About Cathedral of Saint Joseph · Saint Joseph, Missouri
The Cathedral of St. Joseph is the historic co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph, located at 519 N. 10th Street in St. Joseph, Missouri. Founded as a parish in 1845 and elevated to cathedral status in 1868, it is the mother church of Catholic life in northwest Missouri and serves the city of St. Joseph together with its affiliated mission church, St. Mary (1606 N. 2nd Street). The brick Romanesque Revival building, designed by Patrick F. Meagher, was completed in 1871 and rededicated after a $15 million renovation in May 2023 under Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. Today it remains an active parish with daily Mass, perpetual-style adoration, a large food pantry, a parish school, and an early childhood center.
- Established
- 1845 (parish); 1868 (cathedral); 1871 (present building)
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Hansen (Rector/Pastor since 2018)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
Why belong here
Cathedral of St. Joseph offers something rare in a smaller American city: the full devotional life of a Catholic cathedral combined with a tight-knit parish community. Daily Mass Monday through Saturday, with multiple weekend options, plus weekly confessions and a regular Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament schedule, give Catholics daily access to the Eucharist and the sacrament. Outreach is part of the parish's identity — the long-running food pantry serves thousands of pounds of food a year to local families, and parishioners are woven into the Open Door Food Kitchen, school service projects, Knights of Columbus, RCIA, youth ministry, and a parish school and Early Childhood Center that the parish calls the only state-licensed, nationally accredited, faith-based early childhood program in St. Joseph. Anyone searching for 'Catholic church St. Joseph Missouri' or 'Cathedral parish northwest Missouri' will find a parish whose history stretches back to the very founding of the city and whose rededicated 2023 cathedral building is now among the most carefully restored Catholic churches in the region.
Mass times at Cathedral of Saint Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 7:50–8:20 am
- Tuesday: No confessions
- Wednesday: 5:20–5:50 pm
- Thursday: 7:20–7:50 am
- Friday: 7:20–7:50 am
- Saturday: 2:30–3:50 pm (and during the 4:00 pm Mass most Saturdays)
- Sunday: 1/2 hour before the 10:00 am Mass (and during Mass on the 2nd Sunday of the month)
- St. Mary Church: 1/2 hour before each Mass
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (summer schedule)
- Thursday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (summer schedule)
History of the Cathedral of St. Joseph
Catholic life in St. Joseph began in 1838 at Joseph Robidoux's Blacksnake Hills trading post, where Fr. Peter John DeSmet celebrated Mass. The first resident pastor, Fr. Thomas Scanlan, arrived in 1845 and built the original brick church in 1847. The Diocese of St. Joseph was erected in 1868 and Bishop John J. Hogan built the present Romanesque Revival cathedral, first used on March 17, 1871. Bishops Burke, Gilfillan and LeBlond shaped the parish through the early 20th century; in 1956 it became a co-cathedral of the newly merged Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph. A 2021–2023 renovation rededicated the building on May 5, 2023.
- 1838 — First Mass in Robidoux's log house
- 1845 — Fr. Thomas Scanlan arrives; parish founded
- 1847 — First St. Joseph's Church dedicated at 5th & Felix
- 1868 — Diocese of St. Joseph erected; Bishop Hogan named
- 1869 — Cornerstone laid at 10th & Isadore
- 1871 — First Mass in present cathedral, March 17
- 1900 — Bishop Burke completes towers and stone portico
- 1901 — Religious of the Sacred Heart open the parochial school
- 1920 — Benedictine Sisters take over the school
- 1956 — Diocese merges with Kansas City; becomes co-cathedral
- 1969–70 — Sanctuary remodeled to Vatican II liturgy
- 1980s — Food pantry founded in rectory basement
- 2000 — Cathedral Hill Historic District listed on NRHP
- May 5, 2023 — Rededication after $15M renovation
Architecture and the Cathedral Building
Designed by architect Patrick F. Meagher in the Romanesque Revival style, the cathedral is a brick masonry building with a transept, two corner towers with pyramidal roofs, and a projecting three-story box bay flanked by two-story polygonal bays. The L-shaped porch is supported by Romanesque columns; an auditorium section displays Art Deco elements from the 1950s. A narthex with three entrance doors was added in 1956 and a west entrance in 1959, when the towers were rebuilt. Inside, shrines honor the Blessed Virgin (with a Missouri-sunflower mural) and St. Joseph (with an altar holding a reliquary of ten saints). The 2021–2023 renovation added new stained glass, a pipe organ, bronze doors and commissioned artwork.
