Our Story Through History
Bishop Joseph
F. Busch commissioned Rev. Charles Grunenwald to explore the possibility
of establishing a Catholic Church in Waite Park. Feb. 3, 1916
the Church of St. Joseph, Waite Park was officially incorporated.
July 4, 1916
was a special holiday in Waite Park. A field mass - the Solemn
High Mass was celebrated by Rev. Leo Gans (who received his early
education in Waite Park) and was attended by many priest of the
St. Cloud area. The hundreds of people who attended heard the
institute band and the St. Mary's Male Choir. Entertainment was
provided with a large bazaar which netted over 3,000 dollars to
help pay for the church. The church, a frame stucco building was
built on a shelf of granite.
Four hundred
people attended the first Mass in the church on August 28, 1916.
Bishop Joseph F. Busch dedicated the new church named for St.
Joseph, the patron of workmen. Bishop Busch complimented and encouraged
the people who had worked so earnestly to build the church, "The
Church is the means of uniting people of this land in their religious
beliefs - Trust in God". Vespers and Benediction were held
in the afternoon since the lights were not in place for the evening
service.
The first
rectory was build in 1918 and stood north of the church. In 1920
a former public school building ws moved across the street from
the church and became the parish school. The convent built southwest
of the church was built in 1922 and an addition was added in 1958.
In 1990 the sisters and priest switched buildings. The old convent
was remodeled in 1988, extensively renovated the year before to
accommodate modern office and meeting space and comfortable living
quarters.
Sometime in
the early 1920's the church building was expanded to it's present
size. The portion including the north and south transepts, the
old altar area and the old sacristy were added to the expanded
building. The chimney for the furnace was put into place on the
southwest corner of the expanded building. This chimney would
later necessitate a great deal of repair to the church when it
would come down through the roof. The bell tower over the east
entrance taken down and rebuilt over the new south entrance. A
choir loft was built over the east entrance.
DISASTER
STRUCK!! Tornado the afternoon of May 3, 1938. Lying in the
path of destruction was St. Joseph's Church, which received some
of the heaviest damage in the area. With determination of volunteers,
men and women from the parish, repairs were begun. Church service
were held in the auditorium of McKinley. Tuesday, August 30, 1938
was the day of blessing and rededicating the Church. A celebration
was held and the following Sunday the first Mass was said in the
"New Church".
Except for
some changes prompted by the Second Vatican Council, the church
has remained much the same since 1938. It is the living stones--the
parishioners--who have continued to grow and prosper in the Lord.
The parish has been blessed with good, holy, generous, lay leaders,
sisters, and priests over the years. They have inspired many of
the parishioners to respond with their own generosity in helping
keep expenses to a minimum with much volunteer work by individuals.
At present
945 households are registered in the parish.
