Our vision is to create a living, loving, vibrant community of God's People.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to deepen our personal and communal relationship with Jesus Christ in the context of our Catholic Christian faith tradition. It is our intention to do this by actively promoting and developing the spiritual, the educational, the formational, the communal, the service and justice components of our parish.
We the people of God of the Roman Catholic Church of Middle Tennessee are called to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ by:
Worshipping God in prayer and sacraments Teaching and preaching the word of God Loving God and serving our neighbors
Gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to this mission through responsible stewardship of our time, talent and material resources.
OUR VALUES
As a community of faith, we commit ourselves to the following shared responsibilities:
Fidelity to God and the Church Solidarity and unity of purpose Sharing our faith, hope and love Welcoming and outreach Witness through charity, service and stewardship Respect for freedom, truth and life.
OUR HISTORY
Due to the steady growth in membership of Holy Name Parish, it became apparent that an additional Parish and School were needed to accommodate persons living in the Madison, TN area. The parish of St. Joseph was created in 1952.
Father George Rohling was named as the first Pastor of St. Joseph and celebrated the first Mass in the new church on June 12, 1953. With 178 families in the parish and approximately 160 children enrolled in the school, St. Joseph became a very important part of the historical scenery at 1225 Gallatin Pike South, in Madison, Tennessee. The school was operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Convent with five teachers on staff and Sister Josephine, O. P., serving as the first Principal.
During the first year, the spirit of fellowship coupled with the concern for parishioners led to the creation of the Women’s Club and the Men’s Club. Other organizations were soon formed, such as a Board of Directors (now known as the Parish Council), School Board, PTO, CYO and Legion of Mary, and other groups and organizations (ministries listed in the Brochure) that meet the specific needs of our parishioners. One of the mainstays of the church is the Knights of Columbus. Knights are Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their Church.
Due to the rapid growth of both the church and the school, four additional classrooms were built and long-range plans for expansion of the church began to take shape. It was determined that the original church would be converted into four classrooms and a nursery and the house on the property (being used as the rectory for the parish priests) would be moved to make additional space. On December 20, 1959, groundbreaking ceremonies were held to herald the construction of the new church. One year later, on December 4, 1960, the cornerstone for the new church was laid with a copper box inside containing a list of the parish membership, blessed medals, official documents, and front pages of the local pages of the local newspapers.
The first St. Joseph Catholic Church building was finished in March, 1961, with formal dedication celebration activities held on March 12, 1961.