The Catholic Church appointed a pastor to the western shore in 1794. A church was built in Prospect. Rev. Thomas Green was appointed the first pastor.

The parish extended from Shelburne to Sherbrooke, Guysborough Co.; then cross country to Windsor on to Annapolis and back to Shelburne. It was the second parish established in the Dioceses and the largest of four parishes.

The people of Shad Bay went to church at Prospect. In 1915 a house was bought from Frank and Alice Woodling. An entrance and steeple were attached to the house, thus the first church was established in Shad Bay. This building is now known to us as the Villa.

A new church was erected in Shad Bay 1932 under the leadership of Rev. J.J. Lanigan. This church was named St. Joseph’s. The church was located near the water in Shad Bay on a small piece of land. In I959 Rev. John Mahar had the church moved from the waterfront to the present site on the hill. This property was donated by the Collier family. In l968 the present rectory was built in Shad Bay, replacing the rectory that was located in Prospect. Rev. Ernest Sweeney made this project a reality.

In 1990, plans began for the expansion of St. Joseph’s church, Shad Bay. It was a laborious task, with many meetings. In 1991, approval was received from the Business and Finance Commission of the Archdiocese. Today we have a beautiful new expanded church.

• With the renovation of St. Joseph’s Church it has been possible to retain many of the beautiful features and art of the old Church. We were able to maintain the old windows. They were cleaned and re-leaded, thus they retain their original beauty. These windows were donated by the families of Shad Bay and we were pleased to include them in the new building. The new window in the Eucharistic Chapel is the creation of Randy Hester. This window depicts Christ calling the fishermen to be disciples. Shad Bay was a typical fishing village and thus the scene of fishermen, boats and the Lord was a central part of the life of the pioneers of Shad Bay.
• Our Baptismal Font is made of granite. Granite is the prominent rock found in our community. The flowing water represents the life giving water of Baptism. The symbols of the boat and the fish at the base of the font represent the pioneers of the village.
• The stations of the Cross were part of the old church and we proudly display them in the new church.
• The original altar railing is still located in the balcony and we are pleased with how well it blends with the current decor.

Originally, St. Joseph’s Church was part of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish along with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Prospect and St. Thomas Church in East Dover.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish (Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Terence Bay and St. Christopher’s Church in Hatchet Lake) were combined, keeping the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish name. Subsequently, the churches in Terence Bay, Hatchet Lake, Prospect and East Dover were closed.