- Architect: Patrick F. Meagher
- Style: Romanesque Revival
- Materials: Brick masonry; original Ludowici Spanish tile roof (replaced)
- Two corner towers with pyramidal roofs
- Transcept cruciform plan; weekday prayer chapel
- Reliquary of 10 saints in St. Joseph Shrine
- 1883 Italianate rectory and 1908 Colonial Revival former convent (NRHP contributing properties)
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Rev. Stephen Hansen as Rector/Pastor, with Rev. Timothy Leete serving as Parochial Vicar. Deacons Steven Arman and Joshua Nold assist with liturgy and parish life. The Cathedral School is led by Principal Kent McEnaney, with Lauren Lujan as school secretary. The parish office is staffed during weekday business hours, and sacramental emergencies are covered by the priests' on-call line at (816) 205-6888.
- Rev. Stephen Hansen — Pastor/Rector (since 2018)
- Rev. Timothy Leete — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Steven Arman
- Deacon Joshua Nold
- Kent McEnaney — Principal of Cathedral School
- Dominic CDeBaca — Parish office / Food Pantry coordinator
- Joe Lysaght — Food Pantry team
Cathedral School and Early Childhood Center
Cathedral School has served Catholic families in St. Joseph since 1901, when the Religious of the Sacred Heart opened the parish school (the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica took over in 1920). Today the school serves K–8 with a brain-compatible, CLASS-consortium curriculum and NAEYC-aligned early-childhood programming. Standardized test scores consistently rank in the top 10–15% nationally; an accelerated math program and 1:1 devices in grades 2–8 are offered. The Cathedral Early Childhood Center is described by the parish as the only state-licensed, nationally accredited, faith-based early-childhood program in the city of St. Joseph.
- K–8 Catholic school with faith and service focus
- Cathedral Early Childhood Center
- Accelerated math, 1:1 devices in grades 2–8
- Service projects: Noyes Home, Children's Mercy Hospital, Special Olympics, Open Door Food Kitchen
- Athletics, Academic Team, Scouts, youth choir, handbell choir
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Cathedral of St. Joseph has an unusually full menu of lay ministries, reflecting its role as a downtown co-cathedral. The parish food pantry — operating out of the rectory basement since the 1980s — is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings (9:30–11:00 am) and distributes thousands of pounds of food a year, with the annual St. Joseph's Day Dinner in March as its signature fundraiser. The parish also participates in the Open Door Food Kitchen and supports ministries to the homebound and hospitalized.
- Food Pantry — Mon/Wed/Fri 9:30–11:00 am
- Open Door Food Kitchen
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- School of Religion
- Youth Ministry and Vacation Bible School
- Knights of Columbus
- Eucharist to the Homebound and Hospital Visits
- Welcome Ministry, Funeral Ministry, Liturgical Planning
- Finance, Stewardship, Building & Grounds, School Board, Athletic Committee
- Adult Faith Formation Team
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics of all ages for the sacraments: Baptism preparation for infants and families; First Eucharist and Confirmation through the Cathedral School and School of Religion; RCIA for adults seeking full initiation; Marriage preparation for engaged couples; Anointing of the Sick for the homebound and hospitalized through the parish's hospital and homebound ministries. Sacramental emergencies are handled by the priests' on-call line at (816) 205-6888.
