Saint Joseph

Catholic Church

The Oldest Catholic Church of Saginaw Valley, established in 1850
 

Vatican II Changes to the Church

                 Vatican II in the 1960s directed many changes in the church, in the liturgy, framework, education and functioning of individual parishes.  The method of presentation was given a new dimension.  Under the concerned and able direction of the priests at St. Joseph, these changes were smoothly interjected into practice.  The priest now faces the congregation as he celebrates Mass, no longer in Latin but in the vernacular of the country.  This necessitated some physical changes, including removal of the old marble altars and communion railing. 

                Portions of the marble communion rail which once extended the entire width of the church, separating  the sanctuary from the auditorium, were moved to the right and left side entrances in the transept

Another section of the railing was incorporated into the base of the now main altar.  The blessed Sacrament now reposes in the tabernacle of the Blessed Virgin altar.  The raised replica of the Last Supper was also transferred from the old main altar to become the  base of the table the priest uses to celebrate mass as he faces the congregation.  The statues of the Mary on the left and Joseph on the right, as well as the Risen Christ in the center, are of hand-carved wood, made by an artist in Bolzano, Italy.

                Other changes include a vesting room for the priest at the entrance of the church and the creation of the Saints Room to house the statues removed from the sanctuary.  The former confessionals, originally called “boxes,” at the left and right of the altar were moved, and one reconciliation room redesigned at the rear of the church to accommodate a face-to-face and more personal approach to confession.  (The penitent may still choose the former method of confession, however, kneeling behind the curtained screen.)

Lightning Strikes Steeple – March 25, 1987

                Lightning struck the steeple and bell tower of St. Joseph church  at 3 p.m. March 25, 1987, causing a fire that completely destroyed the 151-ft. spire.  Even the copper cross atop the steeple was twisted and bent by the heat, but it was two hours before it broke away, falling into the church tower.  The Bay City Times states: “Fighting the steeple fire at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was fraught with difficulties, fire officials said.  Fire Marshal Gary McPhee said firefighters had trouble getting trucks close enough to the building.  In addition, protecting the crowds of onlookers added to the confusion. 

                McPhee said the fire traveled quickly through the steeple because of a draft created by vents in the structure, and was the reason  it became so intense so quickly.  Further, firefighters had problems getting water to the fire because openings into the tower were so small.  Firefighters battling the blaze from rooms below had to be warned away because of the threat of material from the steeple falling in on them.”  (Bay City Times, March 26, 1987)The blaze was under control by 4 p.m., but some of the 31 firefighters stayed outside the church all night, making sure the blaze did not rekindle.”

                It was the decision of the pastor and parishioners to rebuild the steeple, restoring it to its original form, and work began that same year.  Contractors for the project were Charles E. Englehardt Construction.  Consulting engineers were Toshach and Sobczak of Saginaw, and the cost was $41,750.00.  The present steeple is about 15 ft. shorter than the original.

Stained Glass Windows

                St. Joseph church is enhanced by 44 French cathedral stained glass windows, designed and installed in 1909 by Riorday & Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.  The eight large ones in the body of the church represent moments in the lives of Christ, Mary and the saints.  The windows are inscribed with the names of the original donors.

                 Circling from the back, the windows depict Peter receiving the keys to the Kingdom of God; the next depicts the Nativity; the third shows St. Anne for whom St. Joseph parishioners have a special devotion and her daughter, the Virgin Mary who became the Mother of Jesus; the fourth window on the left shows Christ as the Sacred Heart with Saint Margaret Mary. 

                The front window on the right shows the Grotto of Lourdes, France, where our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette.  The next window pictures the Marriage of Mary and Joseph; then the Flight into Egypt, and the last window on the right depicts the Legend of St. Anthony.  The Society of St. Anthony was a parish group at one time.

Between the windows on both sides are plaques representing Christ’s Way of the Cross.  Nearest the sanctuary is the first station where Christ is condemned to death. Continuing around are the 14 steps to Christ’s final journey, culminating in His entombment.

                The sanctuary windows in the transept are identified left to right as:  St. Cecelia, patroness of music; Mary, as “Our Lady of Sorrows;” the Blessed Trinity, the three persons in one; St. Dominic, founder of  the Dominican order of priests and nuns; St. Aloysius, patron of Catholic youth.     Two smaller windows in the sanctuary are abstract The four evangelists are pictured in traditional symbolic form in the small windows high over the side entrances.  On the west are:  St. Matthew, a man to show Christ’s relationship to humans, and St. Mark, a lion as Christ’s kingly power.  On the are: St. Luke, an ox, the animal of sacrifice, St. John, the eagle who teaches “soared aloft.”

                Circling behind the main altar and on into the present Adoration Chapel is a series of small decorated stained glass windows.  Because these windows were hidden from view, donors were hard to find, so one benefactor donated all and signed them “Ami” to remain anonymous.

                Looking back to the organ loft, one can see the rose window, 14 ft. in diameter, which emulates the window of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

                All of the stained glass windows in the church were repaired and restored in 1995 by Cathedral Crafts, Inc., of Winona, Minnesota, at a cost of $125,000.

Pipe Organ

                The pipe organ, built by the George Kilgen & Sons, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri, was installed in 1929-30 at a cost of $12,000, this sum donated through the estate of parishioner, Mrs. Eugenie Young, in memory of her daughter, Marie Young, with the stipulation that the interior of the church be painted at the same time.  A recital was given April 22, 1930, by Walter Flandorf, a famed Chicago organist who had performed at the Vatican, Carnegie Hall and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

The Kilgen organ is one of the few remaining examples of what is known as a “Romantic Organ.”  It has two swell boxes, one with choir division and one with swell division.  It plays on six inches of wind pressure.  The six inches are determined by a manometer, a U-shaped tube.  When pressure is exerted, water rises to six inches.

