About St. Joseph · Pilot Grove, Missouri
St. Joseph Parish is a small Roman Catholic community in Pilot Grove, a rural town in Cooper County, Missouri, within the Diocese of Jefferson City (Southwest Deanery). Organized in 1893 by Father John Conrad from St. John's in Clear Creek, the parish today worships in its third church building, constructed in 1952 and dedicated May 10, 1956. Over the decades it has absorbed the surrounding mission communities of Nelson, Martinsville, Clear Creek (St. John the Baptist Chapel), and Clifton City (St. Joseph Chapel), forming a single family of faith that has served the area for more than 130 years. The parish shares its campus and ministry with St. Joseph Catholic School, a Preschool–8th-grade elementary serving about 60 students, and is pastored from nearby Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Boonville.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Very Rev. P. Gregory Oligschlaeger, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jefferson City
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the warmth of a small rural parish where the same families have been worshipping together for generations — the congregation still meets in its 1952 church built by their great-grandparents. Weekend and daily Masses, Saturday and Sunday confessions, and a year-round school make it a true hub for Catholic life in the Pilot Grove area. With two associated chapels (Clear Creek and Clifton City), an active school serving Preschool through 8th grade, and a pastor who also serves neighboring Boonville, parishioners can plug into a faithful community rooted in 130+ years of local history.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM
Parish History
St. Joseph Parish was organized in 1893 by Father John Conrad, who was sent out from St. John's in Clear Creek to found a new Catholic community in the recently settled Pilot Grove area. The surrounding mission communities of Nelson, Martinsville, Clear Creek, and Clifton City have since merged into the parish, and today the congregation is served by two associated chapels. The current sanctuary — the parish's third — was built 1949–1952 and dedicated on May 10, 1956.
- 1820 – Pilot Grove area first settled
- 1873 – Town of Pilot Grove incorporated
- 1893 – Parish organized by Father John Conrad
- 1902 – School opened by Mother Boniface and Sister Beatrice
- 1917 – Two-year high school built and dedicated by Bishop Thomas F. Lillis
- 1929 – High school closed; elementary school continues
- 1942 – First hot lunch program started under Father Luke Becker
- 1949–1952 – Present church and rectory built under Father Ingoldsby
- May 10, 1956 – Current church dedicated
- 1973 – Sisters depart; school staffed by lay teachers
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently pastored by Very Rev. P. Gregory Oligschlaeger, V.F., who also serves as pastor of Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Boonville and as Vicar For Priests for the Diocese of Jefferson City. Msgr. Marion J. Makarewicz resides at the parish and assists with ministry. Parish and school operations are coordinated by parish secretary Alicia Gerling and school principal Nichole Watring.
- Pastor – Very Rev. P. Gregory Oligschlaeger, V.F. ([email protected]; 660-882-6468)
- Priest in Residence – Rev. Msgr. Marion J. Makarewicz ([email protected]; 660-834-5600)
- Parish/Secretary – Alicia Gerling ([email protected])
- School Principal – Nichole Watring ([email protected])
- Rectory – 660-834-4251
St. Joseph Catholic School
Founded in 1902 by Mother Boniface and Sister Beatrice, St. Joseph Catholic School is the educational ministry of the parish. The current brick schoolhouse — built in 1917 as a two-year high school and dedicated by Bishop Thomas F. Lillis — still serves students today. The school currently enrolls about 60 students in Preschool through 8th grade.
- Preschool – Kacie Neel
- Kindergarten – Kim Morris
- Grades 1–2 – Lindsey Waibel
- Grades 3–4 – Michelle Klein
- Grades 5–6 – Nichole Watring (Principal)
- Grades 7–8 – Heather Kessing
- Art / P.E. / Library – Joyce Lorenz
- Technology / Library / Music – Christine Wirths
- Head Cook – Debra Andres
- School Mascot: Cougars
- School Address: 405 Harris St, Pilot Grove, MO 65276
Facilities & Campus
The parish campus occupies a stretch of Harris Street in Pilot Grove. The church and rectory were built in 1949–1952; the 1917 brick school building remains the schoolhouse; and the former convent, now called the Educational Building, houses the parish and school offices, preschool and kindergarten classrooms, the school library, and art/technology classrooms.
- Parish Office – 407 Harris St
- Rectory – 660-834-4251
- School – 405 Harris St
- Educational Building (former convent) – parish/school offices, preschool, kindergarten, library, art, technology
- Original 1917 schoolhouse – still in active use
Diocese & Wider Community
St. Joseph is part of the Diocese of Jefferson City's Southwest Deanery, in Cooper County, Missouri. Bishop W. Shawn McKnight leads the diocese, with Bishop-Emeritus John R. Gaydos and (per recent appointments) Bishop-designate Ralph B. O'Donnell also serving in leadership roles. The parish is officially linked with the Clear Creek and Clifton City mission communities and shares pastoral care with Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Boonville.
- Diocese: Diocese of Jefferson City
- Deanery: Southwest
- County: Cooper
- Bishop: Most Rev. W. Shawn McKnight
- Associated Parishes: Clear Creek, Clifton City
- Also pastored with Ss. Peter & Paul, Boonville
Getting Involved
Because St. Joseph is a small, tight-knit rural parish, involvement tends to happen face-to-face: families typically connect through the parish school, the weekend Masses, and the annual parish celebrations. The pastor also serves as Spiritual Director of the English Cursillo Secretariat for the diocese, opening doors for parishioners interested in the Cursillo movement.
- Attend weekly Mass or weekday Mass
- Enroll children in St. Joseph Catholic School
- Support the parish school and its hot-lunch legacy
- Join the Cursillo movement (diocesan)
- Participate in ecumenical community events in the Boonslick region
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Conrad1893 (founding pastor)
Sent from St. John's in Clear Creek to organize the parish.
- Father Hildebrand Roesslerarrived 1915
Built and dedicated the 1917 high school with Bishop Thomas F. Lillis.
- Father Luke Beckerfrom 1939
Started the parish's first hot lunch program in 1942.
- Father Ingoldsby1949–1952
Built the present church and rectory.
- Monsignor Hagedorn1959–1963
Demolished the original church/rectory and built a new convent.
- Very Rev. P. Gregory Oligschlaeger, V.F.appointed 1 July 2025
Pastor; also serves Ss. Peter & Paul, Boonville; ordained 8 May 1993.