Our Story

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.