About St. Joseph · Wapakoneta, Ohio
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wapakoneta, Ohio is a historic parish founded in 1839 by German Catholic settlers from the now-vanished Petersburg village six miles southeast of town. Since July 1, 2024, St. Joseph has been one of four church buildings belonging to the merged Holy Face of Jesus Parish, which also includes Immaculate Conception (Botkins), St. John (Fryburg) and St. Lawrence (Rhine). The current twin-steeple church at 101 West Pearl Street was dedicated on October 8, 1911, and the parish is known locally for its annual St. Joseph Festival held every July 3–4. It is administered by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and serves Wapakoneta and surrounding Auglaize County.
- Established
- 1839
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Sean Wilson
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a packed sacramental life for a small-town parish: weekend and daily Mass, two weekly confession slots, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in its own Adoration Chapel, RCIA and Alpha, a CCD religious-education program for grades Pre-K–6, plus outreach through Stephen Ministry, GriefShare, and the celebrated annual St. Joseph Festival on July 3–4 that draws the whole community together. As one of four church buildings of the unified Holy Face of Jesus Parish, it combines the warmth and continuity of a 185-year-old parish with the resources of a larger pastoral staff.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15–4:15 PM (St. Joseph)
- Monday 5:00–6:00 PM (St. Joseph)
- After every daily Mass, Monday–Saturday (across the parish)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel: opens noon Sunday, closes midnight Thursday
- All-day Adoration in St. Joseph Church each Thursday (about 8:40 AM–7:00 PM; location alternates weekly with Immaculate Conception)
About Holy Face of Jesus Parish and St. Joseph
Since July 1, 2024, St. Joseph has been one of four church buildings of the unified Holy Face of Jesus Parish in the Auglaize County region, alongside Immaculate Conception in Botkins, St. John the Evangelist in Fryburg, and St. Lawrence in Rhine. The merger, decreed by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, kept each historic church building active under its original name while consolidating pastoral staff, finances, and the parish council into a single faith family. The parish's mission statement is to share 'the treasure of Jesus Christ, so that all might seek and find the goodness, truth, and beauty of the Catholic Faith and choose to live in friendship with Christ.'
- Four church buildings, one parish: Immaculate Conception (Botkins), St. John (Fryburg), St. Joseph (Wapakoneta), St. Lawrence (Rhine)
- Pastor: Fr. Sean Wilson (ordained 2016, pastor since 2018)
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Ethan Hoying (since October 14, 2024)
- Four permanent deacons serving across the parish
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph was founded in 1839, when Catholic settlers—many of them of German descent—outgrew the journey to the original Saints Peter and Paul log church at Petersburg (built 1836). A frame church was raised on the southeast corner of Pearl and Blackhoof Streets in Wapakoneta; it was replaced by a brick single-spired church in 1858 and, ultimately, by the present twin-steeple church dedicated October 8, 1911. The parish was entrusted to the Society of the Precious Blood in 1850 and returned to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2003. The parish school, opened in 1853, operated until 2010; a new school was built on site in 1958, and the Parish Life Center was dedicated in 1999.
- 1839 — parish founded; frame church at Pearl & Blackhoof
- 1850 — placed under the Society of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.)
- 1858 — brick single-spired church built on the present site
- 1853 — parish school opens
- 1911 — present twin-steeple church dedicated October 8
- 1958 — new parish school constructed on site
- 1999 (May 1) — Parish Life Center dedicated
- 2003 — returned to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- 2009 — Fr. Patrick Sloneker becomes pastor; 'Petersburg Parishes' coined
- 2010 — parish school closes
- 2014 — 175th anniversary celebrated; St. John joins the pastoral region
- July 1, 2024 — merged into Holy Face of Jesus Parish
Parish Life Center and Campus
Adjoining the church on Perry Street, the Parish Life Center was dedicated on May 1, 1999 and has become a hub for parish life. It provides direct access from Mass celebrations and includes a gathering center, a full-service kitchen, a Teen Center, an Adult Center, and a chapel dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration. The original 1858-era school building on the same campus now serves as the religious education center for Pre-K through 6th-grade CCD students.
