When the Capuchins came to Hays in 1878, they found about twenty families that were practicing Catholics.  The parish grew and grew so that by 1943 the number of families belonging to St. Joseph's Parish reached 800.  While the parish grew in numbers, it was not growing in wealth. 

The standard method of raising money by pew rent was in vogue until the parish became so large that there were not enough pews to rent.  Then the "communicant money" was tried.  This meant that every member of the parish who had his or her first Communion at the age of twelve or fourteen was to pay a certain sum annually towards the support of the parish. 

St. Joseph Catholic Church as it stood in the 1920's.

Finally, in 1933, the envelope system was introduced.  The parishioners had a continual reminder of their obligation to the parish.  It was found to be less painful to pay off one's obligation by smaller donation over a period of a year than to pay it all in one lump sum.  During the first year this was tried, $22,000.00 was repaid off the staggering debt of over $89,000.00.  Within a period of ten years, the entire debt was wiped out and a $20,000 diocesan assessment was paid to help clear the bonded indebtedness on the Diocese of Concordia.  The annual report made to the parish in January 1944 showed that there was a surplus of $15,000.00 in the church treasury.