About St. Joseph · DeWitt, Iowa
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a Roman-Latin rite parish in DeWitt, Clinton County, Iowa, belonging to the Diocese of Davenport. Worshiping at 417 6th Avenue, the parish traces its origins to the early 1850s, when Irish Catholic settlers around DeWitt petitioned Bishop Mathias Loras for a priest and built Clinton County's first Catholic church. The present church, a brick edifice with spires at Sixth Avenue and Fifth Street, was dedicated in December 1880 after an 1879 fire destroyed the parish's second church. The parish of roughly 520 families is served today by Fr. Mike Snyder (parochial administrator) and Deacon Mark Comer, and operates the attached St. Joseph Catholic School (preschool through 8th grade), Religious Education / Confirmation preparation, a Parish Council, and a livestreamed Mass schedule for the homebound.
- Established
- 1850
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Mike Snyder (Parochial Administrator, effective July 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a long-established parish family in central DeWitt with daily and weekend Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, a Reconciliation schedule, a homebound-friendly livestream Mass, an active Parish Council, a Totus Tuus summer program, and Confirmation preparation through Religious Education. The attached St. Joseph Catholic School provides preschool through 8th-grade Catholic education on the same campus, and ministries range from faith formation and music to outreach through the parish council. It is a small-town parish with deep 1850s roots and a clear commitment to passing the faith to the next generation.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (before the Vigil Mass)
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Joseph celebrates the Mass in English in the Roman-Latin rite. The weekly schedule includes a Saturday Vigil, one Sunday Mass, and weekday Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before the Vigil Mass, and select Masses are livestreamed and recorded on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:30 PM
- Sunday Mass — 9:30 AM (livestreamed)
- Tuesday Mass — 5:30 PM
- Wednesday Mass — 9:00 AM (livestreamed)
- Friday Mass — 9:00 AM (livestreamed)
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:30–4:00 PM (and by appointment)
- Livestream / recorded Mass available on the parish YouTube channel
Parish Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by Fr. Mike Snyder as pastor / parochial administrator, with Deacon Mark Comer assisting. The parish office, open Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM–noon, fields inquiries for baptisms, marriages, anointing, funerals, and other sacramental needs. Parish Council minutes are posted online with reports from the school and faith formation teams.
- Fr. Mike Snyder — Pastor / Parochial Administrator (effective July 1, 2025)
- Deacon Mark Comer
- Sharon Roling — Principal of St. Joseph Catholic School
- Parish Office — 417 6th Avenue, DeWitt, IA 52742 — phone (563) 659-3514
Parish History
St. Joseph is one of the oldest parishes in eastern Iowa, founded on the heels of Irish Catholic settlement around DeWitt in 1850. Bishop Mathias Loras of Dubuque personally purchased the first log chapel, the second frame church was built in 1853, and the present brick church with spires was dedicated in December 1880 after fire destroyed its predecessor in 1879. Generations of pastors — from Father Kelly and Father McAvoy in the 1850s, to Father P.J. Maher (1881–1903), Father Nelson, and Father Stephen Page (until July 2025) — have shepherded the parish through school fires, the 1956 school construction and the 2001–2004 'Making Connections' building campaign.
- 1850 — First Mass celebrated in the DeWitt area by Father Kelly
- 1851 — Father McAvoy celebrates Mass in the log chapel on Jefferson Street
- 1853 — Larger frame church built at Seventh Avenue and Tenth Street; two-acre cemetery donated
- 1879 — Fire destroys the second church
- 1880 — Present St. Joseph Church dedicated in December at Sixth Avenue and Fifth Street (~$30,000)
- 1890 — St. Joseph Academy and Sisters of Mercy convent open (Jan. 10, 1890)
- 1920 — School destroyed by fire
- 1925 — Old public school purchased for continued use
- 1956 — New Catholic school constructed
- 2001 — 'Making Connections' capital campaign launched (June 16, 2001; $1.5M goal)
- 2003 — Groundbreaking for parish hall / school connection
- 2004 — Construction completed
St. Joseph Catholic School (Preschool–8)
Located on the same campus as the church, St. Joseph Catholic School offers preschool through 8th-grade Catholic education. The school is led by Principal Sharon Roling and Pastor Fr. Mike Snyder, with a full faculty of classroom teachers, faith formation, music, art, reading enrichment, physical education and interventionist staff, plus classroom aides and a school secretary. The 2004 'Making Connections' project physically connected the school building with the church and added classrooms, a library and a computer lab.
