Parish History
On the south shores of beautiful Lake Erie, nestled in the easternmost corner of Lorain County, home to vineyards that have been “in the family” for nearly a century as well as to businesses that even now continue to sprout, Avon Lake, Ohio claims the vibrant stewardship Roman Catholic parish of Saint Joseph. And while a newcomer or visitor will see state-of-the-art technology and ADA compliance with each glance, this parish is firmly rooted in the history of our faith and family and is a haven of fidelity to our Holy Mother Church and to our deeply-seated Christian values.
From its very inception in 1949, Saint Joseph Parish has indicated its dedication to spreading the Christian message through Catholic education. In fact, the original church first served as classroom to eight grades of students, who entered the brand new St. Joseph School in September of 1950 under the tutelage of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. Parishioners attended Mass in the old Avon Lake Theater while the school was being completed, then moved into the original church, which now serves as St. Joseph Hall. Today, parishioners continue to support the efforts of Catholic education in St. Joseph School, a benchmark school in the diocese, presently educating 350 children from kindergarten through eighth grade. And for those who choose public school, the parish joyfully provides sacramental preparation for children as part of the intergenerational continuing religious education program, Generations of Faith.
A parish of the Diocese of Cleveland, Saint Joseph’s has been served by five pastors in its 57 year history. Father Carl Wernet was succeeded by Father Edward Dickard, Father Albert Kunkel, Father J. Norman Riley, and its current pastor is Father Timothy J. O’Connor, who has lovingly shepherded this parish since 1995. Under Father O’Connor’s leadership, this parish has grown, over 12 years, from 800 to nearly 1800 families and has built and dedicated a beautiful new worship space, as well as doubling the classrooms in the school building. In 2007, Saint Joseph’s is completing its second year as a Stewardship Parish , continues a sister relationship with St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Nassau, the Bahamas, as well as with that Archdiocese’s poorest school on the island, St. Bede’s, and is now in the early months of the Diocesan-mandated Clustering initiative with its partners, Holy Spirit Parish in Avon Lake and St. Raphael Parish in Bay Village.