St. Joseph Parish

Mission Statement
MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH
Faith filled, we are enlivened by the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to one another in these ways:

through our individual personal relationship with Jesus;
through renewed commitment to our common worship centered in the Holy Eucharist and the sacraments;
through personal responsibility and participation of each of us as members of the Body of Christ;
by considering parishioners of all ages as precious and important for involvement and ministry;
through provision of religious education for our adults, youth and children to continue a lifelong spiritual development;
by welcoming all and reaching out through evangelization, aid, and service to active inactive parishioners and those in need around us;
by effective communication within our parish family, and getting to know one another through our social gatherings;
through the formation of small faith sharing groups to strengthen and enrich our parish community.

We proclaim this our mission as the people of St. Joseph Parish, and we dedicate ourselves to these promises, and will evaluate our progress toward them each year at Pentecost. In pursuit of these goals, we seek the ongoing guidance of the Holy Spirit in the living of our common life in Jesus.

A History of St. Joseph Parish
In 1916 Reverend Herman Busse, the newly appointed chaplain of St. Walburg Convent, was asked to guide the establishment of St. Joseph Parish in Crescent Springs, a thriving little town situated on the Cincinnati Southern Railroad. On Sunday, May 28, 1916, the first families of the fledgling parish assembled on the site of their new parish home, while a parade escorted Bishop Brossart from the end of the streetcar line in Ft. Mitchell (near the intersection of Orphanage Road and Dixie Highway). About fifty mounted riders, a regiment of the Knights of St. John, members of the Catholic Order of Foresters, and other benevolent societies led the Bishop to meet the awaiting crowd where he laid the cornerstone of the new church.
Work on the little brick church, which would have a seating capacity of about 250, progressed steadily with the labor and personal sacrifice of the founding families. The building also included a large classroom for a school. By July 1916 the building was under roof, and on Sunday, September 3, Bishop Brossart dedicated the new St. Joseph Church. A one-room parish school was opened that month under the direction of the Benedictine sisters.
The church was situated near the railroad at a location very convenient for parishioners. It soon became a landmark for those travelling by rail through Crescent Springs from Lexington to Cincinnati. In 1917 the parish received a large oil painting of St. Joseph, its patron saint, from Joseph Schmitt, a Covington artist.
Father Busse continued as pastor until poor health brought about his resignation in September 1929. After retirement Father Busse made his home in Covington with his sister, Mrs. Angeline Haas. He died at St. Elizabeth Hospital on July 21, 1930, and was interred in Mother of God Cemetery.
On May 30, 1941 the parish celebrated its Silver Jubilee under the direction of Reverend Gerald J. Connolly. Reverend George L. Stier succeeded Father Connolly on July 1, 1947. In July 1951, Father Stier began construction of a new parish school on a five-acre plot of land near Nordman Drive. The building was dedicated by Bishop Mulloy on November 23, 1952.
The 1950's brought subdivision development in a nearby area of farmland soon to be incorporated as the city of Villa Hills, as well as plans to construct a major expressway within a mile of the parish grounds. It was soon evident to the pastor and parishioners that a much larger church was needed. After many years of sacrifice, hard work, and great community effort, a new church was completed in May 1960. Msgr. Hillenmeyer granted permission for Father Stier to bless the new church privately on May 14, and the church was opened on May 15, just in time for celebration of First Holy Communion. In November the pastor moved into the new rectory, which also contained the parish office and a large lower-level meeting room. The formal dedication of the church by Bishop Richard Ackerman did not occur until May 5, 1962.
The church structure was built in the shape of an "L", consisting of two naves for seating the congregation. The sanctuary was located at the intersection of the naves. The lower level under the right nave serves to this day as a church hall for wedding receptions and parish social gatherings.
