About St. Joseph Church (Bl. Michael McGivney Parish) · New Haven, Connecticut
St. Joseph Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, at 129 Edwards Street. It began in 1894 as a mission chapel on Lawrence Street for Italian immigrant families, was erected as an independent parish on April 20, 1900, and was dedicated in its present yellow-brick Romanesque/Byzantine-style building on October 22, 1905. The church, designed by Joseph A. Jackson and overseen by Rev. M.J. Daly, is a contributing landmark within the Orange Street Historic District and bears a striking resemblance to the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, Italy. In 2017 it was merged with St. Mary Church; since July 1, 2023 it has been one of eight church buildings of Blessed Michael McGivney Parish in the Archdiocese of Hartford.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Dolan (Pastor in Solidum & Moderator of Bl. Michael McGivney Parish)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Hartford
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a uniquely historic worship experience in New Haven's East Rock neighborhood, with a stunning 1905 yellow-brick basilica whose interior frescoes deliberately recall the early-Byzantine churches of Ravenna. As one of eight church buildings of Blessed Michael McGivney Parish, it gives parishioners access to a vibrant, multicultural Catholic community that celebrates Mass in English and (through the wider parish) Spanish, Italian, Polish, and other languages, and to a wide range of ministries including the St. Joseph Church Choir, the Knights of Columbus, Faith Formation, Respect Life, Eucharistic Adoration, and several Italian-American devotional societies such as the Santa Maria Maddalena Society, St. Andrew Apostle Society, St. Anne Society, St. Anthony Society, St. Catello Society, and St. Trofimena Society. It is a fitting place for anyone who values architectural heritage, immigrant-rooted Catholic devotion, and a parish grounded in the legacy of Bl. Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus.
Mass times at St. Joseph Church (Bl. Michael McGivney Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 8:00–9:00 PM (with Adoration, per parish listing)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:00–9:00 PM
About St. Joseph Church
St. Joseph Church is a historic basilica at 129 Edwards Street in New Haven's East Rock neighborhood, built in 1904–1905 by Italian immigrants and modeled on Sant'Apollinare in Classe. It is one of eight church buildings that constitute Blessed Michael McGivney Parish, a city-wide Catholic community formed on July 1, 2023 in the Archdiocese of Hartford. The parish regularly publishes a St. Joseph Virtual Tour on its website so visitors can experience the basilica's interior even when not present.
- 129 Edwards Street, New Haven, CT 06511
- Open for prayer Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Founded 1900; dedicated 1905
- Part of Bl. Michael McGivney Parish since 2023
History
The Italian Catholic families of East Rock were first gathered into a chapel of convenience on Lawrence Street in 1894, served out of St. Mary Parish. The congregation grew so rapidly that on April 20, 1900 Bishop Tierney erected St. Joseph as an independent territorial parish. Rev. M.J. Daly commissioned Hartford architect Joseph A. Jackson to design a basilica modeled on Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna; the yellow-brick church was built in 1904–05 and dedicated on October 22, 1905. After a century of continuous Italian-American Catholic life, declining Mass attendance led Archbishop Leonard Blair to merge St. Joseph with St. Mary in 2017, then merge the resulting parish with six other city parishes on July 1, 2023 to form Blessed Michael McGivney Parish.
- 1894 – Lawrence Street chapel founded
- 1900 – Erected as independent parish
- 1904–05 – Present church constructed
- 1905-10-22 – Church dedicated
- 2000s – Bell tower masonry reconstructed
- 2017 – Merged with St. Mary Parish
- 2023-07-01 – Joined Bl. Michael McGivney Parish
Architecture
Joseph A. Jackson's design fuses Italian Romanesque massing with early-Byzantine iconography. The yellow-brick basilica, with its 130-foot bell tower, is a contributing structure of New Haven's Orange Street Historic District. The interior features a large painted mural done in early-Byzantine mosaic style depicting the Lamb of God leading the faithful through the Crucifixion to the kingdom of Christ the eternal King.
- Style: Italian Romanesque / Byzantine Revival
- Architect: Joseph A. Jackson (Hartford)
- Plan: Basilica (king's hall)
- Tower: 130-foot bell tower, southeast corner
- Inspiration: Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna
Music & Liturgical Ministries
The St. Joseph Church Choir is led by Music Director Jim DeLucia (203-640-0985) and is part of the wider Bl. Michael McGivney Parish music program that also includes Dr. Muriel Maharidge at St. Mary Church and Nelson Tamakloe directing the St. Martin de Porres Gospel Choir.
- St. Joseph Church Choir
- Jim DeLucia, Music Director
Devotions & Italian-American Societies
St. Joseph remains the devotional home of several Italian Catholic societies that reflect the parish's immigrant origins, alongside core devotions such as the Rosary, Divine Mercy, First Saturday, and Eucharistic Adoration.
- Santa Maria Maddalena Society
- St. Andrew Apostle Society
- St. Anne Society
- St. Anthony Society & Friends of St. Anthony
- St. Catello Society
- St. Trofimena Society
- Divine Mercy Devotion
- First Saturday Devotion
- Rosary
Fellowship & Outreach
Across the consolidated parish, parishioners can join fellowship groups (Angelus Women's Fellowship, McGivney Moms Group, Third Thursday for Seniors, Coffee and Hospitality) and outreach programs including the Breakfast Ministry, Knights of Columbus, Respect Life Ministry, and parish faith-formation catechists.
- Knights of Columbus
- Breakfast Ministry
- Respect Life Ministry
- Angelus Women's Fellowship
- McGivney Moms Group
- Third Thursday for Seniors
Visiting & Accessibility
St. Joseph is open for private prayer Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. An accessibility ramp is located on the parking-lot side of the building. Parking is available in the adjacent lot and on Edwards Street, with additional free off-street parking in the Clifford Beers lot on weekends.
- Open Hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Accessibility ramp on parking-lot side
- Free lot and street parking; Clifford Beers lot (weekends)
Staff & Contact
Blessed Michael McGivney Parish is staffed by a team of priests-in-solidum, parochial vicars, deacons, and lay staff led by Director of Operations Suzanne McDermott, Director of Music Daniel Romero, Director of Faith Formation & Parish Life Grace Torres, Director of Finance Marla Sulmasy, and Director of Communications Emily Naylor. Jim DeLucia serves as Music Director at St. Joseph Church.
- Parish phone: (203) 562-6193
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Address: 129 Edwards St, New Haven, CT 06511
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. M.J. Daly1900–c.1905
First pastor; built and oversaw construction of the present church (1904–05) designed by Joseph A. Jackson.
- Rev. James M. Sullivan
Listed as pastor of St. Joseph Church in pre-merger parish directories.
- Rev. John Paul Walker, O.P.c.2015–2017
Dominican friar; briefly shared as pastor of St. Joseph after 2015 and guided the June 29, 2017 merger with St. Mary Parish.
- Rev. Ryan Lerner2023–
Moderator/Pastor in Solidum of Blessed Michael McGivney Parish guiding the 2023 city-wide merger (per CT Post reporting).
- Rev. Michael Dolan2023–
Current Pastor in Solidum & Moderator of Bl. Michael McGivney Parish, which includes St. Joseph Church.