- Gathering center and full-service kitchen for parish events
- Teen Center and Adult Center for youth and adult programming
- Eucharistic Adoration Chapel
- Old school repurposed for youth religious education (CCD)
Clergy and Staff
The unified parish is led by Fr. Sean Wilson as pastor, with Fr. Ethan Hoying serving as parochial vicar and four permanent deacons assigned across the region. A Business Manager, Facilities Director, Communications Coordinator, Director of Music, Directors of Evangelization and Religious Education, and parish administrative staff round out the team. Seminarian David Morand serves as an intern.
- Fr. Sean Wilson — Pastor (ordained 2016)
- Fr. Ethan Hoying — Parochial Vicar (ordained 2022; arrived Oct. 14, 2024)
- Deacon Terry (Terrell) Coleman — ordained 2004; catechist in RCIA; Schoenstatt Deacon
- Deacon Jeff Little — ordained 2022; RCIA and 7th/8th-grade CCD; structural Revit designer
- Deacon Rick Westbay — ordained 1995; baptisms, marriage prep, funerals, occasional cantor
- Deacon Nicholas Jurosic — ordained 2004; St. John and St. Patrick (Glynwood) alum
- David Morand — Seminarian Intern
- Carla Heitz-Ream — Business Manager
- Domenic Belgiovane — Facilities Director (since July 2024)
- Grace Weatherhead — Communications Coordinator & Assistant to the Pastor
- Bobbi Donovan — Administrative Assistant
- Angie Soules — Director of Evangelization
- Denise Sheipline — Coordinator of PreK–6 Youth Ministry (CCD)
- Lori Wilson — Coordinator of Outreach
- Lisa Fullenkamp — Coordinator of Adult Sacramental Preparation
- Pam Coon — Stephen Ministry Leader
- Adam Fahncke — Director of Music at St. John & St. Joseph
- Tim Alley — Director of Music at St. Lawrence & Immaculate Conception
Faith Formation, RCIA and Becoming Catholic
The parish operates a robust catechetical program for children in Pre-K through 6th grade (CCD) under Denise Sheipline, while Lisa Fullenkamp coordinates Adult Sacramental Preparation and the RCIA journey for those inquiring about becoming Catholic. The Evangelization Team, directed by Angie Soules, also runs Alpha each Spring and Fall, giving parishioners and seekers a low-threshold entry point into the faith and the parish community.
- PreK–6 CCD (Denise Sheipline)
- Adult Sacramental Preparation / RCIA (Lisa Fullenkamp)
- Alpha program — Spring and Fall sessions (Lori Wilson and Evangelization Team)
- Youth programming in the Parish Life Center Teen Center
Outreach and Pastoral Care
Coordinator of Outreach Lori Wilson visits the sick, hospitalized, nursing-home residents, and homebound parishioners, and serves as staff liaison for the parish's many outreach programs. Stephen Ministry, led by Pam Coon, offers one-on-one Christian care to those in need, while GriefShare, When Two Become One, and Surviving Divorce minister to people in specific life circumstances. K of C and other parish groups round out the parish's social outreach.
- Visits to sick, hospitalized, and homebound parishioners
- Stephen Ministry (one-on-one lay pastoral care)
- GriefShare — bereavement support group
- When Two Become One and Surviving Divorce — parish-based recovery programs
- Funeral coordination and Bereavement Ministry
- Knights of Columbus service projects (hamburger stand at festival, etc.)
Music and Liturgy
Music for Masses at St. Joseph (and St. John) is directed by Adam Fahncke. Cantors and choir accompany weekend Masses; Deacon Rick Westbay occasionally cantors as well. Liturgical ministries across the parish include lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, and altar servers, with the deacons regularly assisting at Mass and proclaiming the Gospel.
