Bay City in Bay County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
St. Joseph Catholic Church
By Kathy Garman, July 25, 2020
1. St. Joseph Catholic Church Marker
St. Joseph was the first Catholic parish in the Saginaw Valley when it was founded in 1850-51 by missionary Joseph Kindekens. Dedicated on March 19, 1911, this building is the third to serve St. Joseph. During the late nineteenth century St. Joseph church served French Canadians who were drawn to Bay City’s lumbering and fishing industries. Local architects Pratt and Koeppe designed the church, basing it on the plan of the Church of Ste. Anne de Beaupré in Quebec City, Canada. In 1882 the Dominican Sisters joined St. Joseph as teachers. By 1888, however, the church faced closure. The Holy Ghost Fathers, an order committed to helping troubled parishes, came to St. Joseph and saved the parish. They served until 1995.Erected 2002 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2109.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list.
Location. 43° 36.029′
By Kathy Garman, July 25, 2020
2. St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Historical Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Trinity Church/Trinity Episcopal Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Charles B. & Georgiana (McGraw) Curtiss House (approx. ¼ mile away); First Presbyterian Church (approx. ¼ mile away); George H. & Elva Shearer House (approx. ¼ mile away); Center Avenue (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cross Country Connections (approx. 0.3 miles away); Keit's Florist (approx. half a mile away); "Ten Hours or No Sawdust" (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bay City.
Additional comments.
1. Current Status of the Church
St. Joseph’s Church has not been consistently used since 2014. The diocese merged the parishes of St. Joseph and St. Jude Thaddeus in 2014. Ever since then St. Joseph has only been used for special occasions and was eventually closed for safety reasons. In 2018, the church and its campus were supposed to be renovated and repurposed for low income housing, but as of 2020, the church and its grounds have fallen into disrepair despite portions of the campus still being used for diocese administration offices.
By Kathy Garman, July 25, 2020
3. The Former St. Joseph Catholic Church Rectory
The former rectory is now the Administrative Building for the Saginaw Diocese.
By Kathy Garman, July 25, 2020
4. The Former St. Joseph Catholic School
Credits. This page was last revised on December 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2020, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. This page has been viewed 29 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 11, 2020, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 12, 2020, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
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