About St. Joseph · Slater, Missouri
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small parish in Slater, Missouri, in Saline County, that has served Catholic families along the Missouri River bottoms since 1877. The community worships today under the Diocese of Jefferson City as part of the 'Central' deanery and is associated with St. Peter Parish in Marshall and Holy Family Parish in nearby Glasgow, sharing priests with those parishes. Weekend Mass is offered Saturday evening, with weekday and holy-day Masses also celebrated, and visitors are welcomed at the church on West Emma Street.
- Established
- 1877
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Francis W. Doyle
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jefferson City
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a tight-knit Catholic community whose story is woven into the railroad heritage of Slater — from that first 1877 Mass in the Chicago and Alton depot to today's worship in a church built on land donated by the railroad's president. As an associated parish of St. Peter, Marshall, it shares experienced clergy and a broader Catholic family that includes RCIA, religious education, and parish-council ministries. It is a place where roughly 25 founding families grew into a parish still quietly serving Saline County Catholics today.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM to 3:50 PM (before the 4 PM Mass)
Parish History
Catholic life in Slater began in the fall of 1877, when Catholic families of the area were able to attend Mass in their hometown for the first time. Fr. John T.D. Murphy, then pastor of the Marshall Catholic church, celebrated that first Mass in the Chicago and Alton Railroad Station House. In May 1882 T.B. Blackstone, president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, donated the site on West Emma Street where the present church still stands. The parish at that point numbered roughly 25 families. The newly built church was completed and dedicated as St. Joseph Catholic Church on March 13, 1883 under the pastorate of Fr. Edward Ryan. The structure was formally dedicated a second time on May 15, 1927 by Bishop Thomas Lillis. The sanctuary was renovated in 1971 in keeping with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, and the interior was updated again in 1999. The parish's published history was compiled by Sr. Loretta Pastva, SND, for Proclaiming the Good News in the Heart of Missouri.
Becoming Part of the Parish
St. Joseph Slater is listed by the Diocese of Jefferson City as an associated parish of St. Peter, Marshall — together with Holy Family, Glasgow — under the Central Deanery. In this arrangement the pastor and associate pastor of St. Peter's celebrate Mass at all three parishes and a single set of parish councils, RCIA programs and religious-education groups serves the wider community. Catholic families moving into or visiting the Slater area can contact the parish office to register, arrange sacraments, or learn about shared faith-formation opportunities.
- Associated parishes: St. Peter (Marshall) and Holy Family (Glasgow)
- Deanery: Central
- County: Saline
- Diocese: Jefferson City
Contact & Location
The parish's West Emma Street address in Slater is the same site donated by the Chicago and Alton Railroad in 1882 and remains the heart of this small Catholic community. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone or email, and the parish operates its own simple website in addition to being listed on the Diocese of Jefferson City site.
- Address: 325 W Emma St, Slater, MO 65349
- Phone: (660) 529-2588
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish website: http://www.stjosephslater.net/
Diocese of Jefferson City
St. Joseph is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City, which covers central Missouri. The diocese maintains the parish's public profile on diojeffcity.org, including its history, clergy, contact information, and Sunday Mass schedule. Bishop Ralph B. O'Donnell currently leads the diocese, with Rev. Msgr. Robert A. Kurwicki serving as Diocesan Administrator during the recent leadership transition.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John T.D. Murphy1877
Pastor of Marshall's Catholic church who celebrated the first-ever Mass in Slater, in the Chicago and Alton Railroad Station House.
- Fr. Edward Ryan1882–1883
Pastor under whom the new church on the donated Blackstone site was completed and dedicated as St. Joseph on March 13, 1883.