The first Mass in McHenry County was celebrated in summer 1837 by Father John St. Cyr who traveled from Chicago to an area called Donnelley’s Settlement, now known as Harvard.

Harvard Catholics were attended to by Chicago priests from 1850 on. Father Terrance Fitzsimmons, pastor at Hartland, celebrated the first Mass in Harvard on Christmas Day in 1859 at a grocery store owned by a great-uncle of the future Msgr. Philip E. O’Neil who was ordained for the Diocese of Rockford in Harvard in 1954, 95 years later.

Harvard Catholics bought land on Front Street in 1866 and built what was known as “The Log Cabin Church.” Mass was celebrated there that year. In 1869, Father Dominic Egan moved to Harvard and became its first resident pastor, serving there until 1890. He built a small rectory behind the church and also bought land for a cemetery.

By 1890, membership had grown to 1,100 parishioners. Father James Hogan began service that year, and by the next year the cornerstone for the present St. Joseph Church was laid, on July 4, 1891. Father Hogan served the parish until 1894.

Under Father Daniel Feeley, who served in Harvard from 1912-1929, a “Cottage Hospital” was converted into the parish rectory, and a school was opened in 1916.

Beginning in 1950, Father Joseph T. Healey first renovated the school. Then the parish began redecorating and air conditioning the church, completed by 1954.

Later, stained glass windows were added. One of those depicted the ordination of Msgr. O’Neil and Msgr. Thomas C. Brady, natives of the parish; other windows showed former bishops of the diocese officiating at parish functions.

In 1963, now-Msgr. Healey broke ground for a new rectory. A new convent was built in 1965, but the sisters withdrew from the parish in June 1971. Msgr. Healey served until 1983.

The parish turned 100 years old in 1966, but the celebration was postponed until renovations to meet Vatican II changes were complete. That Oct. 19, 1969 jubilee Mass was concelebrated by Bishop Arthur J. O’Neill (Rockford), Archbishop Leo Binz (St. Paul and Minneapolis), Bishop Thomas Grady (Chicago), Bishop Andrew Grutka (Gary, Ind.), and the homily was delivered by Cardinal John Cody of Chicago.

Numerous renovations to the church were completed under Father Richard R. Kramer, who served St. Joseph Parish from 1994-2003.

Parish pastors not mentioned above include: Father Thomas Quigley (1869), Father Patrick Riordan (1869), Father Maurice Stack (1895-1897), Father Ambrose Goulet (1897-1912), Msgr. Leo Keenan (1929-1950), Father William Joffe (1983-1987), Father Hubert McGinn (1987-1994), Father Daniel Peters (2003-2007), Father Paul White (2007-2012), administrator Father Rafael Tunarosa (2012-2013), Father Steven Clarke (administrator 2013-2017, and pastor 2017-present).