History Timeline
1842 Charles Dickens visits Lebanon.
1850 Catholic families celebrate Mass in the Ward homestead.
1857 Lebanon incorporated as a town.
1858 Fr. Augustine Reineke named pastor of St. Dominic, Breese, including settlement of Lebanon.
1861 Start of Civil War.
1862 First church was erected on Pearl Street.
1866 Parish Records note 24 Baptisms, 12 First Communions, 18 Confirmations, 2 Marriages, 1 Death.
Cemetery land purchased.
1868 One room frame schoolhouse erected. For the first 32 years, classes were taught by laity.
1871 Nicholas Faust and Joseph Ganschinietz named first trustees.
1876 First financial records maintained: January Income $21.10, including $9.10 from Sunday collections.
1879 Fr. Francis Trojan first resident pastor of St. Joseph Parish.
1882 Lebanon has 3600 residents, boasts various manufacturing and trade organizations and eight churches.
1888 Diocese of Alton divided into the Diocese of Belleville and Springfield. The number of churches in the new Diocese numbered 82. The number of secular priests: 56, religious priests: 4.
1890 The City of Lebanon installs electric light plant.
1891 Fr. Gillen and trustees Franz Morgenstern and Henry Becherer acquired land on Hwy 4 for construction of a brick and stone church of Gothic design to seat nearly 300 (cost $10,000.).
Work was notably scarce, crops had failed.
1892 Cornerstone of new church was placed on Easter Monday, witnessed by many local citizens and visitors.
1897 Church is paid for in five years.
1900 Adorers of the Precious Blood sisters arrive and assume operation of St. Joseph School.
1902 Lebanon is served by electric street railway to E. St. Louis.
1908 Main streets of Lebanon are paved.
1912 Parish roster contains 57 family names.
1918 Ferd Mersinger joins Henry Becherer as a trustee; both served continuously for almost 40 years.
1923 Inadequate facilities and lack of attendance closes St. Joseph School.
1943 Fr. Joseph Roken dies, having served as pastor for 18 years.
1945 At close of WWII, Cyril Lebert and Rubert Missey had been killed in action.
1950 Ground was broken for a new school on July 30.
1951 School opens with 68 children taught by Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
1955 Enrollment reached 168 students.
1968 Land acquired for building of present church.
1970 Record of first Pastoral Council election.
1970s Ministerial Alliance is formed. Ecumenical services for Thanksgiving and Good Friday Way of the Cross are planned. Vacation Bible School and Community Food Pantry begin lasting ecumenical relationship.
1979 Present church consecrated on March 19, St. Joseph Feast Day.
1983 Greg Hogg first lay person in Diocese hired to be a pastoral associate. McKendree hires him part-time as campus minister. Emerald Gardens (Cedar Ridge) opens. Parish provides weekly liturgy two nursing homes in town.
1985 Sister relationship formed with Catholic Urban Programs and Griffin Center. Men’s Club builds study cubbies for Learning Center. Parish makes commitment to provide Christmas gifts and school supplies for children every year.
1988 Diocese of Belleville Centennial Year.
1989 Sharon Dietz is the first woman appointed trustee of St. Joseph. Church Mortgage is paid.
SVDP chapter formed at St. Joseph Parish.
1993 Lebanon Ministerial Alliance forms Community Care Coalition to help the needy. Archie D’Amico serves as community advocate for the poor.
1994 Brenda Pehle appointed first Parish Life Coordinator in the Diocese by Bishop Wilton Gregory.
1995 St. Joseph is one of four founding churches for Christian HomeCare Services, Inc. providing practical care and services for elderly.
2003 St. Joseph Parish Clusters with St. Mary, Trenton, St. George, New Baden, St. Bernard, Albers and St. Damian, Damiansville.
2012 St. Joseph Parish celebrates 150 years.
Creates St. Joseph golf and tee shirts.
Assists E. St. Louis Hearth and Home Build.
Participates in Fireman’s Picnic.
Explores St. Louis City Museum.
Publishes cookbook of recipes of parishioners past and present.
Holds community wide pig roast and music festival.
Sponsors Trivia Night.
Designed commemorative Christmas ornament.
2013 Closes year-long celebration with Mass and Pot Luck.
2014 Bishop Braxton announces partnership of St. Joseph Parish with St. Nicholas, O’Fallon.
2017 Bishop Braxton announces partnership of St. Joseph Parish with Corpus Christi Parish, Shiloh.
Msgr. James Margason is appointed pastor.