About St. Joseph · Manchester, Missouri
St. Joseph Parish is a Catholic community in Manchester, Missouri, in St. Louis County, belonging to the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The parish worships at 567 St. Joseph Lane in a 1975 contemporary-style church noted for its Tree of Jesse bronze sculpture and Emil & Associates stained glass. It is a multicultural parish offering Mass in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with daily Eucharist, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, an active Faith & Family religious-education program, and dozens of ministries and parish events ranging from a Lenten Fish Fry to the annual Multicultural Gala.
- Established
- 1851
- Patron
- St. Joseph (originally dedicated as St. Malachy in 1851; renamed St. Joseph in 1865)
- Rector
- Reverend Saji Mathew Cheruparambil
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers something for almost every Catholic: daily Mass, a weekly Wednesday holy hour of Eucharistic Adoration (9:00 am–7:45 pm), Mass celebrated in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and a roster of more than twenty parish ministries — from Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul to Legion of Mary, Kairos Prison Ministry, ARIZE junior-high ministry, Walking with Purpose Bible study, and the multicultural Brazilian & Filipino communities. Its Faith & Family program brings parents and children together monthly for formation, fellowship, and sacramental preparation, while signature events like the Lenten Fish Fry, August Multicultural Gala, October Sausage Supper, and Simbang Gabi give parishioners frequent, easy ways to belong.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 7:30 AM – 8:20 AM
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- One may also approach any of the priests to receive the sacrament at other times.
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 7:45 PM in the Church (with scheduled weekly holy hours)
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — all day in the Adoration Chapel
Parish History
St. Joseph Parish traces its roots to 1851, when Irish Catholic pioneers from Kentucky established a small stone mission church in Manchester and dedicated it to St. Malachy. A resident pastor was installed in 1865 and the parish was renamed St. Joseph. In 1893 a red-brick Gothic church was built; the School Sisters of Notre Dame staffed the school from 1906, and the school reopened in 1935 with 29 students after a brief closure. The parish's modern history began in 1960, when it became one of the first "mega parishes" of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, relocated from its original Creve Coeur Avenue site to the present campus on Sulphur Springs Road, and grew to be the largest parish in Missouri for roughly two decades.
- 1851 — founded as a mission church under the patronage of St. Malachy
- 1865 — resident pastor installed; parish renamed for St. Joseph
- 1871 — first parish school building erected
- 1893 — red-brick Gothic church built
- 1906 — School Sisters of Notre Dame begin teaching
- 1935 — school reopens with 29 students
- 1960 — relocated to St. Joseph Lane; one of the first Archdiocesan "mega parishes"
- 1975 — present-day 1,000-seat contemporary church built (designed by Mackey Mitchell)
Building and Campus
The parish campus sits on St. Joseph Lane just south of Manchester Road. The 1975 church seats about 1,000 in a contemporary design by Mackey Mitchell and is known for its large bronze Tree of Jesse sculpture and Emil & Associates stained glass. A separate parish center building hosts most gatherings (and was used as the Christmas Eve Mass hall), and an Adoration Chapel offers a separate, perpetual-exposition worship space alongside the church.
- 1975 church — contemporary architecture by Mackey Mitchell
- Bronze Tree of Jesse sculpture (signature interior feature)
- Stained glass by Emil Frei & Associates
- Parish Center (used for fish frys, galas, and large parish events)
- Adoration Chapel with daily exposition
- Rectory, school building, and convent buildings from the 1960s campus expansion
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Saji Mathew Cheruparambil, supported by Senior Associate Pastor Rev. Monsignor Francis Blood and two permanent deacons, Daniel Donnelly and Jimmy Broyles. Pastoral staff support Faith Formation, music, outreach, family ministries, and the parish office.
