About St. Joseph · Osceola, Wisconsin
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a parish located in the village of Osceola, Wisconsin, in Polk County. According to GCatholic, the parish traces its history to 1915 and belongs to the Diocese of Superior. It is one of three parishes in the 'Three Parish Family' cluster — together with St. Anne in Somerset and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in East Farmington — that share clergy, faith formation, and other ministries under a unified administration serving Somerset, Farmington, and Osceola. The parish celebrates Mass at 255 10th Avenue in Osceola and is also reachable through the cluster office at St. Anne's in Somerset.
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Joseph (shared pastor of the Three Parish Family cluster; also referred to in parish directories as 'Fr. Joseph')
- Diocese
- Diocese of Superior
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the traditional rhythms of a small-town Catholic parish — weekend Mass, regular Confession, monthly Eucharistic Adoration on the second Wednesday with Benediction, and faith formation for school-age children — while being supported by a wider cluster of ministries. As part of the Three Parish Family, parishioners benefit from shared faith formation (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, K–10 classes, sacramental preparation, youth group), adult formation (Bible studies, small groups, lecture series), and family events such as the Mother-Daughter Tea, giving small-parish fellowship the resources of a larger community.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM
- 2nd Wednesday of the month 2:00–6:00 PM
- By appointment (call Fr. Joseph at 715-247-3310)
Adoration times
- 2nd Wednesday of each month, 2:00–6:00 PM, concluding with Benediction
Parish Identity & Three Parish Family
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Osceola, Wisconsin, is one of three parishes in the 'Three Parish Family' cluster — together with St. Anne in Somerset and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in East Farmington. The three parishes share a pastor (Fr. Joseph) and deacon (Deacon Larry), combine resources, and serve Catholics across Somerset, Farmington, and Osceola in the St. Croix River valley. The St. Joseph parish itself is documented as established in 1915 and belongs to the Diocese of Superior.
- St. Joseph — 255 10th Ave., Osceola, WI 54020 — (715) 294-2243
- St. Anne (Somerset) — cluster lead parish office
- Assumption of the BVM — East Farmington
- Diocese of Superior
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for the Three Parish Family is organized by location and grade level. At the St. Joseph location, classes meet on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. Children in grades K–5 gather there, and grades 6–8 are also offered at the same time and place. Families may instead choose the St. Anne (Somerset) location if it better fits their schedule. Sacramental preparation begins in 1st grade and culminates in First Reconciliation and First Holy Eucharist in 2nd grade. Confirmation preparation begins in 11th grade, with classes meeting Wednesday evenings from 7:00–8:30 PM at the St. Anne location.
- St. Joseph site — Grades K–5: Wednesday 6:00–7:15 PM
- St. Joseph site — Grades 6–8: Wednesday 6:00–7:15 PM
- St. Anne site — Grades 1–5: Sunday 9:00–10:15 AM
- St. Anne site — Grades 6–10: Wednesday 7:00–8:30 PM
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (atrium at St. Anne)
- Sacrament materials fee: $25 in 2nd grade year
- Formation registration: $80/child, $240 max per family
Youth Ministry
The Three Parish Family youth group is open to all students in grades 6–12, with or without registration. It is led by Ben & Rachel Schmitt and meets Wednesday evenings from 5:30–7:00 PM, with dinner provided. Activities include an annual mission trip, 'Dinner and a Show' events, service projects, a High School Discipleship Weekend, and Extreme Faith Camp.
- Open to grades 6–12
- Wednesday 5:30–7:00 PM (dinner provided)
- Annual mission trip
- Service projects
- High School Discipleship Weekend
- Extreme Faith Camp
Adult Formation & Small Groups
Adult formation across the cluster includes lecture series, Bible studies, small group discussions, and adult/youth gatherings. At St. Joseph, adult formation is coordinated by Danielle Rother and Lala Graf. The cluster encourages adults to stay connected through Flocknote and Facebook for current offerings.
- Bible studies
- Small group discussions
- Lecture series
- Adult/youth gatherings
- St. Joseph contacts: Danielle Rother & Lala Graf
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics of all ages for the sacraments of initiation and supports vocations to marriage and holy orders. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are typically received in 2nd grade; Confirmation is celebrated after 11th-grade preparation. Couples seeking Matrimony, families seeking Baptism, and the sick in need of Anointing are invited to contact the parish office. Young men discerning the priesthood or diaconate are supported personally by Fr. Joseph and referred to the Diocese of Superior Vocations Office (Rev. David Neuschwander).
- Baptism — contact parish
- First Reconciliation — 2nd grade
- First Holy Eucharist — 2nd grade
- Confirmation — 11th grade
- Matrimony — contact Fr. Joseph
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders discernment support
Parish Life & Events
In addition to liturgical and formation ministries, St. Joseph fosters family and community life through parish-wide events such as the Mother-Daughter Tea, Cana Dinner, and seasonal celebrations. Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction, and the regular rhythm of weekend and weekday Mass form the spiritual heart of parish life.
- Mother-Daughter Tea (annual)
- Cana Dinner
- Seasonal parish celebrations
Clergy & Staff
The Three Parish Family is shepherded by Fr. Joseph, who also shares a cell phone with parishioners (715-371-1235) and is supported by Deacon Larry. Parish office hours are typically 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Fr. Joseph is generally available outside those hours. Faith-formation staff listed for the cluster include Rachel Witthoft (CGS), Rachel McGurran and Karoline Thompson (St. Anne sacramental and elementary), Danielle Rother (St. Joseph location), Bernadette Gockowski (Confirmation and St. Anne/Assumption adult formation), and Austin & Susie Anderson (Confirmation).
- Fr. Joseph — pastor
- Deacon Larry
- Rachel Witthoft — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Rachel McGurran — First Reconciliation/Eucharist (St. Anne)
- Karoline Thompson — Grades 1–5 (St. Anne)
- Danielle Rother — Grades K–8 (St. Joseph location); adult formation
- Bernadette Gockowski — Grades 6–10; Confirmation
- Ben & Rachel Schmitt — Youth Group
- Austin & Susie Anderson — Confirmation
- Lala Graf — marketing; adult formation (St. Joseph)
History & Heritage
St. Joseph parish traces its roots to 1915, according to the Catholic directory GCatholic, making it a more-than-century-old faith community in western Wisconsin. Real-photo postcards of the church from the 1950s–1970s, preserved by the University of Wisconsin–River Falls archives, document the parish's historic wooden church building with its steeple and bell, lancet windows, and stone basement. Today St. Joseph continues its mission as part of the unified Three Parish Family cluster.
- Parish established 1915
- Wooden church building with steeple, bell, and stone basement
- Archival documentation in UW–River Falls 'Access to Memory' collection
- Now part of the Three Parish Family (St. Anne / Assumption BVM / St. Joseph)