St. Joseph the Worker Parish

We Planted the Seed….

…..Our History Begins

St. Joseph the Worker’s beginnings are rich in the history of St. Mary Parish in Independence, Missouri dating back to early 1800’s. Saint Mary, the oldest church in Jackson County, was completed in 1864. Over the years, the Independence population more than doubled. St. Mary could no longer handle the overflow. An additional church was needed.

April 27, 1976, Bishop Helmsing canonically established St. Joseph the Worker Parish. Until an actual brick and mortar church could be built, temporary services were held in the newly built Holy Family Elementary School in Independence, Mo. On August 15 1976, at the dedication of the school, the first Mass of St. Joseph the Worker Parish was celebrated by its first pastor, Reverend C. Duane (Bo) Ryan (July 1976-June 1986).

Through the generosity of parishioner Anna Marie Lentz, in donating the land, the actual building was on its way to reality. On Sunday, March 15, 1981, members of the parish watched at the new church site as Bishop Sullivan, Fr. Ryan, Anna Marie Lentz, and others turned over the first shovels of dirt.

On Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 1981, the first Mass was held in the St. Joseph the Worker building. The hopes, dreams, generosity, and hard work of so many finally came together. At. last, we had our own church.

The Vines Continued to Grow…..

Fr. Ryan’s vision was to be a parish of hospitality and ministry. As the parish grew, so did a real sense of “community”. Ministry to others, beautiful services and music, and get -togethers forged a great bond among the parishioners. In June, 1986, after 13 years of struggling, leading and saying yes to the challenges of building up St. Joseph the Worker parish, Fr. Ryan’s talents were needed elsewhere. With heavy hearts and emotional goodbyes, the people of St. Joseph the Worker bid farewell to its beloved pastor.

The Roots Grew Deep…..

Reverend Frank Russ was St. Joseph the Worker’s second pastor (June 1986-June1989). Despite Fr. Ryan leaving a big pair of shoes to fill, Fr. Russ soon earned a special place in the hearts of people of St. Joseph the Worker. Leading with humbleness and discipline, he inspired us to whittle away at the parish debt. It was under the tenure of Fr. Russ that our generous benefactor, Anna Marie Lentz, went to our heavenly Father. In June of 1989, we were again saddened when Fr. Russ was assigned to another parish. When our Lord closes one door in life, He opens another.

Our third pastor, Reverend Chuck Tobin (June 1989-1996) brought his “specialness” to our community. His energy and drive inspired us to give more of ourselves, to find our talents and share them. Under Fr. Tobin, the parish grew and it became necessary to expand our facilities. On May 12, 1991, there was a Mass to dedicate and celebrate the new additions of the Lentz Room, the Joseph Room, the Resource Center, Gathering space, and the outdoor area. In 1996 Fr. Tobin was assigned to St. Gregory Barbarigo Parish in Maryville—a parish three-times the size of St. Joseph the Worker.

On June 20, 1996, our fourth pastor, Reverend John Leitner (1996-2004) was assigned to St. Joseph the Worker. We had prayed that God would send a good and holy priest to serve and lead us in the years ahead. Fr. Leitner had been looking for a smaller parish to oversee. As God would have it, a good fit would be at St. Joseph the Worker.

St. Joseph the Work’s fifth pastor was Reverend Joe Matt (2004-2014). Fr. Matt encourage us to continue to cultivate that spirit of warmth and hospitality that we will want to extend to all new members. He said it was a distinct pleasure and privilege to pastor at St. Joseph the Worker. At times, Fr. Matt had a humorous quip that proceeded his homily. He had a gift of relating the Gospel to modern times.

Reverend James Carlyle (2014-2018) was St. Joseph the Workers sixth pastor. On Saturday, October 18, 2014, Fr. Carlyle was ordained to the Priesthood. St. Joseph the Worker parishioners were invited to witness this beautiful service. Fr. Carlyle liked to incorporate the catechism in with his homily. He would question us about things such as the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the corporal works of mercy. We believe he knew some of us needed a refresher. He often professed his love of the Catholic church.

Reverend Joe Powers (201802022) was assigned as the seventh pastor of St. Joseph the Worker. That assignment was in addition to continuing as pastor to his current parish of St. Mark in Independence, Mo. Newly ordained, Reverend Timothy Leete, PV was helping Fr. Powers with the services of both parishes. Due to a shortage of priests, however, Fr. Leete was transferred to St. Joseph, Mo. God bless Fr. Powers for his dedication to the priesthood. We thank God for providing Fr. Powers with the strength to take care of both parishes.

The Fruits of the Labor Entwine……

There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven. A time for giving birth, a time for dying. A time for tears, a time for laughter. A time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing….ECCL. 3.

And a time for moving on, a time for change.

Just as St. Joseph the Worker’s beginnings are rich in the history of St. Mary Parish, so we now are called to return to that original richness.