a way that showed they were deeply moved by the sight."

Read more: https://www.stlouisreview.com/story/catholic-parishes-presence-confessions-washington-town-country-fair/

📷️: Courtesy of Father Ryan Truss

08/14/2026

Come join the fun all for a great cause!

08/09/2026

How is it already that time of the year?! ✨

We are looking forward to seeing our new students!! 🖤💛

Please join us for our open house on Sunday August 16th. Details below ⬇️

Still trying to figure out the best fit for your kiddo?? Come take a look, get a tour, and meet the teachers. Lots of “new” at SJG this year, and we couldn’t be happier to share it!! 🙌🏽

08/06/2026

08/04/2026

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We did it! All 1000 rosaries made their way to the post office this morning! We appreciate all the help we received in accomplishing this Huge undertaking. It was great to see SJG and OLL + plus more come together for one goal in the true spirit of Christ. Thank you again!

07/30/2026

Join us this Thursday evening for Rosary making in the OLL Parish Hall!

07/21/2026

🧑‍🍳👩‍🍳 Kitchen Help Wanted! 👩‍🍳🧑‍🍳

Do you enjoy working in the kitchen environment? We’d love to have you join our school team!

✨ Part-Time Kitchen Helper

🕙 Hours:
Monday–Friday
10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Responsibilities include:
🍎 Food preparation
🫧 Washing dishes
🍽️ Preparing and serving lunch trays

If you’re dependable, hardworking, and enjoy serving and hanging with the kiddos, we’d love to hear from you!

📩 Contact Ruth Wissmann today at [email protected] or (636) 583-2392

PLEASE SHARE!! ✨