- Baptism preparation
- First Eucharist / Confirmation
- RCIA
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funeral ministry
St. Mary Church — Mission Site
The Cathedral parish operates a second worship site at St. Mary Church, 1606 N. 2nd Street in St. Joseph, MO 64505 (office phone 816-279-1154). St. Mary's offers noon Mass on Wednesdays and Thursdays, a 5:30 pm Saturday vigil Mass, and an 8:00 am Sunday Mass, with confessions a half hour before each Mass. The St. Mary office is open Monday–Friday 10:00 am–1:00 pm.
- Address: 1606 N. 2nd Street, St. Joseph, MO 64505
- Phone: (816) 279-1154
- Office Hours: M–F, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
- Mass: Wed/Thu noon; Sat 5:30 pm; Sun 8:00 am
- Confessions: 1/2 hour before each Mass
Visit, Location and Contact
The parish office at 519 N. 10th Street is open Monday 8:00 am–4:00 pm and Tuesday–Friday 9:00 am–4:00 pm. The cathedral sits within the Cathedral Hill Historic District of downtown St. Joseph, Missouri, close to the Missouri River bluffs and the city's central business district, with on-site parking and accessibility ramps at the 1959 west entrance. Visitors can pick up a 'Guide to the Cathedral' booklet at the office and see the Marian Shrine, St. Joseph Shrine and the 2023-renovated interior.
- Address: 519 N. 10th Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501
- Phone: (816) 232-7763
- Office Hours: Mon 8:00 am–4:00 pm; Tue–Fri 9:00 am–4:00 pm
- Sacramental Emergency: (816) 205-6888
- Website: https://cathedralsj.org
- School: https://school.cathedralsj.org
- Cathedral Hill Historic District (NRHP, 2000)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas Scanlan1845–1860
First resident pastor of St. Joseph; arrived October 15, 1845; built the original 1847 brick church; died in Illinois 1860; buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
- Rev. John Hennessy1860–1866
Later appointed Bishop of Dubuque in 1866.
- Rev. James Doherty1866–1868
Hennessy's assistant; became rector when the diocese was erected.
- Most Rev. John J. Hogan, D.D.1868–1876
First Bishop of the Diocese of St. Joseph; oversaw construction of the present cathedral (cornerstone 1869, first Mass 1871).
- Rev. Ignatius Conrad, O.S.B.1876–1892
Benedictine priest; noted for spiritual and material growth of the parish; became Abbot of Subiaco Abbey, Arkansas in 1891.
- Rev. Andrew Newman1892–1893
Served nineteen years in the Cathedral Parish.
- Most Rev. Maurice F. Burke, D.D.1893–1913
Transferred from Diocese of Cheyenne; oversaw 1900 renovation completing the towers and stone portico entrance; died March 17, 1923.
- Rev. John J. O'Neill1913–1923
Rector during Bishop Burke's last years.
- Rev. Maurice F. Connor1923–1926
Rector.
- Rev. Charles F. Buddy1926–1937
Rector.
- Msgr. Leo J. Ruggle1937–1964
Newly ordained 1924; assigned to Cathedral 1924; assistant then pastor; diocesan chancellor 1926–1936; apostolic administrator of the diocese 1961–62; pastor emeritus until his death in 1984 at age 85. The renovated church basement is named Ruggle Hall in his honor.
- Msgr. Charles S. Nowland1964–1973
Pastor (co-cathedral era).
- Msgr. Robert J. Hogan1973–1979
Pastor.
- Rev. Gerald R. Waris1979–1986
Pastor.
- Rev. Patrick Tobin1986–1988
Pastor.
- Rev. Thomas J. D. Hawkins1988–1995
Pastor.
- Rev. Wayne L. Walter1995–1996
Pastor.
- Msgr. Richard M. Dierkes1996–2008
Pastor.
- Rev. Joseph B. Powers2008–2012
Pastor.
- Rev. J. Matthew Rotert2012–2018
Pastor.
- Rev. Stephen Hansen2018–present
Current Rector/Pastor.
