St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Salem, Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Joseph's Catholic Church |
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| 44°56′28″N 123°01′53″W / 44.940995°N 123.031522°W | |
| Location | Salem, Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | www.stjosephchurch.com |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of Portland |
St. Joseph's is the oldest Catholic parish in Salem, Oregon. A parish is like a local church community. It is a very important place for many families in the area.
Today, about 3,500 families are part of St. Joseph's Church. They offer church services in different languages. These include English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Latin. The school connected to the parish has also been recognized for its excellent teaching.
History of St. Joseph's Church
How It All Started
St. Joseph's Church began a long time ago in 1853. A priest named Father James Croke started it. He was an Irish priest. He rented a two-story building in Salem for the church. This building used to be a meeting place for a group called the Masons.
New Buildings and Growth
In 1863, a group of teaching nuns arrived. They were called the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. These nuns bought the building Father Croke had rented. On August 22, 1863, it became a school. It was named Sacred Heart Academy. The school opened on September 7 with 80 students.
A church historian wrote about the pastor at that time, Leopold Dieleman. He said Father Dieleman used a lot of holy water on the building. Father Dieleman joked that "The devil that day had danced his last polka in the building." The next year, a church called St. John Evangelist Church opened nearby.
In 1873, the sisters finished building a new academy. This new school was on the corner of Center and Cottage Streets. A new church was also built. It was on the corner of Chemeketa and Cottage Streets. This church was named St. Joseph Church. It opened in 1889. The name was possibly changed to avoid confusion with another church named St. John's.
The church building that stands today was dedicated in 1953. This means it was officially opened for worship. A new parish center was completed in 1999. This center provides space for community activities. On August 31, 2023, the church was badly damaged by a fire.
