About St. Joseph/ Holy Family · Dubuque, Iowa
St. Joseph – Holy Family is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, that serves two worship sites in the rolling countryside southwest of the city of Dubuque. St. Joseph Church sits in the unincorporated community of Key West (10270 Key West Drive, Dubuque), while Holy Family Church is in Peosta just steps from New Melleray Trappist Monastery (16318 Holy Family Lane). The two faith communities share clergy, staff, faith formation, and a school, and they worship in English. Together the parish family keeps the rural Catholic tradition alive across southern Dubuque County with daily Mass, religious education, a parish school, a cemetery, and a long list of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1850 (Holy Family) / 1872 (St. Joseph Key West)
- Patron
- St. Joseph and the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Msgr. Tom Toale
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
St. Joseph – Holy Family is a warm, active rural parish of about 240 families at Holy Family (and the wider Key West community at St. Joseph) where everyone is welcome. Members come together to celebrate the sacraments, form children in the faith, support one another, and serve the broader community — and with daily Mass, a parish school, faith formation for all ages, the Totus Tuus summer catechetical program, a Knights of Columbus council, Rosary and Holy Name societies, a parish school, and care of two historic cemeteries, there are many ways to get involved in the life of the parish.
Mass times at St. Joseph/ Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 3:45 PM at Holy Family, New Melleray
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM at St. Joseph, Key West
- Also by appointment
Adoration times
- 1st Friday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
About St. Joseph – Holy Family Parish
St. Joseph – Holy Family is a single Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Dubuque that worships at two rural sites southwest of Dubuque, Iowa: St. Joseph Church in Key West and Holy Family Church in Peosta near New Melleray. The parish shares one pastor, one associate pastor, a business manager, and a director of evangelization across both sites, and offers daily Mass, weekend Masses at both churches, faith formation for children and youth, a parish school, and a wide array of lay ministries. The parish describes Holy Family as a warm, active community of about 240 families where everyone is welcome.
- Two worship sites: St. Joseph (Key West) and Holy Family (Peosta / New Melleray)
- Part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
- All Masses celebrated in English
- Parish office: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
History of Holy Family Church (New Melleray / Peosta)
Holy Family Catholic Church was founded by the monks of New Melleray Abbey, established in 1849 by Trappist monks from Mount Melleray, Ireland. Irish settlers were drawn to the area by the monastic community and at first attended Sunday Mass at the monastery. In 1850 the people asked the monks to help form their own parish; an 1850s stone church was built across the road from the abbey, followed by a wood-frame church at the north end of the present cemetery. The current brick church was dedicated in April 1889 and remains Holy Family's home. The Trappists served as pastor from the beginning — most notably Rev. Placid Magee, O.C.S.O. (1910–1952) — and after his death the parish passed to the Archdiocese of Dubuque. When the nearby St. Joseph Prairie parish closed, it was merged into Holy Family.
- 1849 — New Melleray Abbey founded by monks from Mount Melleray, Ireland
- 1850 — Parish of Holy Family formed at the monks' request
- 1889 (April) — Current brick church dedicated
- 1910–1952 — Rev. Placid Magee, O.C.S.O., pastor (a New Melleray monk)
- After 1952 — Parish comes under the Archdiocese of Dubuque
- Merged with former St. Joseph Prairie parish
History of St. Joseph Parish (Key West)
St. Joseph Parish in Key West was organized in 1872 by Father Thomas J. O'Reilly, a priest of the Cathedral of Dubuque, to serve Catholics of Mosalem and Table Mound townships. Earlier Masses in the area had been celebrated by Father Samuel Mazzuchelli and Bishop Mathias Loras, and Bishop Loras had a small frame church built on Table Mound near old Mount St. Bernard Seminary in the 1840s. Father James Ward was appointed the first resident pastor in June 1873 to about 35 families; he turned the new 1874 rectory over to the Presentation Sisters newly arrived from Ireland, who used it as their first Iowa motherhouse. The parish celebrated 150 years of faith and family in the fall of 2022. In the 1990s the parish considered replacing its church but chose instead to keep the historic building and invest in improvements to its parish school.
