ST JOSEPH CHURCH

St. Joseph Church is situated in the southern section of Dover, NH. The parish officially began on October 12, 1945 when Bishop Matthew F. Brady established St. Joseph Parish to serve those people living on the south side of the Cocheco River in Dover. Land for the church was donated to the parish by the Herbert Carberry family whose relatives continue to reside next door to the church.
 

Construction of the church ediface began in May 1946, with the first pastor being the Rev. Charles Leddy.  The first Mass celebrated was Midnight Mass, Dec 24/25, 1947.

Throughout the 1950s and 60s, the southern section of Dover continued to expand and St. Joseph Church was there to meet the spiritual needs of the young families who were rapidly moving into the area at the time.

From it’s inception, our parish has stressed encouragement of Catholic education and family values, strong traditions that continue to the present.  With each new generation, St. Joseph Church has sought to faithfully minister to the needs of its parishioners and the Dover community. Wishing to best serve the people of God, we strive to make welcome new individuals and families, as we know they will enrich our parish with their talents and fresh ideas. As a parish of close to 5000 people, including over 1900 families, we offer ministries for persons of all ages and lifestyles. We seek to be faithful to God and Jesus Christ with the celebration of the sacred mystery of the Mass, through shared prayer and song and by ministering to others, thereby discovering our own gifts and callings.

On July 5th, 2009, after careful consideration of the needs of the local community of Dover and its surrounding, St Joseph Parish was merged into the newly established Parish of the Assumption, with the parishes of St Charles Borromeo and St Mary.  The Parish of the Assumption continues to have as it's Mission chuch the Chapel of the Nativity in Barrington.