- Sharon Roling — Principal
- Fr. Mike Snyder — Pastor
- Mary Bousselot — 3–5 Reading & 4th Grade Homeroom
- Kathie Goetsch — 6–8 Math
- Laura Coppage — Art & Reading Enrichment
- Demi Franck — Middle School Reading & Language Arts
- Donna Klostermann — Middle School Social Studies & Science
- Andrea Krause — Preschool
- Nicole Leistikow — 1st Grade & Athletic Director
- Carmen Lusk — 3–5 Math & 3rd Grade Homeroom
- Emily Mack — 2nd Grade
- Jayne Riedesel — Kindergarten
- Karlee Low — 6–8 Faith Formation
- David McVay — Music & Band
- Patty Tarchinski — Reading/Math Interventionist
- Jenna Shimp — 3–5 Science & Social Studies; 5th Grade Homeroom
- Tiffany Woerdehoff — Physical Education, Athletic Director, Math Enrichment
- Beth Gravert — Secretary
- Hailey Nees, Erica Voss, Amy Pierce — Classroom Aides
Religious Education & Sacraments
St. Joseph offers parish-based Religious Education (RE) for school-age children not enrolled at St. Joseph School, including preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. The parish publishes an annual RE Letter, RE Calendar and Confirmation Guidelines, with online registration each fall. The Totus Tuus summer catechetical program complements the school-year curriculum.
- Religious Education (K–8) with published 2025–2026 calendar
- Confirmation Guidelines 2025–26
- RE Letter 2025–26
- Religious Ed Registration (online each year)
- Totus Tuus summer youth program (JotForm registration)
- First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation (contact parish office)
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — by appointment through the parish office
Parish Life & Governance
An elected Parish Council helps steward the parish's spiritual and temporal life, with monthly meeting minutes (including the school report and faith-formation report) published on the parish website. The 'COR' page on the site links to additional parish governance and ministry resources, and the pastor and school principal regularly report to the council.
- Parish Council minutes (monthly, including school and faith-formation reports)
- Parish Council registration / family-information update via QR code at church doors
- COR (parish committee / communications page)
Visiting, Livestream & Contact
Anyone unable to attend Mass in person can watch the parish's livestreamed Masses (Saturday Vigil, Sunday, Wednesday and Friday) on the parish YouTube channel, or view the most recent recorded Mass at any time. The parish office, located next to the church at 417 6th Avenue, is the front door for baptism, marriage, funeral, anointing, and general pastoral inquiries.
- Livestream Mass: Saturday 4:30 PM, Sunday 9:30 AM, Wednesday 9:00 AM, Friday 9:00 AM
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM; Friday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Phone: (563) 659-3514
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stjosephdewitt.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Stephen Pageuntil July 1, 2025 (retirement)
Ordained June 19, 1987 by Bishop Gerald O'Keefe at Sacred Heart Cathedral; previously served St. Paul the Apostle-Davenport, Our Lady of Lourdes-Bettendorf, St. Bridget-Victor, St. Patrick-Marengo, St. Mary-Fairfield and St. Thomas More-Coralville. Also pastor of Ss. Philip & James-Grand Mound.
- Father P.J. Maher1881–1903
First long-term pastor of the 1880 St. Joseph church; served ~23 years until his death from tuberculosis on October 3, 1903. Funeral drew nearly 60 priests and the town of DeWitt closed for the day.
- Father Nelsonfrom 1903/1904
Succeeded Father Maher; native of Jackson County, Iowa.
- Father McDermottfrom July 1857
Among the early resident priests serving DeWitt and surrounding missions.
- Father McAvoyFebruary 1851 (approx.)
First priest recorded celebrating Mass in the DeWitt log church.
- Father Kelly1850
Credited with celebrating the first Mass in the DeWitt area around 1850.