St. Joseph Parish was established in 1871.  St. Joseph's has been in 3 locations in Gaines.  "The little church" was built in the 1850's but it wasn't until 1871 that it was established as a parish.  In 1903 the church was moved to Lord St. across from the newly purchased rectory.  The dedication Mass at our current location on Duffield Rd. was May 9, 2009.
St. Mary's was established in Durand on December 31, 1899.  The church was not formally opened until the Feast of the Annunciation in March 1900.  The first Pastor was Rev. Dennis A. Hayes.  The current church was dedicated on May 30, 1957, during the time of Rev. Franklin D. Hay.
On July 1, 2017, St. Mary Parish and St. Joseph Parish were officially combined as one parish family named St. Mary St. Joseph Parish.