About St. Joseph's Chapel (Our Lady of the Rosary Parish) · Idaho City, Idaho
St. Joseph's Chapel is a historic mission chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish (Boise) located on Church Hill in the old gold-rush town of Idaho City, Idaho. The white clapboard frame church perched above the town is recognized as the oldest Catholic church built for Euro-Americans in Idaho, with the original structure dedicated in 1863. It belongs to the Diocese of Boise and is lovingly maintained by long-time parishioners Pat and Cheryl Minto, with sacramental records kept at the parent parish in Boise. Today visitors and mountain-community Catholics gather there for rotating Sunday Masses, a monthly Communion service, and noon Masses on Holy Days of Obligation.
- Established
- 1863
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Father Dat T. Vu (Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Boise — St. Joseph's is a mission chapel of that parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Boise
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a living piece of Idaho Catholic history — the oldest Catholic church built for Euro-Americans in Idaho — and remains an active mission chapel where mountain-community Catholics can worship in a small, intimate setting on Church Hill above historic Idaho City. With Sunday Mass on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Sundays, a Communion service on the 3rd Sunday, and noon Masses on Holy Days, the chapel offers a faithful rhythm of the sacraments, pastoral care coordinated through Our Lady of the Rosary in Boise, and the warmth of longtime local stewards Pat and Cheryl Minto. Visitors, history lovers, and Catholics traveling through the Boise Basin are warmly welcomed to stop in, attend Mass, and step into 160 years of continuous worship.
Mass times at St. Joseph's Chapel (Our Lady of the Rosary Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
St. Joseph's Chapel — A Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary
St. Joseph's Chapel in Idaho City operates as a mission chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Boise. Sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, funerals) are filed and maintained at the main parish office in Boise, while day-to-day stewardship of the chapel is handled by longtime parishioners Pat and Cheryl Minto. The Our Lady of the Rosary website invites visitors and travelers passing through Idaho City to stop by for Mass or join a Communion service.
- Parent parish: Our Lady of the Rosary, 1500 E. Wright St., Boise, ID 83706
- Chapel contacts: Pat & Cheryl Minto
- Sacramental records kept at Our Lady of the Rosary, Boise
- Diocese: Boise — West Central Deanery
History of St. Joseph's (1863 to today)
St. Joseph's was one of four Catholic churches built in 1863 for the gold-rush miners of the Boise Basin by Fathers Toussaint Mesplié and A. Z. Poulin, who had been dispatched from Portland by Archbishop F. N. Blanchet. The original frame church was dedicated November 15, 1863, and on Christmas Day Father Poulin celebrated Masses there — the only public Christmas services in the Basin that year. The building survived the catastrophic 1865 Idaho City fire thanks to miners who rallied to defend it, but was destroyed by a second fire on May 17, 1867.
- 1863 — Original St. Joseph's dedicated November 15
- December 25, 1863 — First Christmas Masses in the Boise Basin held at St. Joseph's
- 1865 — Fire destroys most of Idaho City; miners save the church
- May 17, 1867 — Second fire destroys St. Joseph's
- 1867 — Rebuild completed in November under Father A. Z. Poulin's supervision
- November 1, 1868 — First recorded Solemn High Mass in Idaho (All Souls' Day)
- November 1869 — Idaho's first bishop, Louis Lootens, celebrates Mass here
- Late 19th – 20th century — No resident pastor due to mining decline
- 2007 — Interior remodeled to its 19th-century appearance and 150th anniversary celebrated
Architecture & Historic Designation
The current building is a simple two-story white clapboard frame church with a steep gable roof and a narrow chapel lined with stained-glass windowpanes. It is perched on East Hill above downtown Idaho City and is reached from town by a long flight of wood stairs. Both exterior and interior details have been preserved — and in 2007 deliberately restored — to reflect the original 1867 design.
