Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, KEY WEST
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, KEY WEST. In 1872 St. Joseph's Church, a frame building, was constructed when Father Thomas J. O'Reilly, a member of the staff at ST. RAPHAEL'S CATHEDRAL, organized Catholics living in Mosalem and Table Mound Townships into a parish.
Father James Ward came to the parish in 1873. In addition to being the resident pastor, he was also the superintendent of the "Bishop's Farm." In 1874 Father Ward had a rectory completed close to his church. He gave this to the SISTERS OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (PBVM). It was here that Mother Mary Vincent Hennessy established for her three postulants the first Presentation convent and motherhouse in Iowa.
Parish pastors lived at the "Bishop's Farm" until 1888 when Father John Mortel constructed another rectory. In 1912 Father James Mulligan had a parish hall constructed. The old frame church was replaced in 1925 by the church present in 2014.
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Source:
Driscoll, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Justin A. With Faith and Vision: Schools of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, 1836-1966, Dubuque: Bureau of Education, Archdiocese of Dubuque, 1967, p. 75-75