October 16, 2009
Centennial celebration for St. Joseph Church, Dale
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
A five-k run, a cake-walk, children’s games, brats and tacos, and Mass with the bishop — all are on the schedule at St. Joseph Church in Dale, in honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the parish.
The day-long celebration will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, in the Dale City Park. On Sunday, Oct. 18, Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger will be the main celebrant for Mass at the parish church, at 4 p.m. Father John Brosmer is the parish pastor.
Dinner will follow the Mass at the parish center. Among those invited to the dinner are former pastors, deacons, DREs, music ministers and others, according to a release from the centennial committee.
The events at the park on Saturday start with the five-k run/walk at 9 a.m., with food stands opening at 10 a.m. Activities will include face painting and children’s games, a country store, hay rides, horse drawn wagon rides, and several musical performances.
In celebration of the multi-cultural make-up of the parish, food booths will offer brats, burgers and french fries, as well as a taco meal with beans, rice and sopapilla with ice cream for desert.
Music will include an accoustic guitar session with Carll Wertin, a St. Meinrad student; Christina Updike singing Spanish songs; easy listening with the Shady Tree-O, and music by the Recycled Teenagers.
The vigil Mass will be celebrated Saturday at 5 p.m., with more activities planned for the evening.
St. Joseph Church was established in 1909 with 160 members. Ground was broken in January 1909, the church cornerstone was laid on June 3, and the building completed by Oct. 24 that same year.
Today the parish has 307 families, or almost 800 individual members. Father Brosmer, pastor, is also pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Santa Claus and sacramental minister at Mary, Help of Christians Church in Mariah Hill. Deacon James Woebkenberg is pastoral life coordinator of the parish in Mariah Hill, and also serves the parishes at Dale and Santa Claus.