St. Joseph's Church

From its earliest beginnings, Waite Park people had a concern for their spiritual welfare as well as their “daily bread”.  More than 100 years ago, Catholics depended on traveling priests who celebrated Mass in their homes.  Waite Park was located close enough to St Cloud; Catholics could attend Mass there but it meant a journey of some distance by foot or horse and buggy.

It wouldn’t be until February 3, 1916 that the Church of St. Joseph, Waite Park was commissioned.

That summer, on July 4^th, its first field Mass – a Solemn high Mass – was celebrated, attended by many priests in the area.  Hundreds of people attended, and there was entertainment and a bazaar that followed, raising $3000 to help pay for the church.  The church, a frame stucco building built on a shelf of granite; the bell located on the roof at the east entrance called people to prayer.

Four hundred people attended the first Mass in the new church on August 28, 1916, and Bishop Joseph Busch dedicated the new church.

The first rectory was built in 1918. Sometime in the 1920s the church building was expanded to its current size.  In 1921, five acres of land south of the village was purchased for a cemetery, and in 1975, an additional two acres was donated to the west side of the cemetery.

The Church of St. Joseph celebrated 100 years in 2016.  Since then, much has been added to this vibrant parish: parish festivals and formation of our youth and adults has become part of the fabric of our community.  Funeral luncheons, Wit/Wine/Wisdom nights, social justice committee, choirs and Knights of Columbus are all ways to get involved in this community.

There are many ways to get involved – check-out our Get-Involved page to learn more.