There was no railroad into Roselle, so the building materials had to be hauled 3 miles (4.8 km) into the town using horse-drawn wagons on primitive roads.

[3] The brick Gothic Revival church features an Indiana limestone foundation and a central tower that rises 145 feet (44 m).

The vaulted ceiling in the interior rises 39 feet (12 m) above gilded altars, numerous statues of saints and angels, elaborate stained glass windows, frescos, and mosaics.

[4] A parochial school was established by the parish in 1888, and the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from La Crosse, Wisconsin began teaching there in 1899.

The Holy Angels Church and Cemetery Foundation was incorporated with the State of Iowa in 1995 to care for the parish property.