We are Catholics alive in Christ, celebrating His Sacraments,
embracing prayer, worship, knowledge and service, all for the glory of God.
In 1872 twenty five people of faith built a small frame church in Lake Denoon, a mission outreach of St. Mary's Parish in Hales Corners. Five years later it burned to the ground but was able to be rebuilt in the same year. When that structure became too small for it's 160 worshipers in 1922, it was decided that the church should be moved further west. The little village 'by the big bend in the mighty Fox River' seemed to be just the spot.
After temporarily using the village hall, a new church was constructed in the area of Maple Avenue and Jackson Parkway. The fieldstone used for this church's exterior construction was gathered from Big Bend and surrounding areas. In 1953 fire strikes our church once again! This time the church was moved and rebuilt on our current property. The original structure at our current site now houses the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John meeting rooms as well at our K4 and K5 classrooms and school office.
The cornerstone from the 1924 structure presently resides in our current worship space among the flora to the right of the carport entrance to the church. What a blessing to have such an important piece of our history in tact and a reminder of where we have come, who we are today, and a beacon of the rock of our faith that will carry us far into the future.
What should our mission be today? We need to be more than just a place where we have to go on weekends. We need to be a family for each other. There is room in all our lives for additional friendships that go beyond work and sports. St. Joe's should be a place of peace and serenity, a shelter from the rigors of work and school. We should look forward to weekend worship as an opportunity to relax with family, to rid ourselves of stress if only for an hour.
But that can't be our only mission. We have a school that is underused. We have groups and classes too numerous to mention that need this church for meeting space and support. We have an obligation to our young people to see that they have every opportunity to grow up as good Christians. So our mission isn't just for today. It's for eternity. It's to provide a place, a space if you will, where we can all (newborn to senior) grow in faith and friendship. Our mission is not just to keep this church alive but to keep it in our lives.
