Dedham - St. Joseph

DEDHAM - Established in 1891 of German and English Catholics, Dedham built its first church in 1892. The church was a frame structure, 40 feet in length and 24 feet in width. The gallery in the rear was used as a choir loft and school.

A new church was erected in 1904. The parish had 55 families at the time. The new church measured 98-feet by 45-feet. The sanctuary and two sacristies occupied 17-feet of the length. It was built at a cost of $5,000.

In 1939, St. Joseph's has increased to 140 families and a new church was again in order. This brick building was 125-feet by 51-feet with a basement under the entire structure. The present church was dedicated on Oct. 1, 1940 by Bishop Heelan.

The first school was held in the rear of the 1892 church. When the 1904 church was built, the old church was made into a school. A brick school was erected in 1913. It was a two-story building with a basement. The cost was $18,250.

Classes were taught by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. The school included grades 1-10 until 1930, when the high school was dropped. Dedham and Willey combined schools in 1964. Grades 1-4 were in Willey and grades 5-8 were in Dedham. St. Joseph's School closed in 1990.

The school was razed in 1992 and now the children attend Holy Spirit and Kuemper in Carroll. The parish has 27 students in Kuemper Catholic High School and 37 in Kuemper Catholic Grade School.

St. Joseph's is proud to have had 6 native priests: Fathers Louis Anthofer, Peter Mattes, Louis Meyer, Othmar Koester, Herbert Stangl and Brian Danner.

Sixteen of the parish's daughters joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. One has joined the Sisters of St. Francis in Clinton and one has joined the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.

The parish has a finance council and a ladies guild. Both are active in promoting various projects. St. Joseph's has an adult choir, a student choir and a unity choir with Willey.

A successful centennial was held in 1992. With the leadership of dedicated priests and lay people strong in their Catholic beliefs, it is certain St. Joseph's Parish will celebrate many more centennials.