About St. Joseph · Burgaw, North Carolina
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church is a small, Christ-centered parish located about a mile south of Burgaw, North Carolina, on Highway 117 South in rural Pender County. Established in 1906 to serve Italian immigrant farming families in the community of St. Helena, it grew through the addition of families from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Russia and Ukraine. Now past its centennial and served by 21 pastors over its history, the modestly sized parish ministers to Catholics from Pender, Duplin and New Hanover counties through a wide range of liturgical, educational and outreach ministries, including a weekly Spanish Mass and a mission relationship with Transfiguration Catholic Church in Wallace.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Steven Thomas DiMassimo (Administrator, also pastor of St. Stanislaus, Castle Hayne)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Raleigh (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small but unusually welcoming rural parish that worships in two languages, offers daily Mass twice a week, and runs an extensive list of lay ministries from a parish food pantry and Meals-On-Wheels to Knights of Columbus, RCIA, altar guild, choir, and a Respect Life ministry. As it celebrates its centennial it still draws together farming families and newer arrivals from three counties (Pender, Duplin, New Hanover), making it a true community-sized parish where newcomers are quickly drawn into the life of the Church.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 9:00–9:30 AM (after 8:30 AM Mass)
- Wednesday 6:00–6:50 PM (during Adoration)
- Thursday 9:00 AM (after 8:30 AM Mass)
- Cape Fear Deanery Reconciliation Service (see schedule)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:00–9:30 AM (after 8:30 AM Mass)
- Wednesday 3:00 PM–7:00 PM
- Thursday 9:00–9:30 AM (after 8:30 AM Mass)
Parish History & Heritage
St. Joseph Catholic Church was founded in 1906 to serve Italian immigrant farming families in the community of St. Helena, Pender County, as part of Hugh MacRae's effort to establish agricultural colonies in southeastern North Carolina. Soon joined by families from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Russia and Ukraine, the community first worshipped at home and in a storage shed near the railroad — believed to be the site of the first Catholic Mass in Pender County. The original church, built in 1908 by three brothers of the Perseghin family, burned in 1934, and the parish relocated to its present site on Highway 117 South just south of Burgaw in 1952. Twenty-one pastors have served the parish across its first century.
- 1906 — Parish established for Italian families in St. Helena, Pender County
- 1908 — First church built in St. Helena by the Perseghin brothers (~200 seats)
- 1909 — Fr. Umberto Donati becomes first resident pastor
- 1911–1924 — Fr. Charles Kneusels serves, makes 18,000 bricks by hand for a school
- 1924 — Fr. Kneusels dies on a New York fundraising trip
- 1934 — Original St. Helena church destroyed by fire
- 1935 — Franciscan Fathers (O.F.M. Conv.) open the parish school
- 1952 — Current church and cemetery site purchased on Highway 117
- 1972 — Rectory added
- 1974 — Parish educational center / church hall added
- 21 pastors have served the parish in its first 100 years
Mission of Transfiguration, Wallace
In addition to the main church in Burgaw, St. Joseph has historically operated mission churches in three other locations. Today, only Transfiguration Catholic Church in Wallace (Duplin County) continues as a mission of St. Joseph, and the parish collaborates with Transfiguration on youth faith formation to strengthen the connection between the two churches.
- Transfiguration Catholic Church, Wallace (Duplin County) — surviving mission
- Joint youth faith formation with Transfiguration
Clergy & Staff
St. Joseph is currently served by an Administrator, Rev. Steven Thomas DiMassimo, who also serves as pastor of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Castle Hayne. A Raleigh native, Fr. DiMassimo attended Franciscan University of Steubenville and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, was ordained for the Diocese of Raleigh in 2021, and has served in several diocesan parishes. He is supported in the parish by Deacon John A. Charron.
- Rev. Steven Thomas DiMassimo — Administrator (also pastor of St. Stanislaus, Castle Hayne); ordained 2021; loves the outdoors, hiking, camping, fishing, cycling, woodworking, and Carolina Hurricanes hockey.
- Deacon John A. Charron
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's educational mission is to deepen understanding of Catholic teaching for both adults and children, in line with the Gospel call to 'proclaim the gospel to all creation' (Mark 16:15). Strategies include Pre-K through Grade 8 scripture studies, preparation for First Eucharist and Confirmation, encouragement of a 'Children's Mass,' adult faith formation, and collaboration with Transfiguration Church in Wallace on youth faith formation.
- Scripture studies for children Pre-K through 8th Grade
- First Eucharist and Confirmation preparation
- Children's Mass participation
- Adult faith formation classes
- Joint youth faith formation with Transfiguration, Wallace
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Baptismal and Marriage preparation ministry
Parish Ministries & Organizations
St. Joseph Parish provides opportunities for people of all ages to 'know, love and serve God' and to carry out Christ's command to 'love our neighbor as we love ourselves.' A general invitation is extended to volunteer for any of the parish's many ministries, organizations and activities.
- Adoration volunteers (Wednesdays following 8:30 AM Mass until 5:00 PM)
- Altar Guild (Altar Society)
- Altar Servers
- Choir (Adult / Youth / Other)
- Clerical Office & Records Volunteers
- Extraordinary (Eucharistic) Ministers
- Facilities & Grounds (incl. Cemetery) Maintenance
- Faith Formation / Religious Education Teachers
- Finance / Business Office Volunteers
- Fundraising Oversight Committee
- Housekeeping (Church, Hall, Rectory)
- Knights of Columbus
- Lectors / Readers
- Offertory Collection Counters
- Outreach & Food Pantry
- Parish Finance Committee
- Parish Social / Hospitality / Bereavement Committee
- Pastoral Council
- Prison Visit Ministry
- Respect Life Ministry
- RCIA Assistants / Instructors
- Rosary (Sundays prior to 11:00 AM Mass)
- Scheduled Adoration Volunteers
- Sick / Shut-Ins Ministry
- Ushers / Greeters
- Youth Group
Outreach & Food Pantry
The Outreach Ministry is a critical component of the parish's mission, transforming the commandments and teachings of Christ into actions that demonstrate Christian love for neighbor. The ministry serves rural communities across Pender, Duplin and New Hanover counties.
- Food Pantry
- Assistance to 'Shut-In' parishioners
- Meals-On-Wheels
- Catholic Charities Family Support referrals
- Service region: western half of Pender County and surrounding communities
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for the sacraments of initiation and lifelong Christian life, with programs for children and adults.
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation
- First Eucharist (First Communion) preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Visits to and anointing of the sick and shut-ins
Facilities & Grounds
The parish campus on Highway 117 South includes the current church building (built in 1952 on the site purchased that year), the parish cemetery, the rectory added in 1972, and the parish educational center / church hall added in 1974. Facilities and grounds volunteers assist with maintenance of the church, hall, rectory and cemetery.
- Current church and cemetery (1952)
- Rectory (1972)
- Parish educational center / church hall (1974)
- Facilities & Grounds volunteer team (incl. cemetery maintenance)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Umberto Donati1909–1911
First resident pastor; took up residence in St. Helena in May 1909.
- Fr. Charles Kneusels1911–1924
Former Belmont Abbey student; built school, personally made 18,000 concrete blocks; died in 1924 on a fundraising trip to New York.