- 1840s — Bishop Mathias Loras builds a small frame church on Table Mound
- 1872 — Father Thomas J. O'Reilly organizes St. Joseph Parish
- 1873 — Father James Ward appointed first resident pastor (~35 families)
- 1874 — Rectory finished; turned over to the Presentation Sisters as their first Iowa motherhouse in Iowa
- 1990s — Parish keeps its historic church and improves the parish school
- 2022 (fall) — 150th anniversary celebration with school reunion, cookout, ice cream, games, and raffles
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by a pastor and an associate pastor who care for both worship sites, supported by a business manager and a director of evangelization. Parishioners are invited to reach the parish office by phone or by email for questions about sacraments, faith formation, or general parish life.
- Msgr. Tom Toale — Pastor
- Rev. Martin Obeng — Associate Pastor
- Stacy Wimpey — Business Manager
- Darby Callahan — Director of Evangelization
- Parish phone: 563-582-7392
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is coordinated through the parish's Faith Formation Commission in collaboration with the Director of Evangelization, Darby Callahan. The parish runs ongoing religious education for parish children and hosts the Totus Tuus summer catechetical program — a five-day day program for children entering grades 1 through 6 and an evening program for youth entering grades 7 through 12, both led by college-aged missionaries. The Totus Tuus mission is to promote the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, and Christian witness, with a special Marian emphasis helping young people grow in openness to vocation and the prayer life. Questions about the religious education program can be directed to Fr. Tom or Fr. Martin.
- Faith Formation Commission
- Year-round religious education for parish children
- Totus Tuus day program (grades 1–6)
- Totus Tuus evening program (grades 7–12)
- Marian focus (e.g., Apostles' Creed and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary in recent years)
Parish School
The parish operates St. Joseph Key West School, the parish school that serves families connected to both worship sites. Rather than replacing its historic church building in the 1990s, the parish made the decision to invest in improvements to the school, which has long been a center of community life (its athletic teams were known as the Cobras).
- St. Joseph Key West School
- Improvements prioritized over rebuilding the church in the 1990s
- School reunion held as part of the parish's 150th anniversary in 2022
Parish Ministries and Organizations
The parish supports a broad range of lay-led ministries and societies, organized through commissions and councils that work closely with the pastor. Members are encouraged to share their gifts and talents — the parish notes that ongoing support and training are provided for those who step forward.
- Pastoral Council (elected; advises the pastor)
- Finance Council
- Liturgy Committee (plans and prepares liturgical celebrations; provides training)
- Parish Life
- Social Justice
- Stewardship
- Faith Formation Commission
- Craft League
- Garden Club
- Holy Name Society
- Rosary Society
- Knights of Columbus
Cemeteries
The parish maintains two historic cemeteries as part of its ministry. Holy Family Cemetery sits across the road from Holy Family Church in Peosta, and the parish also cares for St. Joseph Cemetery at Prairie (inherited from the former St. Joseph Prairie parish). An online directory is available so families can look up burials; current plot prices are $600 for parishioners and $800 for non-parishioners.
- Holy Family Cemetery — across from Holy Family Church, Peosta
- St. Joseph Cemetery, Prairie — inherited from the former St. Joseph Prairie parish
- Online burial directory available on the parish website
- Plot prices: $600 parishioners / $800 non-parishioners
Family Prayer and Vocations
The parish maintains a Family Prayer Resources page on its website to help households pray together, and it supports religious vocations as part of its broader mission. Youth ministry at St. Joseph – Holy Family is coordinated by Fr. Martin, who serves as the parish's point person for youth-related programming including Totus Tuus.
- Family Prayer Resources page on the parish website
- Youth ministry led by Fr. Martin Obeng
- Support for religious vocations as a parish mission
Visit, Contact, and Office Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone during office hours or by email using the parish's dbqarch.org addresses. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and confession is available by appointment in addition to the regular Saturday times listed above.
- Phone: 563-582-7392
- Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Emails: [email protected] (parish office), [email protected] (Fr. Martin Obeng), [email protected] (Business Manager), [email protected] (Faith Formation)
- Confession also available by appointment
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Placid Magee, O.C.S.O.1910–1952
Trappist monk of New Melleray Abbey; long-serving pastor of Holy Family who guided the parish until his death, after which Holy Family passed from monastic care to the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
- Father James Ward1873–
First resident pastor of St. Joseph Key West, appointed in June 1873 to about 35 families; turned the new rectory over to the Presentation Sisters as their first Iowa motherhouse.
- Father Thomas J. O'Reilly1872
Priest of the Cathedral of Dubuque who organized St. Joseph Parish in Key West for the Catholics of Mosalem and Table Mound townships.