St. Joseph Catholic Church, located in the village of St. Joe near Ft. Recovery, was founded in the year 1839. The original members were a part of the general migration from Germany which had begun to pour into southern Mercer County in the 1830's. A good percentage of them spoke "High" German in contrast to the majority of "Low" German settlers around Minster.
  In the very early years St. Joseph was served by diocesan priests on a somewhat irregular basis. After 1851 the priests were from the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, but they did not become resident pastors until 1906. From 1853 until 1881 priests came from the Himmelgarten Convent, which was three miles to the east. From 1882 until 1905 they came from a mission house in Ft. Recovery. Although St. Joseph was the "mother church" in the Ft. Recovery area, the parish was never really large. When population growth warranted, new parishes were formed. Thus St. Joseph has four "daughter" parishes: St. Anthony in 1852, St. Wendelin in 1856, St. Peter in 1860 and Mary Help of Christians in 1882. Today the parish Includes about 90 families.