- Rev. Saji Mathew Cheruparambil — Pastor
- Rev. Msgr. Francis Blood — Senior Associate Pastor
- Dcn. Daniel Donnelly — Permanent Deacon
- Dcn. Jimmy Broyles — Permanent Deacon
- Julie Quillo — Director of Family Ministries (Faith & Family)
- Greg Barker — Confirmation coordinator
- Joan Feise — Eucharistic Adoration contact, (636) 391-9747
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
St. Joseph runs the Faith & Family program — a home-and-parish partnership in which parents and their children meet once a month (first Sunday at 9:00 AM or first Tuesday at 6:00 PM, September–May) for prayer, formation, and fellowship. Children prepare for First Reconciliation and First Communion at age 7+, and Confirmation in 7th–8th grade. An Early Childhood Education Center and a K–5 Summer Camp extend faith formation to younger children.
- Faith & Family program (family catechesis)
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation (7th & 8th grade)
- Vacation Bible School
- Summer Camp (K–5)
- Early Childhood Education Center
- ARIZE Junior High Ministry
Parish Ministries
More than twenty parish ministries give parishioners ways to live their faith through prayer, service, study, and fellowship. They range from devotional groups (Legion of Mary, Jonah Prayer Ministry, Prayer Shawl Ministry, The GIFT Prayer Group) to adult formation (Walking with Purpose, That Man is You, Faith Sharing Groups), service to others (St. Vincent de Paul, Kairos Prison Ministry, Nursing Home Ministry, Helping Hands), and fraternal and social groups (Knights of Columbus, Young at Heart, St. Joseph Church Ladies, S.A.L.T. for single adults).
- Devotional: Legion of Mary, Jonah Prayer Ministry, Prayer Shawl Ministry, GIFT Prayer Group
- Adult formation: Walking with Purpose, That Man is You, Faith Sharing Groups, S.A.L.T.
- Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul, Kairos Prison Ministry, Nursing Home Ministry, Helping Hands
- Fraternal/social: Knights of Columbus, Young at Heart (55+), St. Joseph Church Ladies
Multicultural Communities
St. Joseph is a multilingual parish with active Brazilian and Filipino ministries alongside its English-speaking community. Portuguese-speaking Catholics gather for Mass on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 6:00 PM and for Simbang Gabi in December, and Spanish-speaking Catholics worship at the 1:00 PM Sunday Mass and gather for the Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration. The parish's annual Multicultural Gala each August showcases the three communities together.
- Brazilian Ministry (Portuguese Mass, 3rd Saturdays)
- Filipino Ministry (Simbang Gabi in December)
- Spanish-speaking community (1:00 PM Sunday Mass)
- Annual Multicultural Gala (August)
Parish Events and Fundraisers
The parish calendar is filled with both weekly and seasonal events that bring the community together and support its ministries. Donut Sunday (monthly), Knights of Columbus Bingo (monthly), and the Women's Church Ladies meetings are recurring touchpoints; the Lenten Fish Fry, Trivia Night (February), KC Golf Tournament (June), Biking for Babies (July), Multicultural Gala (August), Sausage Supper (October), Thanksgiving Potluck (November), and St. Nicholas Celebration (December) round out the year. Blood Drives are held in January and June.
- Donut Sunday (monthly after 8 AM & 11 AM Masses)
- Lenten Fish Fry (Fridays during Lent, 4:30–7:15 PM)
- Trivia Night (February)
- KC BINGO (monthly)
- Blood Drive (January and June)
- Biking for Babies (July)
- Multicultural Gala (August)
- KC Golf Tournament (June)
- Sausage Supper (October)
- Thanksgiving Potluck (November)
- St. Nicholas Celebration (December)
- Simbang Gabi (December)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration
Getting Involved and Contact
Parishioners can plug in by contacting the ministries and event coordinators listed on the parish website, or by calling the parish office at (636) 227-5247. The 1975 church and Parish Center host most gatherings; the parish also visits the homebound with Holy Communion on request.
- Parish Office: (636) 227-5247
- Faith & Family / Family Ministries: Julie Quillo, ext. 1099
- Confirmation: Greg Barker
- Eucharistic Adoration: Joan Feise, (636) 391-9747
- Parish school-side and outreach contacts listed in the Get Involved pages