The Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878. At completion there was no way to access the choir loft other than by ladder since a traditional staircase would take up a lot of space in the small chapel.

The sisters prayed to St. Joseph for a solution. After some time a carpenter showed up, looking for work. Designed and built the staircase and the disappeared without being thanked or payed. After spending some time trying to find the carpenter, people believed it was Saint Joseph himself that came in answer to the sisters' prayers. The staircase makes two complete 360 degree turns without a center supporting pole and to this day is an engineering marvel.