The parish flourished and grew to 385 families with a school enrollment of over 350. Father Stier proposed to retire at year-end 1969, feeling that a younger man was needed to carry the burden he had borne for 22 years. His formal resignation occurred on January 15, 1970, when Father R. Leroy Smith was appointed pastor and Father Wilfred Doll was appointed part-time associate pastor. In September 1970 Father James Dunne was appointed full-time associate pastor. Father Robert Reinke replaced Father Dunne two years later.
In 1975 a new school addition was completed to help relieve overcrowding. Father Maurice Delange arrived at the parish in 1977, which now numbered almost 800 families. Father Joseph Shuman served as associate pastor beginning in 1979, and Father Daniel Vogelpohl, beginning in 1980.
In 1980 the Sisters of Notre Dame replaced the Sisters of St. Benedict in staffing the school. Sr. Mary Suzanne was appointed principal, followed by Sr. Mary Lynette in 1987. In 1982 the same religious community responded to the parish's request for a full-time Director of Religious Education (DRE) with the appointment of Sister Mary Bonita, subsequently followed by Sister Ann Adele, and Sister Margene Koester.
1981 was marked by the arrival a new associate pastor, Msgr. Donald Hellmann, and a remodeling of the sanctuary. Father David Roeding was installed as pastor in 1982. Father Roeding's associate pastors included Father Herman Kamlage, Father Jerome C. Britt, and Father Mark Keene. During much of the 1980ís Ms. Loraine Braun served as parish secretary, and Rev. Mr. Ralph Colatrella served as deacon.
In the spring of 1985, when the parish numbered over 1,100 families and school enrollment had climbed to over 450, the decision was made to add eight new classrooms and a gymnasium. The site of the project was blessed on Thanksgiving Day 1985, and the new school addition was completed for the start of the 1986-87 school year. The pastoral staff was expanded in the late 1980ís with the hiring of Robert Whitaker as full-time Music Director and John Maisel as director of youth ministries.
Fr. James Quill arrived as pastor on July 1, 1991. Deacon Marvin Holstein began his ministry in 1992. Father Ronald Ketteler has served the parish by presiding at masses and administering sacraments since moving to St. Joseph in 1993. The need for classroom space had forced the parish to house the school library and music room in the original church building, now requiring frequent and costly maintenance. Once again the pastor and consultative councils began to discuss expansion of both the school structure and church. A pledge drive was launched in 1993 to fund these expansions.
Our current pastor, Fr. Raymond Hartman, was welcomed into the parish on July 1, 1994, along with parochial vicar, Fr. Douglas Lauer. Later that summer the former convent building was converted into the new Pastoral Center, containing pastoral staff offices, as well as a meeting room and kitchen area. Ms. Judy Hoferkamp assumed the duties of school principal in the autumn of 1994, while construction commenced on the school and church expansions. The original church structure, which had served the parish since its construction in 1916, was demolished to regain parking spaces lost to the building expansions.
On September 2, 1995 the community gathered for the dedication of the school and church additions. The new school wing houses the library, science lab/computer room, music room, and Faith Community Center. The church addition contains a Blessed Sacrament chapel and a restroom adjacent to the middle nave, which connects the two original naves into a cohesive worship space.
Deacon Joe Baker was ordained in January 1996. That same year Ms. Peggy Haupt became the DRE. Dan Stover became Music Director in 1997.
In August, 2000 Dr. Randy Pennington became Music Director and in November, 2000 Tina Klare became Director of Youth Ministry.
As of December 2000, St. Joseph Church is the parish home to 5,149 registered parishioners in 1,477 households. Our pastor, Father Raymond Hartman, is assisted in pastoral service and administration by Father John Sterling (Parochial Vicar), Deacons Joe Baker and Marvin Holstein, Mary Fasbender (Business Manager), Sandy Hahn (Office Manager), Peggy Haupt (DRE), Tina Klare (Youth Director), Dr. Randy Pennington (Music Director), and Debbie Theissen (Secretary to the DRE). 540 students attended St. Joseph School during the 1999-00 school year with a staff of over 40 teachers, aides, secretaries, cafeteria and maintenance personnel.
In July, 2001, Rev. Edward J. Brodnick was appointed pastor of St. Joseph Church. Becky Brown became principal at St. Joseph School.