St. Joseph's is a Roman Catholic Church that was built in 1896 as a German parish. In 1996, the church proudly celebrated its centennial. Now in its 3rd century, it has endured over the years through the community spirit of its members, who treat each other not as mere friends or acquaintances, but as family.Among the early settlers of the village of Lorain were a few Catholic families of Irish, German, and Polish descent, who joined to form a mission parish. In 1878, after five years of attending Mass in local homes, a small wood frame church was erected and dedicated as "St. Mary of the Lake", becoming the first Catholic Church in Lorain.