About St. Joseph · Humboldt, Kansas
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small, family-oriented Roman-Latin parish in the southeast Kansas town of Humboldt, affiliated with St. Patrick in Chanute and served by the Diocese of Wichita. With around 139 registered families and roughly 316 individual Catholics, the parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. and Thursday evening Mass at 6:30 p.m., supplemented by a livestream of Sunday Mass for those unable to attend in person. The parish's story stretches back to the very founding of Humboldt in 1857, when Italian Jesuit missionary Fr. Paul Ponziglione began traveling from the Osage Mission to celebrate Mass in a local farm-house — the same humble origins that gave St. Joseph its enduring pioneer character.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. John D. Betzen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small-town Catholic community where parishioners know one another by name, and where more than 130 families worship together in a brick church that has stood at the heart of Humboldt since 1910. With Sunday Mass, Thursday evening Mass, Adoration on First Fridays, a livestreamed Mass for those who cannot attend, and an active Catholic school of religion (PSR), the parish offers the full rhythm of Catholic life to the southeast Kansas region. Generous organizations — the Knights of Columbus, the Altar Society, the Youth Formation Team, a Vocations Prayer Team, and a Respect Life / Social Justice ministry — make it easy to get involved, while outreach to the homebound, hospital patients, and grieving families reflects the parish's deep commitment to the Works of Mercy.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 7:55 AM
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 6:25 PM
- By Appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (First Friday)
A Brief History of St. Joseph's
Catholic life in Humboldt began the same year the town itself was founded in 1857, when Italian Jesuit Fr. Paul Ponziglione began riding in from the Osage Mission at St. Paul to celebrate Mass in the farm-home of Orlin Thurston. Over the next decade the community survived the Civil War-era destruction of Humboldt, built a native-stone church, opened a parochial school in 1876, replaced the stone church with the current brick building in 1910, and added a new school in 1925. Decline set in after the school closed in 1968 and was razed in 1982, and by 1993 the diocese had plans to close the parish. The congregation was rescued when Fr. Mike Maybrier offered to serve St. Joseph alongside St. Patrick in Chanute; a parish hall was built, and in 2001 Fr. Scaletty invited Don Wendt of Ecclesiastical Studios in Greenwood, Missouri to renovate the church interior.
- 1857 — Mission begun by Fr. Paul Ponziglione, S.J.
- 1861 — Town destroyed by Confederate sympathizers; Fr. Ponziglione and Fr. Shoenmaker minister through the crisis.
- 1867 — First church built of native stone (30'x60'); property purchased by Orlin Thurston.
- 1869–1870 — Fr. Heller assigned by Bishop Miege; mission reverts when the parish cannot sustain a resident priest.
- 1876 — Fr. Bierhurst takes up residence; parochial school opens in a 20'x30' schoolhouse.
- 1910 — Current brick church built.
- 1925 — New school building erected.
- 1968 — School closed.
- 1982 — School building razed; site is now the parish parking lot.
- 1993 — Diocese plans closure; Fr. Mike Maybrier volunteers to serve both St. Joseph and St. Patrick, Chanute.
- 2001 — Interior of church renovated by Don Wendt of Ecclesiastical Studios, Greenwood, MO.
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Joseph is served by Rev. John D. Betzen, who is pastor of both St. Joseph in Humboldt and St. Patrick in Chanute. The parish office and phone line are shared between the two parishes (mailing address 424 S. Central, Chanute, KS 66720; phone (620) 431-3165). Lay leadership for religious education and parish organizations is listed on the parish's organizations and formation pages.
- Rev. John D. Betzen — Pastor (also St. Patrick, Chanute)
- Sherri Watson — Adult Religious Education contact
- Lindsy Hurt — Youth Formation Team contact
- Donnie VanLeeuwen — Knights of Columbus contact
- Mary Frances White — Altar Society contact
- Nancy Castellucci — Harvest House contact
Parish Organizations
St. Joseph's parish life is carried forward by a tight circle of lay organizations that combine fellowship, formation, and service.
