Atrium - Holy Vessels - Monstrance

The monstrance, made of silver, gold plate and adorned with semi-precious stones, was a gift from H. Ratterman to the St. Joseph of Nazareth Church in 1925.

St. Joseph of Nazareth Catholic Church was located at northwest corner of Elm and Liberty Streets. Built in 1864 as St. Matthew German Evangelical Church under the guidance of Rev. Maurice Raschig, it became St. Joseph of Nazareth in 1919, a Hungarian-Catholic Church. It was officially dedicated on April 18, 1920. The "Hungarian" designation of the parish ceased in the 1930's. The church building was razed in 1963 after the parish closed.

The Catholic Telegraph, Volume LXXXIX, Number 16, dated April 15, 1920 contained the following: “St. Joseph of Nazareth Church. The dedication of St. Joseph of Nazareth Church, Elm and Liberty Streets, will take place next Sunday at 10 :00 am. Reverend Archbishop Moeller will officiate, assisted by Revs. Pacific Winterv and Chrysostom Theobald, OFM. An address in Hungarian will be delivered by Rev. Charles Polichek. After the dedicatory’ exercises solemn high Mass will be offered up by Very Rev. Rudolph Bonner, Provincial, OFM… Rev. Antonine Brockhuis, OFM, will be master of ceremonies, The propers of the Mass will be sung by Franciscan clerics under the direction of Rev. Cajetan Elshoff, OFM… The building, which will be solemnly dedicated next Sunday, was erected by German Lutheran’s, and had been known as the Lutheran Church of St. Matthew for seventy-eight years. It was purchased about a year ago by Mr. Anthony Macke, his wife, Mrs. Agnes Macke, and their daughter, Wilhelmina, for the many Catholic immigrants from Hungary who live in this locality. The Franciscan Fathers took charge of the church last August [1919]. The building was then privately blessed, and services were held therein until the extensive alterations and improvements had been made in the structure, which is now ready for solemn dedication. The Hungarians soon realized the advantages of having a church of their own, and already two hundred families are regular members of the congregation. They have contributed liberally toward the improvements of the building, and now can boast of a church which ranks with the best in the city.”

The church building was razed in 1963 after the parish closed and the monstrance was moved to the St. John the Baptist archives for storage.