Priests from St. Mary Parish in Rahway cared for the needs of early Catholics living in Carteret.  Masses were first offered there in 1879, at the home of Mike Brady as well as at “the Ship,” a large boarding house on Roosevelt Avenue.

St. Joseph Parish was formally organized on March 19, 1893, and a wooden Church was erected on Carteret Avenue.  In 1898, the original Church was moved to the eastern end of Carteret Avenue where the Church property stands today.  In 1923, the original School was built, and its first class graduated on June 19, 1925.

Over the years several religious communities served the School and in 1939 Bishop Moses E. Kiley invited the Servite Fathers of Chicago to take care of the spiritual needs of the Parish.  In 1954 construction began on a new Church, which was dedicated by Bishop George W. Ahr on March 11, 1956.

In 1961, a new School annex was built and a gymnasium/auditorium was added in 1964 to allow more space for Sunday Masses.  The Church was renovated in 1968 and again in 1989 when a new gathering area and Chapel were added.

In 1995, the Servite Fathers left the Parish and since then it has been served by Diocesan Priests.