- Adam Fahncke — Director of Music at St. John & St. Joseph
- Tim Alley — Director of Music at St. Lawrence & Immaculate Conception
- Deacons assist at Mass, proclaim the Gospel, perform baptisms, witness marriages, and preside at Benediction
St. Joseph Festival — Annual Parish Tradition
The St. Joseph Festival, held every July 3 and 4, is a signature parish tradition that has been running for about 75 years and brings together parishioners and the broader Wapakoneta community. The 4:30 PM Vigil Mass on July 4 is moved to the east end of the Miller Building at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds (1001 Fairview Dr.), where there is no confession beforehand. The festival includes a beer tent, bingo, children's tent, cake wheel, pie stand, sizzler, chicken dinners, a worship tent, fireworks, and many other offerings staffed almost entirely by parishioner volunteers.
- Annual celebration around July 3–4
- 75th annual festival held in 2025; 64th held in 2014 (festival began c. 1950)
- Vigil Mass relocated to Auglaize County Fairgrounds on July 4
- Major volunteer-driven event with food stands, games, bingo, fireworks, and a worship tent
Parish Offices and Contact
The unified parish office is housed at 309 Perry Street, Wapakoneta, in the Parish Life Center. Office hours are Monday–Wednesday and Friday 8:30 AM–5:00 PM and Thursday 10:30 AM–5:00 PM. The parish phone line is (419) 738-2115 with fax (419) 738-4525; an after-hours emergency line is available at (937) 419-1137. The pastor can be reached at [email protected].
- Parish Office: 309 Perry Street, Wapakoneta, OH 45895
- Phone: (419) 738-2115; Fax: (419) 738-4525
- Emergency Line: (937) 419-1137
- Pastor email: [email protected]
The Petersburg Heritage
St. Joseph's identity is inseparable from the vanished village of Petersburg six miles southeast of town. Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church was founded there in 1835–36 by German Catholic immigrants, and Petersburg served as the 'mother church' until it was surrounded by its own daughter parishes and disbanded by 1897. The four surviving parishes—St. Joseph (Wapakoneta, 1839), St. John (Fryburg, 1850), St. Lawrence (Rhine, 1856), and Immaculate Conception (Botkins, 1865)—form the 'Petersburg Parishes,' a collaboration that has now become the unified Holy Face of Jesus Parish. A state historical marker on Santa Fe–New Knoxville Road commemorates the original site.
- Saints Peter and Paul, Petersburg — mother parish, organized 1835–36, disbanded by 1897
- Four daughter parishes: Wapakoneta (1839), Fryburg (1850), Rhine (1856), Botkins (1865)
- Petersburg Parishes collaborative region formed in 2009 under Fr. Sloneker
- Ohio Historical Marker at the Petersburg cemetery site
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Patrick SlonekerJuly 2009 – reassigned after ~16 years
Took St. Joseph into the new 'Petersburg Parishes' collaborative grouping in 2009; coined the name. Coached up the 200-year-old marker at the original Petersburg church site before his reassignment to Incarnation parish.
- Fr. Sean WilsonJuly 1, 2018 – present
Ordained May 21, 2016; first assigned to Holy Face of Jesus region as Parochial Vicar; became pastor in 2018 and led the four parishes into the unified Holy Face of Jesus Parish on July 1, 2024.
- Fr. Ethan HoyingOctober 14, 2024 – present
Ordained May 21, 2022; previously at Holy Cross Family of Parishes in Coldwater and Ft. Recovery. Joined Holy Face of Jesus as Parochial Vicar.
- Fr. Michael Willig2024 (briefly, assigned)
Per June 2024 Archdiocesan assignments, appointed Parochial Vicar of Holy Face of Jesus Parish; replaced in role by Fr. Hoying in October 2024.