About St. Joseph · Faith, South Dakota
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small rural parish in Faith, South Dakota, one of 85 parishes in the Diocese of Rapid City. The parish was started around 1911 and was originally completed in 1917 under the leadership of one of its first priests, Msgr. Joseph Golden (pastor 1914–1919). A new church building was begun in 1998. Faith is part of a multi-parish cluster that also includes St. Joseph in Mud Butte and St. Anthony in Red Owl, with weekend Masses shared across all three communities. The parish is known locally for its remarkable restored stained-glass windows salvaged from the original 1917 church.
- Established
- circa 1911
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Timothy Castor (incoming pastor, effective July 1, 2026; succeeds the late Fr. Michael Chukwudubem Oli, who died March 26, 2026)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rapid City
Why belong here
St. Joseph in Faith is a small, rural Catholic community with deep roots going back more than a century — the parish itself dates to around 1911, and its founders' stained-glass windows still glow in the sanctuary today. It serves Catholics in Faith together with the mission churches at Mud Butte and Red Owl, sharing weekend Masses across the cluster so that every community has regular access to the Eucharist. Faith is the kind of place where families helped build the church, elders saved its windows for 20 years, and a multi-generational congregation continues to restore and care for its heritage. It is also a welcoming stop for travelers across western South Dakota looking for Mass in the Diocese of Rapid City.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Joseph Parish, Faith
St. Joseph Church, Faith, was started around 1911, in the early years of homesteading on the western South Dakota plains. One of its first priests, Msgr. Joseph Golden, served as pastor from 1914 to 1919 and was instrumental in completing the first church building around 1917. Members of the founding Catholic families helped build the structure and paid for costly stained-glass windows that gave the original church its distinctive character. In 1998 parishioners began work on a new church building, but the original stained-glass windows were not incorporated into it because of limited funds.
- Parish started circa 1911
- First church completed circa 1917
- Msgr. Joseph Golden served as pastor 1914–1919
- New church building begun in 1998
The Stained-Glass Windows: A 20-Year Restoration
Before the original 1917 frame church was sold, several parish elders removed and saved its 25 stained-glass windows, hoping someday to restore and reuse them. For roughly 20 years the windows sat in a parishioner's garage. A restoration project was launched about three years before the windows were reinstalled, raising an estimated $72,659 — and ultimately about $80,000 once changes to the windows and added lighting were included — through memorials, grants, and donations. Iowa-based Bogenrief Studios was contracted to remove and disassemble the glass from old frames, repair or replace broken pieces, clean the glass, and assemble and restore 18 of the windows with new lead and grout. The same company built two laminated wood frames to mount the windows in groups of nine.
- 25 original stained-glass windows from the 1917 church were saved
- 18 of the 25 windows were fully restored
- Project funded by memorials, grants, and donations; total cost ~$80,000
- Restoration work performed by Bogenrief Studios of Iowa
- Windows stored in a parishioner's garage for about 20 years
Where the Restored Windows Live Now
The restored stained-glass panels are installed in two large framed groupings, mounted in front of the two big windows of the current sanctuary. One group — placed in the baptismal area — features the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity along with Noah's Ark. The second group — placed in the choir area — depicts the Four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
- Baptismal-area window group: Faith, Hope, Charity, and Noah's Ark
- Choir-area window group: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
- Windows installed in groups of nine in laminated wood frames
Cluster of Parishes: Faith, Mud Butte, and Red Owl
St. Joseph in Faith shares its pastor with St. Joseph in Mud Butte and St. Anthony in Red Owl. Weekend Masses rotate among the three communities so that each has regular access to the Eucharist. The faithful travel between Faith, Mud Butte, and Red Owl throughout the year for Mass, and the parish cluster has historically been served by visiting and international priests, most recently including Fr. Michael Chukwudubem Oli of the Diocese of Awka, Nigeria.
- St. Joseph, Faith
- St. Joseph, Mud Butte
- St. Anthony, Red Owl
- Weekend Masses rotated across all three communities
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish has been served by priests from both the United States and abroad. Among its earliest known pastors was Msgr. Joseph Golden (1914–1919), who completed the original 1917 church. More recently, Fr. Janusz Korban served the Faith-area parishes prior to 2024; Fr. Michael Chukwudubem Oli, a priest of the Diocese of Awka, Nigeria (ordained August 23, 2008), was appointed Administrator on July 1, 2024 and Pastor on September 27, 2024; he died suddenly on March 26, 2026. Bishop Scott Bullock has announced that Fr. Timothy Castor will be appointed as Pastor of St. Joseph in Faith, St. Joseph in Mud Butte, and St. Anthony in Red Owl effective July 1, 2026. Deacon Larry Brown, ordained June 25, 2003 by then-Bishop Blase Cupich, served Faith, Mud Butte, Red Owl, and the now-closed parish of Our Lady of Victory in Plainview, retiring in July 2021; he and his wife Val continued to lead a lay ministry class in Faith.
- Fr. Timothy Castor – incoming Pastor effective July 1, 2026
- Fr. Michael Chukwudubem Oli – Pastor September 27, 2024 – March 26, 2026 (deceased)
- Fr. Janusz Korban – former pastor of the Faith-area parishes
- Deacon Larry Brown – ordained 2003, retired July 2021, led lay ministry class
- Msgr. Joseph Golden – pastor 1914–1919
Diocese of Rapid City
St. Joseph in Faith is one of 85 parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Rapid City, which covers western South Dakota. The current diocesan bishop is Scott Edward Bullock, installed June 25, 2024. The cathedral church of the diocese is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rapid City, where a Funeral Mass for Fr. Michael Oli was offered on April 7, 2026.
- Diocese of Rapid City
- Bishop Scott Edward Bullock (since 2024)
- Cathedral: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Rapid City
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Joseph Catholic Church at (605) 967-2201. The mailing address is 413 W 4th Ave (also described as W 5th Ave. & W 4th St.), Faith, SD 57626. The parish's online home is hosted through the Diocese of Rapid City website at rapidcitydiocese.org. Given the rural setting and shared weekend Mass schedule across the Faith/Mud Butte/Red Owl cluster, visitors are encouraged to call ahead to confirm current Mass times, especially around season changes and weather events on the western South Dakota plains.
- Phone: (605) 967-2201
- Address: 413 W 4th Ave (W 5th Ave. & W 4th St.), Faith, SD 57626
- Website: rapidcitydiocese.org/location/faith-st-joseph/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Joseph Golden1914–1919
One of the first priests; instrumental in completing the first church building circa 1917.
- Fr. Janusz Korbanprior to July 2024
Served the Faith-area parishes before Fr. Oli's appointment; thanked by Fr. Oli in his introductory remarks.
- Fr. Michael Chukwudubem OliAdministrator July 1, 2024; Pastor September 27, 2024 – March 26, 2026
Priest of the Diocese of Awka, Nigeria; ordained August 23, 2008; died suddenly on March 26, 2026.
- Fr. Timothy CastorEffective July 1, 2026
Announced by Bishop Scott Bullock as incoming Pastor of St. Joseph Faith, St. Joseph Mud Butte, and St. Anthony Red Owl.