About St. Joseph · Garnavillo, Iowa
St. Joseph Parish is a small Catholic community in the historic river village of Garnavillo, in Clayton County in northeast Iowa. It is one of three linked parishes — together with St. Mary in Guttenberg and Immaculate Conception in North Buena Vista — that share clergy and form the Oelwein Area Pastorate within the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Parishioners worship at a historic brick church on the south side of Garnavillo, take part in regional Mass and adoration schedules, and gather each Friday in Lent for a community fish fry benefiting three local Catholic cemeteries.
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Paul Kwaku Ameyaw
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, rooted rural parish with deep roots in northeast Iowa going back to the 1840s, where everyone knows each other and ministries are essential — Sunday Mass is celebrated Saturday at 4:00 pm and Tuesday morning, with Confession available Friday mornings at sister parish St. Mary in Guttenberg. The parish is meaningfully linked with St. Mary (Guttenberg) and Immaculate Conception (North Buena Vista), sharing clergy, faith formation, and the parish-supported St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School (Pre-K through grade 8). A community fish fry every Friday in Lent benefits three historic Catholic cemeteries, and the parish runs an active vitality program to recruit servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, choir, and money counters.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Fridays 9:00 am – 9:45 am at St. Mary, Guttenberg (shared reconciliation for the linked parishes)
Adoration times
- Last Wednesday of each month, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm at St. Mary, Guttenberg (shared Eucharistic Adoration; the April 2026 session was suspended for Confirmation)
About St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph Parish serves the small river village of Garnavillo in Clayton County, northeast Iowa, and is one of three linked Catholic parishes — alongside St. Mary in Guttenberg and Immaculate Conception in North Buena Vista — that together form the Oelwein Area Pastorate within the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The three parishes share one pastor (currently Fr. Paul Kwaku Ameyaw), one deacon (Deacon James Pfaffly), and one office secretary (Lisa Kies), and together they support St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School, a Pre-K through grade 8 school rooted in the same Catholic community.
- Linked parishes: St. Mary (Guttenberg), Immaculate Conception (North Buena Vista), St. Joseph (Garnavillo)
- New families are invited to register at the rectory (563-252-1247)
- Parishioners should inform the rectory of any change of address or departure
History
St. Joseph has roots going back to about 1840, when the pioneer priest Rev. Joseph Cretin — later the first Bishop of Saint Paul — rode out from Dubuque to celebrate Mass in the homes of John Barrett and William Schulte for the small cluster of Catholic families in Clayton County. In 1843 about twenty families built a small frame church and named it for St. Bridget (St. Brigits), giving the community its name; it was the first Catholic church built in Clayton County. Bishop Clement Smith of Dubuque confirmed fifty parishioners here in fall 1860, and within a few years the present brick church was raised on the south side of town. The parish celebrated its centennial in 1977 ("Garnavillo Church Is 100-years-old") and its 125th jubilee in 2002 ("Garnavillo marks jubilee," The Witness). A 142-year archival record (1877–2019) of the parish — including deeds, almanac card, 1991 census, centennial booklet, financial reports, history files, pastor cards, school materials, and Sullivan real estate letters — is preserved at Loras College's Center for Dubuque History under the 'Life in the Archdiocese' collection.
- 1840 — Rev. Joseph Cretin first celebrates Mass in homes of John Barrett and William Schulte
- 1843 — Twenty families erect a frame church named for St. Bridget; first Catholic church in Clayton County
- 1860 — Bishop Clement Smith administers first Confirmation (50 persons)
- Late 1860s — Present brick church completed by committee of James Uriell, Frank Schulte, and Caspar Becker
- 1877–1878 — Rev. John Remper serves as first resident pastor and builds the parsonage
- 1879 — Rev. P.O. Reschong installed as pastor on January 17
- 1977 — Parish centennial celebrated
- 2002 — Parish 125th jubilee celebrated
Ministries & Lay Involvement
As a small rural parish, St. Joseph depends on a wide range of lay ministries to keep weekly Mass vibrant. The parish's 2023/2024 Vitality Goals explicitly set out to recruit new servers, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, ushers, choir members, and money counters to replace those lost through death, graduation, and moves, and to expand the team that brings Communion to the elderly and homebound and visits prayer-list members who cannot attend Mass.
