August 18, 1898 -Ten lots north of Mountain Street and between Root Street and High Street are purchased for a new church and school location.
September 28, 1898 - Ground was broken on to begin construction of a two-story combination church and school, and the parish was placed under the patronage of St. Joseph.
February 1, 1899 - Father Schmitt received his formal appointment as pastor of St. Joseph Parish.
October 1, 1899 - The first Mass was celebrated in the church.
November of 1899 - St. Joseph School opened with 225 students, staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Sister Isabella as the first principal
1902 - A two-story residence was built for the use of the pastor
1908 - The pastor’s residence became the convent after the rectory was built
February 13, 1906 - Father Edward Berthold was appointed the first assistant.
1925 - The church added four additional classrooms to the school. The enrollment had now grown to 506 pupils who were taught by a staff of ten sisters.
April 17, 1940 - After forty years of service to St. Joseph Parish, Monsignor John Schmitt died.
May 22, 1940 - Fr. Joseph J. Weitekamp was appointed the new pastor.
November 6, 1949 - The parish celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The parish had grown to 500 families.
October 21, 1955 - The cornerstone of the new church was laid on
March 19, 1956 - The first Mass was celebrated in the new church on the Feast of St. Joseph, with Fr. Weitekamp as celebrant.
May 1, 1957 - Bishop Loras T. Lane dedicated the new church on the Feast of St. Joseph, the Worker
January 18, 1962 - A tragic fire in the rectory took the life of the assistant pastor, Fr. William Staff.
May 19, 1963 - Fr. Weitekamp died after serving the parish for twenty-three years.
June 5, 1963 - Fr. Paul Tuchlinsky was appointed the new pastor
August 15, 1963 - The new school and the new rectory were completed, and classes began at the new school in September.
1976 - Fr. Paul Tuchlinsky retired
Summer 1976 - Fr. Lawrence London was appointed pastor. There were 800 families in the parish and 300 students in the school, with a faculty of 17 made up of both lay and religious teachers.
July 15, 1991 - Fr. Eric Barr was appointed pastor.
December 1, 1995 - The new St. Joseph Parish Center was dedicated by Bishop Thomas G. Doran.
June 1997 - Fr. Jerome Leake was appointed pastor.
2017-2018 - The Diocese of Rockford, with the Aurora Task Force Committee, announced on Jan. 29 the creation of a new school, Pope St. John Paul II Catholic Academy, starting in the 2018–19 school year.
June 2019 - Fr. Matthew J. McMorrow was appointed pastor.
June 2023 - Fr. Godwin Asuquo was appointed pastor.
Present-St. Joseph Parish continues to be a vibrant force on Pigeon Hill, with over 700 families in the parish and over 160 students at our school.
