St. Joseph's parish calls its parishioners to awaken to the Christ within themselves, to deepen their relationship to God, and to one another, and in doing so make manifest the presence of Jesus Christ to the community of Swain County, the Qualla Boundary, the surrounding community, and all whom we touch. Recognizing the uniqueness of our small mountain parish, our diverse cultures, seasonal parishioners and visitors, we are both called and challenged to bring our talents and gifts together to live, love, work, play and be of service in ways that please God. We seek to bring all of the elements of faith, hope, and charity to the youth and the elderly, the poor, the lonely, and the racially oppressed, and all of us who are powerless and hurting. We propose to do this through prayer and the sacraments, faith formation, evangelization, loving and serving our neighbors with social justice outreach, stewardship of the earth, and working ecumenically to help build the kingdom of God here on earth.