ST. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

In the early 1900s, Italian immigrants in Niagara Falls, NY were adjusting to life in a new country and missing the vibrant culture of their homeland. As Roman Catholics, they desperately wanted a church devoted to their religious customs and traditions—one with services conducted in their native language. They founded St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in 1903 to fulfill these needs.

The original church on 14th Street could hold 350 people.  It was built by Italian tradesmen and funded by local Italian businessowners. A school and convent were added to a new church complex in 1914. 

In 1920, a new church was built in the Little Italy neighborhood of Pine Avenue. Architect William Alban Cannon designed the red-bricked building in the Romanesque-Lombardi architectural style. It could hold 1,000 people. 

As the church continued to expand in the twentieth century, a new school and other buildings were added. Church membership also increased from 200 families in 1903 to 3,000 families in 1954. Around that time, St. Joseph’s Church was considered one of the largest parishes in New York State. 

The church quickly became an important pillar in the Italian American community, fulfilling the religious, cultural, and social needs of its parishioners. Even though many immigrant families struggled during the Great Depression and WWII, they still donated their hard-earned money to their church and community. 

This tradition continued in the second half of the twentieth century as church leaders and parishioners worked with charitable organizations to aid local families. In 1975, they even helped two Vietnamese families find homes and jobs when they first came to the city. They donated money to national and international causes, such as relief efforts to aid flood and hurricane victims. 

St. Joseph’s helped keep Italian heritage and pride alive in Niagara Falls through  Columbus Day celebrations and participation in the city’s annual Italian Festival. The church also helped the Little Italy neighborhood flourish as a center of commerce.  Italian Americans flocked to the area to attend weekly mass, to shop and dine in the business district, and to open their own businesses and restaurants.

Generations of Italian Americans attended St. Joseph’s Church. They married and baptized their children in the church, and then sent their children to St. Joseph’s School. 

The school closed in 2002. The church celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2003. Five years later, it merged with another church to form the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Parish.  It is one of the largest and most historic buildings in Niagara Falls.

If you walk around Little Italy today, you’ll see the church towering over Pine Avenue. The words St. Joseph’s are still emblazoned in a stained-glass window above the front doors.

Hope L. Russell, Ph.D.