Saint Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Parish and School encourages its members to live fully the message of Jesus Christ. Inspired by the Holy Spirit through Faith, Love, Sacraments and Service, our Parish family will be a community of life-long achievers and a center for academic excellence.
Saint Joseph the Worker Parish of Beal City has been a welcoming community and a faith-filled community dating back to 1882. Since 1882, we have worshiped in three church buildings. Our present church was dedicated in July of 1907 and continues to serve us well today.
We are a parish of approximately 550 families today. On the typical Sunday, approximately 800 people gather in our church to worship the Lord. It is a very alive and spiritual parish. We hope that the information found here will be of help to you and be beneficial in many ways. You are invited to join with us in knowing the Lord and putting His Word into practice in our daily lives. Thank you for visiting our website!
The parish was founded by German settlers from Westphalia, Michigan, and by some who came directly from Germany. Farming was their primary occupation. As soon as they settled here they began planning for the first church building. Father McCarthy from Mount Pleasant served the congregation through its first three years. When founded, the church was given the name “Saint Philomena.” This name is still found on the cornerstone of the present church. The name was changed in 1961 to Saint Joseph the Worker on the recommendation of the Bishop of Grand Rapids. In 1971, our parish became part of the Diocese of Saginaw.
Our most important building is, of course, the church! It is there that we hear the Word of God proclaimed. It is there that we celebrate the Sacraments and receive the Eucharist. Our parishioners are dedicated to our faith and they have sacrificed much to live the faith and make it known to others. The parish is also very proud of its school. It was founded one year after the church, in 1883. It has operated continuously since that time. Dominican Sisters came to the school in 1901 and operated it for over one hundred years. Today, a staff of dedicated lay teachers conduct the school. It is known throughout our area for its fine educational standards.