St. Joseph Parish history and priests

In 1905, the Catholic population of Raymond had grown to the degree that the community decided to form their own parish and build a church. Previously they had attended Immaculate Conception Parish in Gilbertville. It is believed Rev. John Nemmers of Gilbertville celebrated the first Mass on July 4, 1906. The Rev. H.J. Rottler became the first priest serving the parish from 1906-1913.

PARISH PRIESTS

*Historical Information

Rev. H.J. Rottler                                                1906-1913

*The rectory was built in 1907 at the cost of $2,700.

Rev. H.P. Rohlman                                           1913-1914

Rev. William Kunkel                                        1914-1931

               *Parish hall and addition were opened in 1916. 

Rev. Herold Ginter                                           Fall of 1931

Rev. Frank Vallaster                                         1931-1940

*The parish hall burned in 1933 and a new hall was constructed on the same site and was later sold when the school was built.

Rev. Louis Putz                                                  1940-1947

Rev. Victor Gerleman                                      1948-1960

*The original school was built in 1950 with three classrooms, an office, furnace room, and a basement for $20,000. A $10,000 convent was also built at this time and in August of 1950, three Franciscan Sisters from Wheaton, Illinois began teaching the 80 enrolled students. In 1954 a classroom and large kitchen were added to the school.

Fr. Gerleman passed away in April 1960.

Rev. Walter Brunken                                       1959-1960

*Rev. Brunken of Columbus High School served as administrative pastor during the illness and death of Fr. Gerleman.

Rev. Donald Sweeney                                     1960-1966

*New grade school construction started in 1964 at a cost of $125,000. An addition to Don Bosco also took place at this time. Archbishop James Byrnes gave his blessing on the new completed grade school on April 25, 1965.

Rev. Paul Grace                                                 1966-1972

*The merger began of Immaculate Conception, Gilbertville, and St. Joseph, Raymond schools. A full time hot lunch program was started at St. Joseph at this time. In May 1969, The Franciscan Sisters left our school and the School Sisters of Notre Dame began staffing St. Joseph School. A parish council and school board were organized in 1971.

*On May 5, 1972, lightning struck the church during First Friday evening mass and it burned to the ground. The portable altar, organ, and some statues were saved. The school basement assembly room was used for Sunday mass and later remodeled as a church that currently remains as a place of worship for the parish today.

Rev. Everett J. Freese                                      1972-1974

Rev. Lloyd Reuter                                             1974-1982

*Fr. Reuter served on the Don Bosco faculty. Under his guidance, new pews and carpeting were installed and the development of the basement into a permanent place of worship took place.

Fr. Ralph Simington                                        1982-1983

              * The sacristy was remodeled.

Msgr. Ardell Sodawasser                              1983-1991

*A kindergarten program was added to the school, a new entrance to the church with an addition of an overflow/cry room and handicapped chair lift were installed.

*Msgr. Sodawasser passed away on March 3, 1991.

Rev. James Secora                                          1991

Rev. Paul Weis                                                   1991-1992

Rev. Louis Jaeger                                             1992-1995

Rev. J. Flaherty                                                 1995-2000

Rev. Rick Dagit                                                  2000-2004

               *The parish became linked with Immaculate Conception in Gilbertville, sharing the same priest.

              * The rectory was torn down in 2004.

Msgr. Edward Petty                                          2004-2007

Rev. Dennis Colter                                           2008-2010

Rev. Henry P. Huber                                        2010-2022

*A preschool program was added to the St. Joseph Bosco System in 2014, to further provide a Christ-centered, early childhood education to the community.

*Many improvements and updates were made to our worship space beginning in 2016. New pews, carpet, lighting, paint, and air conditioning were added as well as new Stations of the Cross and later the addition of stain glass film for the church windows.

*Grades K-1 were moved to the Immaculate Conception building location in Gilbertville for teh 2021-2022 school year.

Rev. Noah J. Diehm                                         2022-current