Welcome to our church community!!
hISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH'S pARISH
test Prior to designation of the parish of St. Joseph's Church in 1921 the parishioners attended masses at several locations, the first being at the home of Mary Lynch, and then off and on at the homes of Jim Kinney, Pat Maginnis, Art Bickel, and Ed Roche. Mass was said by priests from Sidney at regular intervals from 1909 to 1921. Some of the priests who celebrated mass at the time were Father James Doscon, Father Michael Feeney, Msgr. Anton Link, and Father Martin Lawler.
Pat Maginnis donated the ground that a small frame church was placed on in 1911. The church accommodated about 30 members. Later it was enlarged to seat 110 people and in 1951 it was replaced by the present structure we enjoy today. Msgr. Kintz was the supervisor of that project which would eventually seat around 400 people.
The first pastor, Father Patrick Moriarty, lived in a small room attached to the rear of the church for awhile, which was later made into the sanctuary and sacristy. At that time a rented house served as the priest's residence. A two-story brick rectory was built alongside the the church in 1928. This served as home for the resident priest until 1957 when a new rectory was built. This project again was under the supervision of Msgr. Kintz.
Msgr. Kintz had a dream of having a Catholic parochial school. By 1963 he had completed building an eight-classroom building, fully equipped on an eight acre piece of ground two and one-half blocks from the church. Unfortunately a shortage of teaching sisters developed and the school never opened. The building has since been used for parish religious education classes and recently for a temporary church while St. Joseph's underwent another remodel in 1998.
In 1970 Joaguin Flores donated a bell to the church and the parish members erected it in 1993 under the supervision of George Barp. The pastor at that time was Msgr. Carl Hayden. The latest renovation of the church was under the supervision of Father Francis Curran. As before mentioned, mass was held in the Catholic School until completion in 1998. Father Curran left the parish in 2002 and Father Bob Karnish was his replacement. In 2009 St. Joseph's renovated the downstairs kitchen. The current priest is Father James Joseph.
There were many priests, sisters and people that helped develop the church we enjoy today and contributed to the history as well. Some of those being, Msgr. Kintz, Father Schlaf, Patrick Quinn in April of 1921. The first recorded marriage was that of Robert Maginnis and Genevieve Tierney in January of 1922.
It is difficult to write a summary of the history of St. Joseph's without leaving someone out, but make no mistake, all members were important to have the church we have today. There were many firsts; first baptisms, first marriages, first communions, first priests, and yes, first funerals. This is the history that makes us proud to belong to this parish and we look forward to the future to come.
Pat Maginnis donated the ground that a small frame church was placed on in 1911. The church accommodated about 30 members. Later it was enlarged to seat 110 people and in 1951 it was replaced by the present structure we enjoy today. Msgr. Kintz was the supervisor of that project which would eventually seat around 400 people.
The first pastor, Father Patrick Moriarty, lived in a small room attached to the rear of the church for awhile, which was later made into the sanctuary and sacristy. At that time a rented house served as the priest's residence. A two-story brick rectory was built alongside the the church in 1928. This served as home for the resident priest until 1957 when a new rectory was built. This project again was under the supervision of Msgr. Kintz.
Msgr. Kintz had a dream of having a Catholic parochial school. By 1963 he had completed building an eight-classroom building, fully equipped on an eight acre piece of ground two and one-half blocks from the church. Unfortunately a shortage of teaching sisters developed and the school never opened. The building has since been used for parish religious education classes and recently for a temporary church while St. Joseph's underwent another remodel in 1998.
In 1970 Joaguin Flores donated a bell to the church and the parish members erected it in 1993 under the supervision of George Barp. The pastor at that time was Msgr. Carl Hayden. The latest renovation of the church was under the supervision of Father Francis Curran. As before mentioned, mass was held in the Catholic School until completion in 1998. Father Curran left the parish in 2002 and Father Bob Karnish was his replacement. In 2009 St. Joseph's renovated the downstairs kitchen. The current priest is Father James Joseph.
There were many priests, sisters and people that helped develop the church we enjoy today and contributed to the history as well. Some of those being, Msgr. Kintz, Father Schlaf, Patrick Quinn in April of 1921. The first recorded marriage was that of Robert Maginnis and Genevieve Tierney in January of 1922.
It is difficult to write a summary of the history of St. Joseph's without leaving someone out, but make no mistake, all members were important to have the church we have today. There were many firsts; first baptisms, first marriages, first communions, first priests, and yes, first funerals. This is the history that makes us proud to belong to this parish and we look forward to the future to come.