St. John the Evangelist Church in South Portland was established in 1940, however, its history goes back to the origins of the Diocese of Portland. Bishop David W. Bacon, the first Bishop of Portland, purchased land for Calvary Cemetery at Cash Corner in 1855 and consecrated the land in 1858. A small memorial chapel, Mount Calvary Chapel, was built there in 1860- the second oldest church in Portland.
In 1910, Rev. Timothy H. Houlihan was named Director of the Cemetery and offered Sunday mass at the Chapel. In 1912, St. James Chapel was built in Scarborough- a mission of St. John's- it served the summer residents at Higgins Beach and Prouts Neck until it closed in 1974.
In 1926, Mount Calvary Chapel was upgraded to serve as a parish for residents in Cash Corner, Ligonia, Pleasantdale Park, and Thornton Heights, as well as part of Scarborough. The church was expanded with the addition of a chapel in honor of St. Francis of Assissi, a new sacristy, and a cemetery office.
Three hundred new families entered the parish in 1934 which brought about the building of a new parish church and rectory at Thornton Heights. Work began in 1939 on the site where St. John the Evangelist stood. On July 6, 1940, the Most Reverend Joseph E. McCarthy blessed the new church and gave it the name St. John the Evangelist. Rev. John R. Ryan celebrated its first Mass.
Rev. John R. Ryan served as pastor from 1940-1971. During the tenure of the second pastor, Msgr. Vincent A. Tatarczuk, from 1971-1979, there were more renovations made to the church and land was purchased for the parking lot. He revitalised and reorganized many parish organizations. St. John's growth under his leadership went from 1,238 to 1,650 families.
Under the direction of the third pastor, Rev. Joseph E. Whitlock, the parish continued to increase to 1,880 families. In 1988, the parish was divided and a new parish was established in Scarborough named St. Maximilian Kolbe. All of St. John's Scarborough parishioners became members of the new parish.
Rev. Harold W. Nicknair became St. John's fourth pastor from 1988 until his retirement in 1996. Rev. Nicknair would oversee the Jubilee Celebrations at St. Johns and help guide the parish into its second half century.
Shortly after celebrating St. John's 50th Jubilee Year, work was begun at all levels to bring about the successful coordination, cooperation, and consolidation of South Portland's Roman Catholic Community. In 1996, St. John the Evangelist and Holy Cross were assigned one pastor, and soon became known as the Roman Catholic Parishes of South Portland. Renovations took place at St. John's with the addition of the narthex and remodeling of the church sanctuary.
In 2006, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd moved into the former St. John's rectory. In July of 2008, a shared team of priests pastored Holy Cross, St. John the Evangelist, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Bartholomew Parishes.
On July 1st, 2013, St. John the Evangelist and Holy Cross merged into a new parish named St. John & Holy Cross Parish.