Granville, IA - St. Joseph Catholic Church

The first church in Granville was begun in 1886 when about 70 Catholic families in the Granville area resolved to build a church of their own.  The first mass in Granville was held on March 25, 1888 on Palm Sunday in a frame church that had already been built.  The initial priest, M.W. McCarthy, then added a parish house and a school that opened in December of 1888 with an enrollment of 50. The cemetery was established in 1893 one mile north of Granville, but was moved in 1912 to the current site two blocks from the church. St. Joseph’s even preceded the diocese of Sioux City, which was established in 1902.  In 1902, Rev. J.A. Gerlemann came to Granville and remained for 38 years.  One of his legacies is the construction of the present church building in 1905 for the parish had grown to 160 families.  The total cost of the semi-gothic brick church was $37,000.  A renovation in 1977 added rest rooms, reconciliation rooms and enclosed the back area of the church. In 1948, nine Sisters moved into the new brick convent built by the St. Joseph’s parish for them at a cost of $46,000. The present two story brick rectory was constructed in 1950 for a cost of $40,000. In 1986 the parish held its centennial celebration, and at the time the town of Granville was over 95% Catholic. For many of the early years, the church services were read in German by Fr. Gerlemann.   The St. Joseph school building was constructed in 1908 for a cost of $15,000. Mass was held every weekday in the chapel, the Sister of St. Francis staffed the school, and tuition was 50 cents per month.   As grades were added, initially all four grades of the high school were taught in one room. Students could complete 8th grade, pass County Examinations, then attend high school at Granville Public, or others in Alton, Paullina, Remsen and Sioux City. The high school was started in 1921, but was not accredited. In 1946 the secondary school was accredited by the state, and it outgrew its accomodations as activities, grades and sports were added. In 1955, St. Joseph’s High School was completed for a cost of $200,000. The initial enrollment was 78 students, with an additional 240 in grade school. In 1962 the three parishes of Alton, Granville and Hospers incorporated to form an inter-parochial high school named Spalding High School.  The additional students meant an addition was needed to provide four classrooms, a library, typing rooms and bathrooms at a cost of $110,000. With the three parishes, the initial enrollment was 214 students. In 1978 declining enrollment meant the grade schools consolidated as well, with grades K-2 at Hospers, 3-5 at Granville, and 6-8 at Granville. Later on the 7th and 8th grade were housed at Granville to share high school instructors.  The Granville St. Joseph’s school building and convent were closed in 2013 with the closing of Spalding Catholic High School.    The parish has held an annual picnic since the early years, and although it was discontinued during World War II, it was revived in 1976 to raise money for church redecorating. The annual picnic involves all parish groups and is now held the third Sunday in August with food stands, games, a car show, an outdoor mass and an auction.