History of St Joseph

The first official mention of Rushford in the Catholic Directory is in 1868 issue in which it is listed as a station attended by Father James Halton of Preston. In 1871 the spiritual care of Rushford was entrusted in Father Mathias Sturemberg, OSB, who lived in Hokah until 1876. In that year Father Louise Cornelis of Lanesboro was given charge of Rushford. Father James Coyne succeeded Father Cornelis in 1881 and attended Rushford until 1884 when Father Patrick Kiernan became pastor of Houston and assumed charge of the Rushford church. This arrangement continued until 1887 when Rushford was once again attached to Lanesboro. Father M. Lynch became the first resident pastor of Rushford in 1893. During the years of 1895 to 1897 Father Lynch lived at Houston.

The first Church of Saint Joseph was a small frame building which was erected in the late 1860s at the west end of Stevens Avenue. The present brick building was erected in 1893 under the direction of Father Coyne. Tin 1903, the present rectory was added to the church plant during the pastorate of Father Michael O’Connor. The next addition to the church plant was under the direction of Father Chester Gallagher in 1964.

Father Gallagher constructed the Church Hall, now known as Montini Hall after the late Pope Paul VI. Father Gallaher began the modernization of the church during his pastorate.  In 1983, when Father Leland Smith assumed the duty of pastor of Saint Joseph Parish along with Staint Mary Parish, Houston, plastering and modernization of the Sanctuary, which included a new altar, tabernacle tower, baptismal font, tabernacle light, and altar candle holders, took place.  Later that year the balcony was removed, and the church was connected to Montini Hall by the construct ion of the narthex. A new reconciliation room and sacristy were provided for in the narthex. Additional lighting was added to the church and the walls were newly plastered making the church acoustically sound and liturgically correct.  Finally new carpeting, pews, and air-conditioning were added. Father Joseph Keefe followed Father Smith, who was followed by Father William Kulas. In 2005, Saint Peter Parish, Hokah was added to make a tri- parish cluster with Father Joseph Peter as pastor. The current pastor is Father Pratap Salibindla. 

The parish grew steadily in numbers in the latter half of the 20^th century. Since the beginning of the 21^st Century, the population of Saint Joseph parish remains constant at 140 families.