The year was 1912 when Fr. H.J. Peiffer of St. Mary’s Church of Keota was first approached with the idea of a Catholic Church in Wellman. A gathering of four men of the city and Rev. Peiffer was held to discuss the proposition. It was noted that “several good families had left town because of absence of church facilities.”
On May 7th, 1912, a church corporation was completed with the official title of St. Joseph’s Church. The corner stone was laid on September 4, 1912, and the first service was held in the not-quite finished church on Christmas, December 25, 1912. Formal dedication services were held on June 26, 1913.
A new church was needed by the year 1960, so the parishioners built with their own labor a 40x80 brick building on the north side of Wellman. It was formally dedicated on June 26, 1962, with Fr. Martin Manning as priest. In 1978, an addition to the basement added four religious classrooms and a large open room to have more space for the annual fall dinner. In 2003, the kitchen was given a face-lift and remodeling, and a handicapped accessible walkway was added. In 2014, the vestibule was enlarged and an upstirs restroom added.
As Fr. Pieffer wrote in his notes of 1913, “At the time of this writing, St. Joseph’s Church seems to have a bright future, and if the enthusiasm and fervor of its members continues, St. Joseph’s parish will someday number among the important parishes of the diocese.” That enthusiasm and fervor still continues today, over a century later, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as we continue to serve God and educate our children in Faith and love for all posterity.
