About Saint Joseph · Roanoke, Indiana
Saint Joseph Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 641 North Main Street in Roanoke, Indiana, in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Rooted in the faith of German and Irish Catholic immigrants who settled in northeastern Indiana beginning in the 1840s, the parish was formally established in 1867 and today serves roughly 130+ households in the Roanoke area about ten miles southwest of Fort Wayne. The current church building, completed in 1970 and consecrated that year by Bishop Leo A. Pursley, is a welcoming, accessible worship space that hosts daily and weekend Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and a vibrant sacramental life. The parish identifies itself as a community of faith centered in the Eucharist, committed to prayer, the sacraments, and service to neighbors in Christ.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Eustace (current pastor per official website welcome letter); historical listing also references Rev. Dale A. Bauman as a previous pastor
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Why belong here
Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Roanoke offers a small-town, family-sized Catholic community with a deep sense of rootedness — visitors are warmly welcomed at weekend Mass and find daily Mass offered four days a week plus a monthly holy hour of Eucharistic Adoration. The parish maintains the classic devotional pillars of an Indiana Catholic parish: weekday Mass, regular confession, Benediction on the fourth Tuesday of every month, and devotions to Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. With accessible facilities, ample parking, and a pastor who explicitly invites newcomers, it is a place where a Catholic family can quietly grow in faith while serving the Roanoke community just southwest of Fort Wayne.
Mass times at Saint Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After weekday Masses (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday)
- Saturday 3:15–3:45 pm
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Fourth Tuesday of every month: Eucharistic Adoration begins with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament immediately following the 8:00 am daily Mass and continues throughout the day, concluding with Benediction at 6:00 pm
Parish History
Saint Joseph Catholic Church traces its roots to the 1840s, when German and Irish Catholic immigrants began settling in the Roanoke area of northeastern Indiana following the development of the Wabash-Erie Canal and the St. Louis Railroad. Missionary priests traveling the route between Fort Wayne and Lafayette — including Father Julian Benoit — celebrated Mass in private homes for the early settlers. By the 1850s a small frame church stood at Fourth and Main Streets, with the help of Father Fuchs; after a fire destroyed it, the community rebuilt. In 1867, in the years just after the Civil War, the Diocese of Fort Wayne purchased a brick building at Sixth and Main (built by the Presbyterian congregation) and formally established Saint Joseph Parish. Father William Woeste became the first resident pastor in 1870. The parish was a mission of Saint Catherine's from 1882 for about forty years, was rededicated by Bishop Herman Aldering in 1907 after the addition of a choir loft and stained glass windows, and received a brick rectory in 1924. The present church was built in 1969–1970 behind the original brick structure, with the first Mass celebrated on Palm Sunday 1970 and consecration by Bishop Leo A. Pursley later that year.
- 1840s: German and Irish Catholic immigrants settle in Roanoke area
- 1850s: Frame church built at Fourth and Main with help of Father Fuchs
- 1867: Parish formally established; brick church at Sixth and Main purchased from Presbyterians
- 1870: Father William Woeste becomes first resident pastor
- 1873: Parish cemetery purchased
- 1882–~1922: Saint Joseph served as a mission of Saint Catherine's
- 1907: Bishop Herman Aldering rededicates church after choir loft and stained glass added
- 1924: Brick rectory built
- 1969: Construction of present church begins
- 1970: First Mass in new church on Palm Sunday; consecrated by Bishop Leo A. Pursley
- 2017: Parish celebrates 150th anniversary (~192 registered families)
Parish Mission & Welcome
Saint Joseph Catholic Church identifies itself as a vibrant parish community in the heart of Roanoke, committed to growing in faith, worshipping God together, and serving neighbors in Christ. Its stated mission is to grow together as a community of faith centered in the Eucharist — through prayer, the sacraments, and service to others — seeking to deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ and share His love with neighbors. The pastor's welcome letter on the homepage explicitly invites newcomers and asks God's blessing on all who enter, and the parish displays a large 'New to Saint Joseph?' banner to greet first-time visitors.
- Mission: to grow as a Eucharistic community of faith, prayer, and service
- Open invitation to visitors at every Mass
- Pastor's welcome message on the parish website
Sacramental Life
The parish celebrates the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation on a regular weekly schedule as listed above. Because it is a smaller parish, additional sacraments (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation preparation) are typically arranged by contacting the parish office to schedule an appointment with Father Eustace. Confession is also available by appointment beyond the scheduled times.
- Reconciliation: scheduled times plus by appointment
- Eucharist: daily and weekend schedule
- Other sacraments: by appointment with the pastor
Visiting & Location
Saint Joseph is easy to find and easy to visit. The church sits at 641 North Main Street, Roanoke, Indiana, just 10 minutes southwest of Fort Wayne. Visitors coming from Fort Wayne take US 24 west and exit onto Main Street (Lafayette Center), heading north to Sixth and Main. Parking is available in the lot across from the main entrance on Main Street, in a parking lot behind the church, and along nearby streets. The church is wheelchair accessible.
- Address: 641 N. Main St., Roanoke, IN 46783
- Phone: (260) 672-2838
- Parking: across from main entrance on Main Street; behind the church; on nearby streets
- Accessibility: wheelchair accessible
Parish Cemetery
The Saint Joseph parish cemetery was purchased in 1873, only three years after Father William Woeste became the parish's first resident pastor. It remains part of the parish's enduring heritage and a tangible link to the founding families of the Roanoke Catholic community.
- Cemetery established 1873
- Located in the Roanoke area
Patron & Devotions
The parish is named for Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose feast day is March 19. Devotion to Saint Joseph and to the Blessed Virgin Mary has been part of the parish's identity since the 1860s; today's pastor recalled at the 150th anniversary that 'the first parishioners of St. Joseph Parish, with deep faith in Jesus and with devotion to St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother, gathered in prayer.' A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands on the cornerstone of the original 1867 brick church, surrounded by flowers planted in her honor.
- Patron: Saint Joseph
- Feast: March 19
- Marian devotion reflected in cornerstone statue
- Monthly Eucharistic Adoration / Benediction
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Julian Benoit1840s–1850s
One of the missionary priests traveling between Fort Wayne and Lafayette who celebrated Mass in private homes for the early German and Irish Catholic settlers in the Roanoke area.
- Father Fuchs1850s
Helped the early community build the small frame church at Fourth and Main Streets.
- Father William Woeste1870–
First resident pastor of Roanoke (appointed 1870), serving after the 1867 formal establishment of the parish.
- Pastors of St. Catherine's serving St. Joseph as a mission1882–1922
For approximately 40 years (1882–1922) Saint Joseph was a mission parish of nearby Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
- Rev. Dale A. Bauman
Listed as pastor of Saint Joseph Roanoke in parish directories; later (2003–2009) served as pastor of St. Joseph Bluffton per that parish's history page.