- Mass Servers
- Eucharistic Ministers (Communion to the sick and homebound)
- Lectors
- Ushers (also count Mass attendance)
- Parish Choir
- Money Counters
- Vitality Committee (parish vitality planning, outreach)
- Prayer-list visitation calls and visits
- Bulletin writers / communication team
- Lenten Fish Fry committee
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Arrangements for Baptisms, Marriages, and Funerals are made at the rectory. Couples who decide to marry should contact the parish priest as soon as they make a formal engagement, and at least six months before the wedding, so the parish marriage preparation program can be carried out thoroughly. The parish also reaches out to those who cannot attend Mass because of sickness or age, with communion visits to homebound parishioners and sacramental care upon request.
- Baptism — arrangements at the rectory
- Marriage — priest contacted at engagement; minimum six months' preparation
- Funerals — arrangements at the rectory
- Anointing / Sick Calls — for the ill, elderly, or homebound (call 563-252-1247)
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic — inquiries welcomed; contact the pastor
Outreach & Community Life
The parish's signature outreach is its Friday Lenten Fish Fry — battered fried fish, French fries, potato salad, coleslaw, Jell-O, cake, and beverages, with a raffle drawing and weekly gift-basket winner. Proceeds benefit three historic Catholic cemeteries: St. Michael of Garber, Sacred Heart of Littleport, and St. Joseph of Garnavillo. The parish also reaches out to inactive members by mail and telephone, updates membership contact information, and sends Communion ministers regularly to those in care facilities and at home.
- Lenten Fish Fry — every Friday in Lent at St. Joseph, Garnavillo
- Cemetery-care outreach supporting St. Michael of Garber, Sacred Heart of Littleport, and St. Joseph of Garnavillo
- Parishioner contact-information updates and inactive-member outreach
- Prayer-list visits to homebound and care-facility members
Catholic School (Pre-K–8)
The three linked parishes — St. Mary (Guttenberg), Immaculate Conception (North Buena Vista), and St. Joseph (Garnavillo) — together support St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School, a Pre-K through grade 8 elementary school with a strong tradition of faith and academic excellence. Formation staff include Deacon James Pfaffly and parish coordinators of religious education for each of the linked parishes.
- School: St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School (Pre-K–8)
- Office Secretary / School liaison: Lisa Kies, 563-252-1247
Staff & Contact
St. Joseph shares its pastoral team with the other two parishes in the Oelwein Area Pastorate. The parish office is staffed Monday through Friday and is the central point of contact for Sacramental arrangements, parish registration, address changes, and sick calls.
- Pastor: Fr. Paul Kwaku Ameyaw — 563-252-1247 or 563-880-6017
- Deacon: James Pfaffly — 563-880-9696 — [email protected]
- Office Secretary: Lisa Kies — 563-252-1247
Finding Us
St. Joseph Church is located on the south side of Garnavillo, Iowa; the parish website provides an embedded Google Map on its 'Map to St. Joseph Church' page. Saturday 4:00 pm Mass is offered with farming families in mind; weekday and adoration opportunities are listed in the parish bulletin.
- Address: 204 W Oak St., Garnavillo, Iowa 52049
- Phone (parish / rectory): 563-252-3553
- Website: http://www.maryicjoseph.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Cretinc. 1840–
Pioneer priest from Dubuque, later first Bishop of Saint Paul; celebrated the first Masses in Catholic homes (Barrett and Schulte) in Garnavillo.
- Rev. Platt and Rev. Ottearly 1840s
From New Vienna, Dubuque County; succeeded Cretin at St. Brigits mission.
- Rev. Lynch1840s
From Holy Cross, Dubuque County; blessed the Catholic cemetery west of Garnavillo.
- Rev. I'Bern1840s–1850s
From Elkader; served the St. Brigits/Garnavillo mission.
- Right Rev. Bishop Clement Smith1860 visit
Bishop of Dubuque; administered first Confirmation (50 persons) in the congregation.
- Rev. J.J. Quigley1860s
Of Elkader; sold St. Brigits, purchased lots on south side of Garnavillo.
- Rev. Father Luessmanpre-1877
From Guttenberg; attended the congregation until 1877.
- Rev. John RemperOctober 1877 – January 10, 1878
Built the first parsonage (cost about $41,000 per the 1882 history).
- Rev. P.O. ReschongJanuary 17, 1879 –
Born Belgium, Wis., 1856; ordained at St. Francis, Milwaukee, June 1879; found 60 families, sodalities, and Sunday school.
- Fr. Marvin Brieslisted as pastor on the older weebly site
Predecessor pastor referenced in earlier parish directory and bulletins.
- Fr. Paul Kwaku Ameyawcurrent
Current pastor serving all three linked parishes; 563-252-1247 / 563-880-6017.