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WELCOME
The history of Saint Joseph's and Catholicism in Westphalia are forever linked as the parish and town were established together in 1835. Today our parish is the spiritual home to over 450 families who gather & grow in faith. The current pastor of St. Joseph's is Fr. Anthony Viviano. The original church was built in 1848 and has had several renovations over the years, but as we look at the state of this wondrous building around us, it is apparent she is in need of repairs. From the steeple, attic and roof, to the plaster, paint and pews, the list of repairs has grown and we have come upon a time where we have started looking at possibilities for the future. Our church is more than a foundation with walls and a roof. It is a legacy of faith to those that built it. It is in this spirit that we embark upon the “Restoring our Roots” Capital Campaign. For an update on the progress of the renovation or to find out how to donate, click on the RENNOVATION tab which can be found under CHURCH. 
Get your free membership to FORMED!
St. Joseph and St. Anthony have generously gifted its parishioners with a free member ship to FORMED! FORMED is a revolutionary online platform featuring the best Catholic videos, audio talks, eBooks and movies from trusted partners like the Augustine Institute, St. Paul Center, Marian Fathers, Lighthouse Catholic Media, Ignatius Press and Word on Fire. Catechism and Personal Faith Formation are at the fingertips of every parishioner. HOW TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE FORMED MEMBERSHIP... Click on the image below to be directed to the FORMED website. Click on SIGN UP and follow the steps to set up your FREE account! Choose I BELONG TO A PARISH ORGANIZATION. When prompted to enter the name of your parish type in ST. JOSEPH WESTPHALIA, MO. When you see St. Josephs address in the drop down box click on it and then NEXT. You will be prompted to fill in your name and email address. THAT'S IT! You now should have full access to all the amazing content FORMED has to offer. Anytime you would like to access FORMED just type FORMED.org in your computers browser. Simply click 'sign in' located in the upper right corner and your account will be opened. Once you are signed up you have the option of downloading the FREE FORMED app for mobile devices This makes accessing content even more convenient! Follow this link to download the app... https://apps.apple.com/us/app/formed/id1212963367 If you need further assistance please contact stjoeformed@gmail.com. |
*See Fr. Viviano's most recent letter directly below.
May 6, 2020 Dear St. Joseph Family: Currently we are having weekday Mass in the church at 8 AM. We are following guidelines set out by Bishop McKnight: Face coverings “while not in pews”, 6 ft distancing, etc. In terms of the Sunday Mass, given the number of parishioners that we normally have attending weekend Masses, and given the Bishop’s guidelines of 6 ft. distancing, we would be turning away 1/2 of our parishioners from weekend Masses! (As we would only be able to allow about 100 persons to enter the church at any given time given the “6ft spacing”– St. Joseph’s averages upwards of 600 attendees per weekend). The gym would allow for maybe 140 to attend. I want to avoid at all cost, turning parishioners away that have arrived for Mass. The best option, for the most parishioners to be able to participate in Holy Mass would be Mass in the school gym. We would keep the regular times of Saturday 5 PM, and Sunday 7 AM and 10 AM. On nice weather days I would look at the option of outside Mass – parishioners bringing lawn chairs. We could utilize the basketball courts, gravel area and grass area. The Bishop’s dispensation (exemption) from attending Sunday Mass goes through June 30th. Our parish Online Masses will continue to be broadcasted via Facebook and YouTube throughout this time. Starting this week, we will begin posting the Online Mass at 5 PM on Saturday. One might entertain the idea of attending one of the weekday Masses. I am encouraging those who have attended a “weekday Mass” to forgo Sunday Mass – at least until we see what we are dealing with the first weekend. Bishop Guidelines to remember: MASKS MUST BE WORN -Masks / face coverings are to be worn when entering and exiting church. -Masks / face covering are to be worn in line to receive Communion. -Families should sit together. Others should be 6 ft apart. St. Anthony’s, being a small parish, is doing an “alphabetical call list”. Once the limit number is reached, the call list starts the following week where it left off. In short, all spots in church at St. Anthony are reserved within St. Anthony parish. 
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, I know you join me in concern for all who are being affected by the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Today, I am announcing that all public Masses will be suspended in the Diocese of Jefferson City, beginning on Wednesday, March 18 and until at least April 3. This is in keeping with the federal directives and other public entities in our area. We offer this decision as part of our effort to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. This means all Catholics are dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass in person. Online opportunities are listed on our website, and some parishes will be able to provide online Masses. Catholics are encouraged to check with their local parish regarding online Masses. In addition, parishes have been instructed to make the following changes, beginning March 18:
With prayers for the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I am, Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Rev. W. Shawn McKnight Bishop of Jefferson City Attention Visitors to St. Joseph Parish
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