ALLENTON — Loaf of bread: seven cents; quart of milk: nine cents; sticker price on a brand-new Ford; $2,005. Building a church in Allenton: $800.

It’s difficult to think of money with a 1915 mindset, but a century ago, that’s how much the Archdiocese of Detroit paid to construct St. John the Evangelist Church in the small Belgian-German-American community in St. Clair County.

One hundred years later — and with a new, $2.1 million church built in 2013 — it’s safe to say the investment has paid off with countless families who have received the sacraments and made St. John the Evangelist Parish their home.

“As opposed to larger parishes, a lot of the people and their families have been here forever,” said Fr. John Ortman, associate pastor of St. John the Evangelist. “You call out the names, and everyone here has stories they remember. There is no struggle to be family here.”

Tucked away in the southwest corner of St. Clair County, St. John the Evangelist could be regarded as being on the fringes of the archdiocese, but during his homily Aug. 9, Archbishop Allen Vigneron highlighted the important contributions communities in the northeast region have made.

“I came from this part of the state, and we have many other important members of the archdiocese who hail from this region,” said the archbishop, who grew up in Ira Township. “Let me tell you, we need priests from Allenton; that’s what it takes to keep the faith alive in small communities.”

Archbishop Vigneron congratulated parishioners on 100 years at St. John the Evangelist, imploring the congregation to give thanks to God for the grace bestowed upon Allenton through the work of the parish.

“It’s our task to use this occasion to recommit ourselves to the promise we made with God; that if we believe in him and his word, we will be granted eternal life,” he said.

Fr. Ortman said the 350-family parish community — now in a cluster with St. Nicholas Parish in Capac and St. Cornelius Parish in Dryden — operates as a tight family.

“I have no problem with being out in the sticks, which probably is one of the biggest quirks,” Fr. Ortman said. “Everyone thinks they know what everyone else has going on; it’s kind of a small town thing. Everyone is there for you to help out when they are called.”

Since 1915, the parish has grown by leaps and bound, but its roots are still prevalent. The original $800 structure is now the community center, and Fr. Ortman said parishioners still stick to the parish’s small-town, big-family roots where faith runs deep, proof the archdiocese’s initial investment has paid itself off.

“These types of events bring people together in a broader family sense,” Fr. Ortman said. “Sunday is the greatest family reunion, but periodically, we have bigger family reunions like this one, where we invite the other parishes in the cluster to share our celebration. This church is what binds the community together; it’s part of our identity.”