Parish History
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church has maintained Tradition passed down by the Fathers of the Church from the time of the apostles, celebrating as given to us by Our Lord 2,000 years ago. On December 2, 1988, the Superior General of the CMRI order, Fr. Denis Chicoine, approved the formation of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Within a few months, the church was incorporated in the State of Michigan and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass began being offered in a humble hall in the city of Westland.
Two years later a church, rectory and parking lot were purchased in Wayne, Michigan for $116,000. Through the loving sacrifice and hard work of its parishioners, “True Action Apostolic Church”, a modernized meeting hall was transformed into a graceful Romanesque Catholic Church adorned with stained glass windows, an altar embellished with gold leaf work and marble and a wrought iron Communion rail—truly befitting the House of God.
The mortgage was paid in full on August 3, 1997 and an adjacent property was purchased and transformed into a new parking lot. In the fall of 1998, St. Joseph’s Catholic School opened its doors for students from kindergarten to eighth grade, staffed by the dedicated sisters of the CMRI. Parents have thereby been given the opportunity to give their children the precious gift of a truly Catholic education—something very difficult to find in the times in which we live.
In 1999, St. Joseph’s went high-tech when http://www.stjosephschurch.net was launched. A wealth of information, it offers a photographic history of St. Joseph’s, articles and weekly Mass schedules and announcements.
Through the grace of God (and a little help from St. Joseph!) the parish has grown in leaps and bounds—so much so that two more Sunday Masses were added to accommodate those who found themselves standing in the aisles and out into the vestibule.
Serving as a hub for sister parishes in the surrounding area, the dedicated CMRI priests travel weekly to ensure that those who are not fortunate to have a parish priest may still attend Mass and receive the Sacraments. These parishes include Most Holy Rosary Church in Middleville, Michigan (a suburb of Grand Rapids) and Our Lady of Victory in London, Ontario. Some parishioners travel two hours each way to attend Sunday Mass.
Parish organizations include the Confraternity of Christian Mothers, Sodality of Mary Immaculate, the Confraternity of Mary Immaculate Queen and the Knights of the Altar. St. Joseph’s is also blessed with three organists and two choirs. Holy Mass is offered daily and confessions precede Mass while the Rosary is prayed. Catechism is held twice monthly for children unable to attend the parish school and Benediction takes place on a monthly basis. Parish picnics, processions and social gatherings are also included, bringing Catholics together in a spirit of charity and devotion to Almighty God.