MOOSE JAW — Volunteers from St. Joseph’s Parish rolled up their sleeves and got to work recently as part of a community car wash held during Moose Jaw Ford’s Community Appreciation Weekend.
Participants offered $10 exterior vehicle washes, complete with a dry shammy, with all proceeds going to support the ongoing restoration of the church building through St. Joseph’s “Together in Faith” capital campaign.
“We had about 15 or 20 people come down and help us with that,” said Shaun Airey, managing partner at Moose Jaw Ford. “So you pay $10, and you get an exterior car wash — but a proper wash, actually hand washed and shammied down dry. It’s been fun for them, and it’s fun for us to have them out and put a little money towards them.”
St. Joseph’s Parish has long stood as a spiritual cornerstone in Moose Jaw, with roots stretching back to 1901. The current church building, completed in 1923, was constructed through the dedication of more than 600 families who gave both time and financial support to create a lasting centre of worship and community. That legacy continues today, as the parish works to preserve and restore the historic building through a multi-phase fundraising effort.
Between 2017 and 2022, parishioners raised $1.2 million , which funded crucial exterior work to prevent further water damage. However, additional structural needs were identified through an engineering study completed in 2024, prompting the launch of Phase 2. This next stage of the campaign includes plans to stabilize the foundation, restore exterior brickwork, upgrade utilities, and revitalize the church interior.
The cost of completing Phase 2 is expected to reach as much as $2.5 million. Parish leaders are calling on the same spirit of generosity that built the church more than a century ago — asking parishioners and supporters to contribute through prayer, volunteering or financial support. There are currently more than 600 registered families in the parish, nearly mirroring the number who helped build the church in its earliest days.
"The campaign was formally launched last October and parishioners have already contributed and pledged over $1 million," said Ben Boots, chair of the "Together in Faith" campaign.
More than just a renovation effort, the campaign is framed as a long-term investment in the future of the faith community. The goal, parish leaders say, is to ensure that generations to come can continue to gather, worship and grow in the same space.
“Our project needs the prayers and involvement of everyone,” the campaign’s brochure states. “By working and praying together towards a common goal, we will become a stronger community of faith.”
More information about the restoration campaign can be found at . St. Joseph’s Parish is located at 1064 Third Avenue Northwest.
