St. Joseph residents have so many reasons to be proud of about how their city flourished in this year, 2024. All of the positive developments bode well for a highly successful New Year, 2025.
The following are just some of the positive events and developments that made 2024 a very good time to live in St. Joseph, and – not to forget – out-of-towners were quick to acknowledge the dynamic vitality of the city.
In July officials from the Greater Coalition of Minnesota Cities held a three-day conference in St. Joseph and Waite Park. About 120 legislators, mayors and state government officials attended the conference. They also took walking tours of the two cities. In downtown St. Joseph, they visited many businesses, restaurants and specialty shops. They all expressed envious admiration for how St. Joseph and business owners in recent years had completely revitalized the downtown area with dynamic new developments. St. Joseph’s current Mayor Rick Schultz is president of the GCMC until January.
In November, members of the Minnesota Small Business Administration also took a walking tour of St. Joseph, visiting shops, talking with owners and employees and giving high praise about how innovative, creative and unique is the city’s vibrant ambience.
And speaking of “walks,” there were the two delightful annual walks of the downtown area: the Shop Small Crawl and the JoeTown festive pre-holiday WinterWalk. Much of the exciting dynamics of those events and unique businesses can be attributed to the hard work of the city’s Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, in particular the progressive, creative, endlessly connective efforts of Mary Bruno, owner of Bruno’s Press.
Throughout the year, perennially popular city events drew people yet again from far and wide to enjoy the Church of St. Joseph parish’s Fourth of July Festival, the Lions-sponsored Fourth of July Grand Parade, the JoeTown Rocks music show the night before, the Millstream Arts Festival and so much more, including cultural offerings and fun activities at the two area colleges.
Throughout St. Joseph’s long history, the Benedictine spiritual tradition and social connectivity (especially in education and health care) created a deep synergy with the values and acts of good works throughout the city, not to mention the entire central Minnesota area – and beyond. Those connections were strengthened deeply in 2024, and much of the strong city-school bonds was created by students at Kennedy Community School and outreach projects originated by St. John’s Prep School students with full support from that school’s Benedictine Center for Leadership, Community and Service.
Another bright spot is the progress made on the much-anticipated St. Joseph Community Center, which despite years of hurdles, is a dream nearing reality in the not-too-distant future.
And last but not least, there have been constant advances and improvements to creating more and more recreational activities and social get-together fun for people of all ages in the city, thanks in large part to the efforts of Recreation Director Rhonda Juhl: special dinners, bingo games, craft sessions, pickleball, biking events, kiddie gatherings and more.
Oh yes, St. Joseph is not only a strong city but a very satisfying, fun, exciting one in which to live, and we have no doubt it will be even better in the coming year.
Three cheers for St. Joseph!