The History of the Parish
of Saint Joseph tells a story of a holy and splendid
people dedicated for many years to the worship of God and
the education of God’s children.
In February of 1916, the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia decided to establish a parish
in the borough of Collingdale, Pennsylvania. On February
16th of that year, Mass was first celebrated in
the Collingdale Fire Hall. On the feast of Saint Joseph,
March 19, 1916, ground breaking ceremonies for a new
combination church and school building took place. On
Christmas day 1916, Saint Joseph Parish relocated and Mass
was celebrated in the facilities on Woodlawn Avenue.
During the years, there
have been many changes in Saint Joseph School. Numbers
have increased and decreased due to a number of factors.
Because of the demand for more space, physical changes
have been made in the building.
In 1955, the parish began
the building of the new church, a junior high school and a
rectory. What was once the church is now classroom space.
In the early days, the church, school and clerical
residence were all under one roof. Now the Saint Joseph
Parish plant encompasses five buildings, two of which are
used for school.
For more than
seventy-five years, Saint Joseph Parish has grown along
with Collingdale, educating and caring for the needs of a
large segment of community. Many faithful priests have
ministered to our people. A large number of dedicated
sisters and lay teachers have prepared our children
spiritually and intellectually. Thousands of parishioners
have sacrificed to make Saint Joseph Church and School an
integral part of the religious and cultural life of this
community.
