1883 - Mission served out of Antigo to few Catholic families.

1888 - Fr. Nicholas July, first resident pastor; 7 founding families purchase 5 lots on King and Conro Sts.; first church constructed.

1892 - First rectory, next to church on King St.; 20 families in parish.

1895 - Bell tower and 30' addition constructed.

1900 - Church burns to ground on July 29; debt had just been paid. New church completed in Dec. First school completed, Nov. 18: 286 pupils, 6 teachers - Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Manitowoc.

1905 - Diocese of Superior established; parish had been in Green Bay diocese.

1915 - Fr. Walter Beaudette, pastor; resigned to become Army chaplain in 1917; later returned to Rhinelander as chaplain of St. Mary's Hospital.

1918 - Fr. Francis Bertram, pastor: longest tenure of any pastor - 28 years.

1922 - Home on Oneida Ave. purchased as convent for Sisters.

1938 - Golden jubilee celebration; 450 families in parish.

1946 - Fr. Bertram dies following stroke suffered while saying mass on Feast of Immaculate Conception. Fr. Arthur Shank becomes pastor.

1954 - New school building; new convent attached to school: 481 pupils, 10 Sisters (Franciscan Sisters of Chrisitan Charity), 2 lay teachers.

1955 - New boundaries drawn for parishes by diocese; St. Joseph becomes a territorial parish.

1959 - Fr. Shank dies, Fr. Joseph Himmelsbach, pastor; in 1939 had been first assistant.

1960 - Church burns to ground; Blessed Sacrament, altar vessels and few vestments saved - Nov. 18.

1963 - Fr. Himmelsbach dies, Fr. Wilfred Fries, pastor.

1964 - New church dedicated; includes gym and multi-purpose room attached to school; dedication ceremonies in English as result of Vatican II; 1000 families, 495 pupils in school, 10 FCC staff, 3 lay teachers.

1964 - Fr. George Votruba, pastor.

1969 - St. Mary and St. Joseph schools become Rhinelander Catholic Central.

1984 - Fr. James Jackson, pastor.

1992 - Fr. Dennis Mullen, pastor.

1996 - Fr. Mike Hayden, pastor.

2000 - Fr. James Kinney, pastor.

Present: 1150 families, 293 pupils, FCC Sisters, 17 lay teachers, lay administrator, 8 supportive administrative staff.