The First Divine Word Missionaries came to the United States in 1895. They began their work with Black Americans in Merigold, Mississippi. The Southern Province has since staffed parishes for black Catholics in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, where they established the first seminary for black youth in Bay St. Louis.

In 1946, the Divine Word Missionaries began St. Peter Claver Mission in Taylor, Texas. After five and half years of unsuccessful attempts to interest the black people in the area in joining the Catholic Church, Reverend Henry Marusa S.V.D, third pastor, closed the small church and made plans to make a fresh attempt in a larger city, Waco.

The Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church was organized by Reverend Henry Marusa, S.V.D. in 1952. With leads supplied by personnel associated with the Union of Czech Women of Texas (K.J.Z.T.), the present site was located and purchased with a loan from the K.J.Z.T. Thereafter, an additional lot on Dallas Street and land toward the Brazos River was purchased.  

Reverend Marusa celebrated the first Mass on February 10, 1952, with five parishioners in attendance. Mass was offered on the front porch of the red brick house that is still standing. The house was built in the 1850s by the James E. Davis family with bricks made on the banks of the nearby Brazos River.

The first public statement of intent for the new mission was on February 22, 1952, with the announcement of plans to open a kindergarten by September of 1952.  The basement of the house was restored, a cement floor was laid, and walls were plastered to create classrooms. The first kindergarten class graduated on July 19, 1953.

Ground was broken for the church building in 1957 and was dedicated on January 12, 1958 by Bishop Louis J. Reicher. While we are proud of our history, today our church models the Catholic Church as a whole with a diverse, growing congregation of all races and colors in Waco, Texas.