About
While Catholic education in Decatur dates back to 1858 with a one-room “school” in St. Mary’s Church, the actual first Catholic school dedicated as St. Joseph was established in 1881 under the direction of Rev. Theodore Wilkin and staffed by the Sisters of St. Agnes. This brick two-story, four room building was located on the corner of Fifth and Madison Streets. On July 19, 1923 ground was broken to construct a larger school. The cornerstone of our building was inscribed with “St. Joseph Catholic School – erected of God and Country”. Two years later in October of 1925, the building was complete. In the fall of 1919, Decatur Catholic High School was opened. In 1967, enrollment stood at 990 students in 12 grades. We had outgrown our school and were landlocked on expansion. Decatur Catholic High School, almost a half-century old, ceased to operate in June 1967.