                The pipe organ was rebuilt in 1984 at a cost of $8,771 by Pipe Organ Specialists, Saginaw, Michigan.  Many of the small treble pipes had been damaged, and instead of changing to something new, the pipes were duplicated in Erie, Pennsylvania.  Stanley Kuczynski of Bay City St. Stanislaus cleaned the organ and installed a rectifier in 1991 for $5,450.  There was pneumatic damage to valve leather from the smoke of the steeple fire and this was repaired in 1988 as part of the insurance claim.

                  In 2002 Stanley Kuczynski again examined the organ and concluded that it be restored since previous attempt at repair and renovation were incomplete.  He suggested rebuilding the existing pipe organ which would include: adding on several new ranks of pipes; installing a new blower; replacing the old keyboards with new ones; complete re-lathering of all wind chests and air reservoirs; installing new solid state relay and stop combination system; replacement of the old pneumatic swell engines with electric one and refinishing the organ facade. 

                 Bids were obtained and the parish decided to go with Lauck Pipe Organ Company out of Otsego, Michigan.  The work was completed for $103,000.00 and the organ was rededicated on November 21, 2004.  A choral concert of sacred music sponsored by the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the American Guild of Organists celebrated the restoration of the Kilgen organ on Sunday, January 30, 2005.  Organist Nicholas Schmelter, dean of the Saginaw Valley American Guild of Organists accompanied the program.

                 Former pastor, Father Siegfried Eckert, C.S.Sp., was an accomplished musician and enjoyed playing the organ with all stops out, often regaling the neighbors for blocks around with Bach, Brahms and Beethoven.  An assistant pastor, Fr. James Parent, was also a fine organist. 

Other Parish Buildings

Purchase of Property for Expansion

                 By the year 1918, the need for additional property for future expansion had become increasingly apparent and the Holy Ghost Fathers began buying property adjacent to their holdings as it became available.

                 Three lots on Third Street across from the church were purchased from private individuals in 1924.  One lot is used for parking and the other two were used for a new convent built in 1966  which has since been sold.

A six-acre site at Woodside and Johnson streets  was purchased by the parish in October 1939 from the Simms estate.  Development of the property into an athletic field and the present Village Hall began in 1948.

A double corner lot on the northeast corner of Third and Farragut across from the church was bought by the parish in 1941.  Houses standing were torn down, and the Sisters’ convent was moved there to make room for the new St. Joseph gym and auditorium.  Moving of the convent began in July of 1941 and was ready for occupancy by the following Christmas.

                In April 1944, the parish bought a house and lot at 1116 N. Farragut Street.  It was used by the school’s second grade students until a new school was built in 1956.  The house and lot at 1112 N.  Farragut was acquired in April 1948 to house first grade students.  In May of the same year, a house and lot at 1118 N. Farragut was purchased, as well as the property at 1100 Second Street (SE corner of Farragut), and in August 1949, the property at 1104 Second Street was purchased.  These buildings were later razed.

                St. Joseph Parish then had title to all the property between Second and Third streets, and on March 21, 1949, the city officially closed Farragut for that block.

Later Construction

 Auditorium/Gym – 1947

                 Ground was broken for a new auditorium/gymnasium on the corner of Second and Farragut streets on September 19, 1947.  An athletic program had been started in 1936 by volunteers when the need for organized assistance for athletics in the high school was recognized.  Under the sponsorship of Father Paul Murray, C.S.Sp., who came to St. Joseph as an assistant pastor September 6, 1944, the Athletic Association was registered with the State of Michigan February 18, 1947.  It was organized “to promote athletics as an integral part of the school in every way possible,’ and membership included both men and women.  The new auditorium/gymnasium provided a place for games, debate and dramatic plays, and its kitchen and cafeteria served hot lunches for students as well as parish dinners on special occasions.  The building was blessed by the Most Rev. Stephen S. Woznicki on Sunday, May 25, 1952, at a 4 p.m. service.

When St. Joseph and the Bay City parochial high schools merged in 1967, St. Joseph gym was used for the new All Saints High School athletics and various dances and activities of the merged high school.  It was later used as the Holy Family Middle School gym and is now rented out by the parish.

Elementary School ( Now Parish Center) - 1956

                Construction for a new elementary school was begun April 17, 1956, and the building was blessed by Bishop Stephen Woznicki on May 1, 1957.  It included kindergarten through eighth grade and was staffed by the Dominican Sisters and lay teachers, assisted by 25 volunteers, a school board and a Home and School Association.  Other activities included a hot lunch program, band, sports, Boy and Girl Scouts.  Dwindling enrollment and escalating costs caused the school to be closed in 1996.  The building is now called the “Parish Center,” and is used by religious education classes for public school children, parish meetings and programs for adults training to become Certified Nursing Assistants.

Village Hall – 1963

                It was also under the auspices of the Athletic Association  that the athletic field and Village Hall were built on property the church owned on Johnson Street near Woodside Avenue.  The Village Hall was completed on July 20, 1963, and the mortgage burned at a gala party on May 6, 1972.  The Athletic Association continued to maintain these two ventures and supervised the rental of the Village Hall for numerous meetings, receptions, parties and other social gatherings.  When the Athletic Association disbanded after the school was closed, the parish took over  management of the Village Hall which is now used for bingos, funeral luncheons and various parish activities..

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