St. John the Evangelist in Delphos, Ohio is part of the Diocese of Toledo led by the Most Reverend Daniel Thomas, and we are affiliated with the Saint Junipero Serra Deanery. The Diocese was established by Pope Pius X on April 15, 1910. The Catholic Diocese of Toledo includes 8,222 square miles in 19 counties in Northwest Ohio with 319,907 Catholics in our total population. There are 124 parishes in our diocese, with 63 elementary schools and 14 high schools.
The early 19th century settlers traveled to this area to lay the foundation for our diocese and to practice their Catholic faith. The Irish arrived and were laborers that built the canals, and later the railroads; the Germans came in search of land that they would clear and transform from swamps into fertile farms; the French, Hungarians, Italians, Mexican-Americans, Poles, Slovaks and African-Americans came placing their abilities and talents in the service of industry; missionaries followed to minister to the spiritual needs of these early and inspirational pioneers. Today, the Diocese of Toledo is one that is diverse and continues to help our parish to thrive.
There are 15 deaneries that comprise the Diocese of Toledo, and St. John the Evangelist is part of the Saint Junipero Serra Deanery. There are 9 parishes from Van Wert, Spencerville, Landeck, Lima, Bluffton, and Delphos that make up the Saint Junipero Serra Deanery.
You can find out more about the Toledo Diocese online at www.toledodiocese.org.