St. Joseph Church
St. Joseph’s original church construction began in October 1905. The rectory was purchased in 1919. On June 14, 1924, a tornado completely destroyed the church, but the altar and Blessed Sacrament remained undamaged. Mass was held in the high school auditorium until the basement of a new church was completed. Funds ran out, so a roof was placed over the basement and Mass returned to the church basement.
Finally, in 1945 funds were raised to complete the church, which was dedicated in 1950.
On June 18, 2003, another tornado hit Wessington Springs. St. Joseph Church was damaged, but not destroyed. The altar, pews and tabernacle were moved to an empty retail store on Main Street with help from the congregations of Immanuel Baptist Church and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Masses were held at the retail store for approximately a year while repairs were made to the church building. A ground-level parish hall, bathrooms, conference room and enclosed ramp were added at this time.
In 2015, the Diocese merged or closed several parishes, and St Placidus – a small country church served by St Joseph’s pastor – was merged into St Joseph.