GRATIOT - The bell tower at St. Joseph's Catholic Church has been an identifiable part of the community for 85 years.
The tower rises above other buildings and trees and can be seen for several blocks. It tops a 40-foot column in the front of the building, the Rev. David Wanish said.
The church, located on Main Street, underwent some repairs this week to its bell tower.
R&M Builders of Gratiot replaced the roof over the tower. Work needed to be done because water started to leak into the church, Wanish said.
"We felt it was important to do this soon," he said.
The congregation didn't want the problem to get worse.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church was the first church built in Gratiot. However, the current building is not the original.
According to "The Lafayette County Bicentennial Book," the first Catholic church in the village was built in 1869. A brick edifice was built in 1911. The church was destroyed by a fire in 1923 and the current church building was built a year later.
Wanish has served the congregation for five years. He said there are about 90 families in the parish.
People who want to contribute to the roof project can send donations to P.O. Box 37, Gratiot, WI 53541.
The tower rises above other buildings and trees and can be seen for several blocks. It tops a 40-foot column in the front of the building, the Rev. David Wanish said.
The church, located on Main Street, underwent some repairs this week to its bell tower.
R&M Builders of Gratiot replaced the roof over the tower. Work needed to be done because water started to leak into the church, Wanish said.
"We felt it was important to do this soon," he said.
The congregation didn't want the problem to get worse.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church was the first church built in Gratiot. However, the current building is not the original.
According to "The Lafayette County Bicentennial Book," the first Catholic church in the village was built in 1869. A brick edifice was built in 1911. The church was destroyed by a fire in 1923 and the current church building was built a year later.
Wanish has served the congregation for five years. He said there are about 90 families in the parish.
People who want to contribute to the roof project can send donations to P.O. Box 37, Gratiot, WI 53541.