- Style: simple vernacular frame church, 1867 rebuild
- Exterior: white clapboard, steep gable roof
- Interior: narrow chapel with stained-glass windowpanes; original altarpieces from the 1867 fire still preserved
- Setting: East Hill (Church Hill), accessed by a long wooden staircase
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places within the Idaho City Historic District
Mass & Service Schedule at St. Joseph's
Masses and services at St. Joseph's follow a monthly rotation rather than a weekly one, reflecting the chapel's role as a mission church serving the wider mountain community. Sacramental coverage for the chapel is coordinated through the parent parish in Boise, where weekday and weekend Masses are also celebrated. The full OLR Boise schedule includes Weekday Mass Monday–Thursday at 8:00 AM, a Communion Service Friday at 8:00 AM, First Saturday Mass at 9:00 AM, Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
- St. Joseph's, Idaho City — 1st Sunday: Holy Mass at 12:00 PM (Noon)
- St. Joseph's, Idaho City — 2nd Sunday: Holy Mass at 10:30 AM
- St. Joseph's, Idaho City — 3rd Sunday: Communion Service at 10:30 AM
- St. Joseph's, Idaho City — 4th Sunday: Holy Mass at 10:30 AM
- Holy Days of Obligation at St. Joseph's: 12:00 PM (Noon)
- Our Lady of the Rosary, Boise — Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
- Our Lady of the Rosary, Boise — Sunday: 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM
- Our Lady of the Rosary, Boise — Weekday Mass Mon–Thu: 8:00 AM; Fri Communion Service: 8:00 AM
- Our Lady of the Rosary, Boise — First Saturday Mass: 9:00 AM
Visiting the Chapel
St. Joseph's is open to visitors year-round as both an active mission chapel and a historic site. The Our Lady of the Rosary website encourages visitors to drive up to Idaho City, look east up Church Hill, and fall in love with the steeple and frame structure of the oldest Catholic church built for Euro-Americans in Idaho. Whether attending Mass, joining a Communion service, or simply stopping to see the rescued 1867 vestments and altar pieces, guests are welcomed by local stewards Pat and Cheryl Minto.
- Set on Church Hill / East Hill above Idaho City
- Long wooden staircase leads up from town
- Rescued vestments and altar pieces from the 1867 fire on display inside
- Contact for visits: Pat & Cheryl Minto (via olrboise.org/st-josephs-chapel)
- Sacramental records: Our Lady of the Rosary, 1500 E. Wright St., Boise, ID 83706
Parish Staff — Our Lady of the Rosary, Boise
Because St. Joseph's is a mission of Our Lady of the Rosary, the priests, deacons, and lay staff of the Boise parish also serve the Idaho City chapel. The current pastor is Father Dat T. Vu; Deacon Lou Aaron serves as Parish Administrator. A full team supports faith formation, youth ministry, music, religious education, and parish administration.
- Father Dat T. Vu — Pastor
- Deacon Lou Aaron — Parish Administrator
- Misty Neeman — Administrative Assistant
- Aric McCullough — Director of Parish Formation and Ministry
- Thomas Bailey — Director of Youth Ministry
- Tina Punnoose — Director of Religious Education
- Cathryn Gardner — Director of Music Ministry
Mission & Vision of Our Lady of the Rosary
Our Lady of the Rosary describes itself as a Catholic community serving individuals and families in Southeast Boise with their spiritual and temporal needs, through the example of Jesus, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to further the Kingdom of God. St. Joseph's Chapel in Idaho City extends this mission into the Boise Basin mountains.
- Affirm love and fidelity to God in liturgy and daily life
- Bear witness to Jesus Christ in word and action
- Educate the community in the teachings of Christ
- Love and serve neighbors near and far
- Welcome all people to the Catholic Christian community
- Promote lay leadership and the development of gifts
- Foster small church communities within the parish
Contact & Location
St. Joseph's Chapel is located at 200 East Wallula Street in Idaho City, with mailing addressed to P.O. Box 672, Idaho City, ID 83631. The main parish office of Our Lady of the Rosary is at 1500 E. Wright St., Boise, ID 83706 (office hours Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM and 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM on Friday). Phone and email for the chapel route through the Boise parish office.
- Chapel address: 200 East Wallula Street, Idaho City, ID 83631
- Chapel mailing: P.O. Box 672, Idaho City, ID 83631
- Chapel phone: 208-392-4751
- Parish office phone: 208-343-9041
- Parish fax: 208-343-2644
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://olrboise.org/st-josephs-chapel
- Parish office address: 1500 E. Wright St., Boise, ID 83706
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Toussaint Mesplié (Father T. Mespile/Mesplie)1863 onward
French secular priest sent from Portland with Father Poulin by Archbishop Blanchet; celebrated Christmas Masses at St. Joseph's and the other Basin churches in 1863.
- Father A. Z. Poulin1863 onward
Canadian secular priest who built churches in Idaho City, Placerville, Centerville and Pioneer City; supervised reconstruction of St. Joseph's after the May 1867 fire.
- Right Rev. Louis LootensNovember 1869
Idaho's first bishop (Vicar Apostolic, consecrated 1868); celebrated Mass at St. Joseph's in November 1869.