St Joseph’s Parish, Iona was established by the late Archbishop Carr, Archbishop of Melbourne, in 1905.  It then covered the area from Nar Nar Goon North to Tonimbuk in the North and Koo Wee Rup to Lang Lang in the south.  

The Penal Settlement on French Island was also included.  This Penal Settlement was later transferred to the Dalyston (now Cowes) parish.  Prior to that this whole area belonged to St John’s Parish, Dandenong.  The first Parish Priest was Fr J Byrne.  

Then there were churches in Iona, Nar Nar Goon and Koo Wee Rup.  The first Assistant Priest, Fr Goldsprink, was appointed in 1909.  In 1946 the Koo Wee Rup – Lang area was cut off from the Iona Parish to become St John the Baptist Parish, Koo Wee Rup.