About Saint Joseph Chapel:
In the early 1900s, Mother Alfons Schmid, co-foundress of the School Sisters of St. Francis, had a dream of building a chapel of incomparable beauty. It would adjoin the convent, which was erected in 1891, and would be dedicated to the permanent service of God.
She commissioned Milwaukee church architects Peter Brust and Richard Philipp to design it, and sent Philipp to Europe to study the noted cathedrals. They inspired him to bring this perfect example of Italian Romanesque Revival to life on the drawing board. Construction began in 1913 and was completed in three years and seven months. It was dedicated on March 19, 1917.
The chapel is Romanesque in style and cruciform in design. It is 200 feet long and 90 feet wide at its greatest breadth, with the dome rising 70 feet above the sanctuary. The magnificent stained glass windows were shipped from Europe by sea during World War I, and despite many ships being sunk during that period, the windows arrived unharmed.
The chapel seats 500 people. Its acoustics provide an exceptional environment in which to pray and experience sacred music . Since the 1970s it has been a favorite setting for choral and instrumental concerts.
There are weekday and weekend Masses….check their website for details.
Note that it is called a chapel because the only entrance is through the Saint Joseph Center….there is no outside entrance.
Finding Saint Joseph Chapel:
Address: 1501 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53215, USA
Tel: +1 (414) 384 – 4105
Click here for the official website of School Sisters of St. Francis Saint Joseph Chapel.