- Knights of Columbus — fraternal and service organization for Catholic men 18+ (contact: Donnie VanLeeuwen).
- Altar Society — ladies' organization practicing the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy; provides funeral meals (contact: Mary Frances White).
- CYM — Catholic Youth Ministry.
- PSR — Parish School of Religion (sacramental preparation and religious education).
- Youth Formation Team — plans youth events for both St. Joseph and St. Patrick (contact: Lindsy Hurt).
- Harvest House — fellowship for retirees, meeting at St. Patrick, Chanute (contact: Nancy Castellucci).
- Special Events — parish-wide social and liturgical events.
Spiritual Growth & Formation
In addition to weekly Mass and the sacrament of Confession, the parish offers adult faith formation, Natural Family Planning mentoring, a Prayer Line for urgent intentions, and a Vocations Prayer Team dedicated to fostering priestly and religious vocations from the parish.
- Adult Religious Education — classes following 6:30 PM Thursday Mass (contact: Sherri Watson).
- Natural Family Planning — seeking mentor couples for younger couples.
- Prayer Line — intercessory prayer for urgent needs.
- Vocations Prayer Team — daily/ monthly commitment to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Respect Life & Social Justice
St. Joseph puts the Works of Mercy into practice through ministries to the vulnerable and those in crisis — from expectant mothers and immigrants, to the sick, homebound, hospitalized, and elderly, to families in need of practical help with food and transportation.
- Respect Life — ministry to those in crisis pregnancies, immigrants, and the disadvantaged; advocacy in the community.
- Ministers of Care — represent the Church to those suffering at home, in the hospital, or in the nursing home.
- Transportation Assistance — help for those needing rides to Mass or appointments (call parish office).
- Meals for Families — providing food for grieving families and homes of new babies.
- Nursing Home Services — bringing the Church's presence to elderly parishioners.
- Homebound / Hospital Visitors — pastoral visits to the sick.
Stewardship & Service Schedule
The parish keeps an active rotation of lay liturgical ministers, and the parish website publishes downloadable schedules so that servers, lectors, greeters, gift-bearers, accompanists, and cantors know when they are called to serve at the altar.
- St. Joseph Altar Server Schedule (March–September)
- St. Joseph Greeter & Gift-Bearer Schedule (April–September)
- St. Joseph Accompanist & Cantor Schedule
- St. Joseph Lector Schedule (April–September)
- Parish church-cleaning schedule
Getting in Touch
All parish business — for both St. Joseph in Humboldt and its sister parish St. Patrick in Chanute — is handled through one office and one phone number. The mailing address is in Chanute, but the church building and its parking lot are at 514 Central Street in Humboldt.
- Address: 514 Central Street, Humboldt, KS 66748
- Mailing: 424 S. Central, Chanute, KS 66720
- Phone: (620) 431-3165
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stjosephhumboldt.org/
- Office Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (closed Monday)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Paul Ponziglione, S.J.1857–1860s
Italian Jesuit missionary from Osage Mission; known as the 'Apostle of Southeast Kansas'; celebrated the first Masses in Humboldt in Orlin Thurston's farm-house.
- Fr. Shoenmaker1861
Served alongside Fr. Ponziglione when Humboldt was destroyed by Confederate sympathizers.
- Fr. Heller1869–1870
Assigned by Bishop Miege to reside in Humboldt; departed when the parish could not support a full-time priest.
- Fr. Bierhurst1876+
Took up residence in Humboldt; opened St. Joseph's parochial school in 1876.
- Fr. Scaletty
Invited Don Wendt of Ecclesiastical Studios to renovate the church interior in 2001.
- Fr. Mike Maybrier1990s
Pastor of St. Patrick, Chanute; offered to also serve as pastor of St. Joseph, saving the parish from closure.
- Rev. John D. Betzencurrent
Current pastor of the linked parishes of St. Patrick (Chanute) and St. Joseph (Humboldt).