Saint Joseph's Catholic Church (Key West)
Encyclopedia
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
located south of Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
in the community of Key West, Iowa
Key West, Iowa
Key West is an unincorporated community in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, near the extreme southern end of the city of Dubuque. Parts of the community are now within the city of Dubuque, while others are unincorporated. Owing to the presence of U.S. Highways 151, 61, and 52, and the nearby...
. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
The church is across from Mount Olivet Cemetery
Mount Olivet Cemetery (Dubuque)
Mount Olivet Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery located at 10378 Military Road in Key West, Iowa approximately south of Dubuque. It is one of the two large Catholic cemeteries located in the Dubuque area...
, one of two main Catholic cemeteries for Dubuque-area Catholics. While people from St. Joseph's parish are often buried at Mount Olivet, the cemetery is not part of the parish.
History
The parish was originally established in 1872 by Father Thomas J. O'Reilly for the Catholics living just south of Dubuque in Mosalem and Table Mound townshipTownship
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
s. Father James Ward was the first resident pastor.
In the late 1940s another Saint Joseph's Church was established about three miles away in Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. This led to confusion on the part of people between the two parishes, at times one parish would receive mail meant for the other. As a result, St. Joseph's in Dubuque eventually changed its name to Saint Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in the 1990s.
During the 1990s the parish seriously considered demolishing the current church structure and replacing it with a new building. However the parish decided to keep their current church building, and instead make improvements to the parish school.
The parish has been unfortunately been touched by the sexual abuse crisis. Fr. Joseph Patanode, who was pastor of the church in the late 1930s and 40s has had numerous accusations of abuse made against him. Another priest accused of sexual abuse, William Roach also was assigned to the Key West parish.
The school mascot was the cobras.