User:Kelish/Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Saint Joseph Catholic Church is a Catholic church located in Bristol, Connecticut. It was the first Catholic Church to be founded in Bristol, Connecticut, and is a parish within the Archdiocese of Hartford. Built in 1855 as a mission of Saint Mary's in New Britain, Connecticut, it was meant to serve about 200 local Catholics. Saint Joseph's parish was founded on October 1, 1864, and enlarged in 1879 to accommodate the growing Catholic population. By 1920, the parish realized a larger building was needed, and construction began on the church that stands today. It was dedicated on September 9, 1925. Built in the English Tudor Gothic style, the two-towered church is composed of granite that came from Weymouth, Massachusetts. The interior of the church features numerous stained glass windows, a marble altar, and two pipe organs.

In The Community
Saint Joseph Catholic Church holds a strong presence in the community. It supports Saint Joseph School, dedicated on May 24, 1903 and maintains Saint Joseph Cemetery, both in Bristol, Connecticut. It is a source of Adult Education for the Catholic faith, provides religious education for children from kindergarten to grade 9, and is involved with the St. Vincent DePaul Shelter and the Zion Lutheran Church soup kitchen. It's website also offers immigration resources, information for job seekers, and support groups, including ones for coping with depression and bereavement.

Get Involved
Saint Joseph Catholic Church provides many ways to get involved. These include:
 * Music Ministry
 * Join a choir
 * Adult Choir
 * Children's Choir (grades 1 - 5)
 * Youth Choir (grades 6 - 12)
 * Resurrection Choir
 * Handbell Choir
 * Cantor
 * Be an instrumentalist
 * Altar Serving
 * Book Club - meets once a month
 * Youth Group - for high school age youth who wish to have fun and exercise their faith.
 * Retreat - for men, women, and families.