St. Joseph’s Church in Jim Thorpe is well-known for its clock tower, which can be seen from around the town.

But the church has left another lasting impact - through the dozens of men and women who have been called to become priests and nuns.

“We had about 50 women from St. Joe’s who have joined our community. That’s a lot for our small town of Jim Thorpe,” said Sister Geralyn Haggerty, of the Sisters of Christian Charity.

This Sunday, the church will celebrate its 150th Jubilee with a 1 p.m. Mass and a reception at the Lehighton Legion. The celebration will include past priests and visiting priests, and members of the Sisters of Christian Charity, which had a presence in the church for 130 years. Father Philip Rodgers, a son of the church, will offer the Mass along with Father Ronald Minner.

“I’m more than honored to be part of the celebration,” Rodgers said.

The church was founded in 1871 by German-speaking Catholics. The first sisters arrived from Germany three years later. They were looking for a new home because Catholics there faced discrimination. The new parish needed a school, which they provided. The first nuns worked for no salary, and left behind their families permanently to help build the new church. In 1880, the church received a visit from Mother Pauline Malinckrodt, who founded the sisters, and after her death was considered for sainthood.

The church’s early growth was fueled by families of German immigrants who worked on the growing railroads. The two Catholic parishes, St. Joseph’s and Immaculate Conception, were home to many of the leaders and working families of Mauch Chunk.

“A lot of the development of the town was based on these two groups of people,” Rodgers said.

The current church building was completed in 1901, with its 175-foot tower.

The clock was placed in 1922, a gift from the residents of East Mauch Chunk.

During the church’s construction, the builders left a hammer sticking out of the wall of the church and painted it gold.

“They decided to leave one of their tools, because this whole building of the church was for the glory of God,” Rodgers said.

Over the history of the church, at least 12 sons of the church became priests, and dozens more became nuns. Two of the church’s priests were sons of the church.

The Sisters of Christian Charity played a role in inspiring Haggerty to choose her vocation, and likely many of the others who did the same.

“The sisters were full of mystery with their long, flowing veils, their skirts and their rosaries dangling from their sides,” she said.

The sisters of Christian Charity maintained a presence at the school until 2004. In 2018, the school was closed. Haggerty is one of two Jim Thorpe natives who are still members of the community. Another is a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Today, St. Joseph’s and Immaculate Conception are part of the same parish, served by one priest. St. Joseph’s still holds weekly Masses, and operates a thrift store named for Mother Pauline.