The Roman Catholic parish of Temuka was founded in 1876, with Marist Brother Father Louis Fauvel appointed parish priest. A native of Normandy, Fauvel came initially to assist in the Timaru parish after a decade spent as a missionary in Fiji. He was to serve the Temuka parish for 28 years; and this Marist connection was maintained until 1957. A small wooden church seating 150 was erected in 1876, but by 1879 proved too small. Fr. Fauvel designed a new larger building reputedly based on his parish church in Constances, France, where he had attended seminary. St. Josephs was constructed during 1879-82 of donated limestone from the Upper Waitohi district, some 14 miles away. The 60 ft tower contains a peel of bells cast in New York, which were installed in 1881 and apparently last rung in 1960. One is dedicated to Fr. Fauvel, and the other to Bishop Redwood. The tower also contains a four-faced clock, manufactured by famous clockmakers Dent and Co. of London in 1881. The chief glory of St. Joseph's is its set of 31 stained glass lancets, containing full figural representations of selected saints in the paired widows down each side of the nave. These were donated by parishners. The windows were designed and produced by George-Nicholas Dufêtre of Grigny, France, in circa 1881. George-Nicholas Dufêtre (1841-?) founded his first studio in Lyons in 1866. In 1871 he moved to Grigny, Rhône. In about 1885, he returned to Lyon and set up studio again. He ceased work in 1897. The French origins of Fr. Fauvel, and many other of the Roman Catholic clergy in Canterbury at this time may have influenced the choice of this studio. Following Vatican II in the 1960s, changes were made to the church to accommodate the new liturgy. Most of these were internal; with the altar, sanctuary, and confessionals repositioned. Following the demolition of the sacristy, however, a new stone sacristy was built outside at the rear of the church.