August 18, 1898 -Ten lots north of Mountain Street and between Root Street and High Street are purchased for a new church and school location.

  • September 28, 1898 - Ground was broken on to begin construction of a two-story combination church and school, and the parish was placed under the patronage of St. Joseph.

  • February 1, 1899 - Father Schmitt received his formal appointment as pastor of St. Joseph Parish.

  • October 1, 1899 - The first Mass was celebrated in the church.

  • November of 1899 - St. Joseph School opened with 225 students, staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Sister Isabella as the first principal

  • 1902 - A two-story residence was built for the use of the pastor

  • 1908 - The pastor’s residence became the convent after the rectory was built

  • February 13, 1906 - Father Edward Berthold was appointed the first assistant.

  • 1925 - The church added four additional classrooms to the school. The enrollment had now grown to 506 pupils who were taught by a staff of ten sisters.

  • April 17, 1940 - After forty years of service to St. Joseph Parish, Monsignor John Schmitt died.

  • May 22, 1940 - Fr. Joseph J. Weitekamp was appointed the new pastor.

  • November 6, 1949 - The parish celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The parish had grown to 500 families.

  • October 21, 1955 - The cornerstone of the new church was laid on

  • March 19, 1956 - The first Mass was celebrated in the new church on the Feast of St. Joseph, with Fr. Weitekamp as celebrant.

  • May 1, 1957 - Bishop Loras T. Lane dedicated the new church on the Feast of St. Joseph, the Worker

  • January 18, 1962 - A tragic fire in the rectory took the life of the assistant pastor, Fr. William Staff.

  • May 19, 1963 - Fr. Weitekamp died after serving the parish for twenty-three years.

  • June 5, 1963 - Fr. Paul Tuchlinsky was appointed the new pastor

  • August 15, 1963 - The new school and the new rectory were completed, and classes began at the new school in September.

  • 1976 - Fr. Paul Tuchlinsky retired

  • Summer 1976 - Fr. Lawrence London was appointed pastor. There were 800 families in the parish and 300 students in the school, with a faculty of 17 made up of both lay and religious teachers.

  • July 15, 1991 - Fr. Eric Barr was appointed pastor.

  • December 1, 1995 - The new St. Joseph Parish Center was dedicated by Bishop Thomas G. Doran.

  • June 1997 - Fr. Jerome Leake was appointed pastor.

  • 2017-2018 - The Diocese of Rockford, with the Aurora Task Force Committee, announced on Jan. 29 the creation of a new school, Pope St. John Paul II Catholic Academy, starting in the 2018–19 school year.

  • June 2019 - Fr. Matthew J. McMorrow was appointed pastor.

  • June 2023 - Fr. Godwin Asuquo was appointed pastor.

  • Present-St. Joseph Parish continues to be a vibrant force on Pigeon Hill, with over 700 families in the parish and over 160 students at our school.

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