The mission of St. Stephen, the Martyr was established in the Umpqua Valley in 1853. The priest of the mission served the areas that are now encompassed in Coos, Lane, and Douglas counties. In 1866, Archbishop Frances Blanchet purchased a block of property in Roseburg from Aaron Rose, the property was bounded by streets, Oak, Kane, Washington, and Chadwick. The following year in 1867, the parish was finally established under the care of Fr. Alphonsus Glorieux. The name of the parish was later changed to its present name of St. Joseph in 1881, and in 1887, the first frame structure was begun. Archbishop William Gross dedicated the new church late in that same year.

In the late 1940’s it was decided that the downtown Church site was no longer adequate for the growing needs of the parish. Under the supervision of Fr. Edmund Hyland, the current location was purchased. The parish decided to build the school first and use the gym for church services until funds could be raised for a new church. The first Sunday Mass was held in the gym in 1955. Then in 1961 St. Joseph Parish celebrated its 100th birthday, the next year in 1962, Fr. Eunan Buckley purchased additional property, and plans were made for the erection of a suitable Church. The firm of Wolff and Zimmer were retained as architects in 1964. Seattle sculptor Richard Bryer was commissioned to do the art work in the Church, he hand carved approximately 1500 bricks to form the Stations of the Cross. Each of the fourteen stations has up to 150 pounds of brick used in it. Archbishop Edward Howard and Fr. Rodger Anderson broke ground for the new St. Joseph Church on April 17, 1966, and construction began on May 1, 1966, the Feast day of St. Joseph the Worker. Easter Sunday Masses in 1967 were the first services to be held in the new building. The dedication was held on May 19, 1968, by Archbishop Robert Dwyer.

St. Joseph Parish is one of the Oregon Churches by Pietro Bellschi. St. Joseph’s Church is situated on a beautiful ten-acre site at the edge of a residential area. Pietro Belluschi was a consulting architect to Wolff Zimmer Gunsul Fransca and Ritter of Portland on the project. The architectural programs requested that the architects create a place of worship for eight hundred people, which would be functionally and spiritually in accordance with the then-recent ecumenical pronouncements, and at the same time retain as much of the traditional aspects of the Church as possible.

The Church is a horizontal, flat-roofed structure with walls of solid brick masonry. A massive, octagonal tower, set at the off-center crossing of nave and transept, forms an awesome silhouette against the surrounding natural landscape.

The altar occupies its traditional central position in the sanctuary, but seating on its three sides brings the congregation closer to the Mass, and to each other. The sanctuary is flooded with light form the box-shaped skylight at the pinnacle of the tower, as well as from vertical strips of glass on four sides of the rising tower walls.

The rotunda is built with glue-laminated timbers and wood decking. There are eight major girders which spring from eight laminated wood columns set out form exterior walls. The walls and ceiling of the nave are paneled with natural finish hemlock boards.

The interior conveys a sense of both warmth and tranquility through the integration of sculpture, ceramics and stained glass into the architectural setting. The dramatic stained glass windows, executed in tones of blue and yellow, send jeweled patterns of light across the brick floors and walls, creating an effect similar to that found in medieval Gothic cathedrals. The brick walls are adorned with subtle relief sculptures in the same material, depicting the Stations of the Cross.

In September of 1907, a two room, 19 pupil school was opened; two Sisters of Mercy taught four grades. Then in 1924, due to lack of funds to keep the school open, the Sisters were forced to close the school doors until 1936, even though this was in the middle of the depression the Sisters had fifty students. The school grew rapidly for many years until it reached its peak enrollment of 238 students, four Sisters of Mercy, and four layperson teachers. The present school was built in 1955, and dedicated on October 27, 1957. When the 1964 flood struck Roseburg the school was badly damaged, the hallways were filled with mud and debris, thousands of dollars' worth of books and materials were lost. Sister Mary Gabriel, principal at the time wrote a letter to the diocese and the Red Cross requesting aid in replacing the items that were lost. Then in 1969 the parish voted to discontinue the grades of 7 and 8. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds and the dwindling of students the school closed in October of 2004.

The Capuchin Franciscan Order traces its origin to St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis was young, wealthy, and often referred to as a playboy with dreams of Knightly Glory. Francis Bernardonne (St. Francis) had tried many occupations; first a merchant, then a soldier; however neither of these ventures quenched his restlessness. He found that his partying and carousing left him hollow inside, then in 1206 Francis found part of the answer to his quest, in a run-down church named St. Damian, while gazing at the crucifix, Francis heard a voice say to him, “repair my house, which, as you see is falling completely to ruin.” Francis took the message literally reconstructed St. Damian’s church. It was only after Francis had been disinherited by his father, and gave up all his earthly possessions that he was able to give his life to God, soon followers were coming from all over the country. St. Francis, before his death, was granted one of God’s most precious of gifts, the stigmata, this is the receiving of the wounds suffered by Christ on the cross. St. Francis died on October 3, 1226.

In 1897, the Franciscan Order had been split into 6 different Orders; eventually they were made into 3, Capuchin, Conventuals, and Franciscans. The Capuchin Order quickly grew into the 2nd largest religious order in the Church. The Capuchin Friars were given the care of St. Joseph Parish in 1912, with Fr. Camillus Killian as pastor. During Fr. Killian’s pastorate a new stucco church was begun and dedicated by Archbishop Alexander Christie in 1916. Then in the 1920’s and 30’s hard times struck the Roseburg area, even though times were hard the Church grew and faith of the people flourished. The Capuchins were among the first missionaries to come to the states of Maine, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and along the Mississippi River. The Capuchin Friars came to the Pacific Northwest from Ireland in 1910. These fathers came to the western province upon request of the Baker Diocese, and soon after they were asked by the Archbishop of Portland to come to Roseburg in 1912.

Annette Harding and her husband, Johnathan (Jack), were former parishioners who had moved to Tucson, Arizona but came back for visits to see Roseburg and old friends. Mrs. Harding’s husband died, and she was now a very old lady and became interest in a family memorial. She wanted to pay for the windows, but they had been given (all the art work, interiors, pews, and immediate landscaping around the Church had been given as individual gifts, apart from the regular Sunday offering). So Fr. Roger, Ed Murphy (Father’s legal counsel on his Parish committee) and Fred Sohn met with Mrs. Harding to discuss possibilities of completing the Chapel. It was to be the Chapel of Our Lady, with a plaque commemorating the Harding-Butler families. Mrs. Harding had given a small window in the old Church to commemorate the Harding’s young son. Unfortunately, the window went with the building. It was impressed upon her that according to Vatican II guidelines, good art could no longer be removed or destroyed on the whim of a subsequent pastor or parishioners. She understood this, and wanted art of museum quality as a memorial.

Although until then, St. Joseph Parish had a policy of no “name” gifts. Fr. Roger believed that those who work hard and gave little when giving as much or more to God as those who could afford large sums. Fr. Roger indicated to her that if her gift were substantial enough to decorate the Chapel and help with the balance of the Church debt, the Chapel could in fact be a name memorial Chapel. She was thrilled with this project. A plaque commemorating this gift is at the right of the entrance to the Chapel.