Twenty faith-filled families banded together in 1868, built a small 50 x 52 frame Church, and established a mission parish in southeastern Allen County bordering the Great Black Swamp. Sixteen years later, a resident pastor, Father J. Grogan, was assigned to St. Rose De Lima, named after the first American Saint. This small church burned in 1887. The following year, under the guidance of Father B. Hartman, construction began on the new Gothic-style, brick structure at a cost of $95,000.00. The Church was dedicated in 1889 by Bishop Dwenger. The event was attended by a trainload of passengers from Fort Wayne.

The Church began sponsoring education under Father Hartman’s direction. It is not certain to what extent the project of school construction was achieved, as various accounts were given. St. Rose de Lima Academy was built and the cornerstone laid in 1911 for $18,000 during Father Felden’s pastorship. This school had a basement, two classrooms, and an auditorium. The east wing provided housing for the teaching sisters who were Sisters of St. Joseph, Convent of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They also supplied staff of two sisters for the commercial courses, which were taught in a small home located on the school grounds. The home was sold in 1931, and commercial courses moved into the auditorium. Bathroom additions were installed in 1922 under Father Marr’s direction. In 1926, Dr. Connally donated his home to the parish, thus the sisters had a private residence, and the school facility could be enlarged. Father Marr sought St. Joseph’s intercession in defraying the debts which were incurred by modernization and the establishment of the commercial school. His prayers were answered, and soon the school became known as St. Joseph’s School and no longer St. Rose de Lima Academy.

The basement was improved and turned into a recreation room in 1943. The auditorium was remodeled in 1958 when two classrooms and a library were added. In 1972, the school sisters withdrew from the parish, and St. Joseph’s has been staffed solely by lay teachers since that time. The playground was improved by the parish men for the school students. In 1998, a kindergarten class was added to our school. In 2009, St. Joseph Cafe opened and began serving hot lunches.

Mr. Dennis Fletter became the first lay principal, succeeded by Mr. Michael Casper. He was followed by Mrs. Carolyn Kirkendall, who served as principal for twenty-seven years. Mr. Stanley Liponoga IV came to St. Joseph from 2012 to 2014. Liponoga was followed by Mrs. Gale Powelson for five years. For the 2019-2020 school year, Mr. Travis Heckber became the sixth lay principal in the school's history.

In 2013 the school purchased the former public school in town and moved all teaching to their Monroe St. campus on November 25, 2013. New playground equipment was installed in the spring of 2023 with funds from the school's Spring Archer Color Run/Walk. In the fall of 2024, new gym bleachers were installed along the gym's north wall, replacing the original bleachers.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic School participates in the CYO sports program in grades 5-8, with girls competing in volleyball, basketball, and softball, while the boys compete in basketball. East Allen County School Corporation cooperates with St. Rose by providing transportation and speech therapy. Our school is located in the small rural town of Monroeville, three miles west of the Ohio State Line. Our school consists of 65 families providing 115 students.