Sunday!! - Re-dedication Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Boyd

Don't worry, the pews will be back in order before the Bishop arrives!

My baptismal church, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Boyd, Wisconsin is reopening its doors for a Mass of Dedication of a Church Already in Use (yes, that's what they officially call it) on Sunday, March 19th at 11 a.m.

The church has been closed since last fall for an extensive renovation project. Since I can't make the drive for the Mass, I requested and gratefully received a tour of the church earlier in March.

St. Rose of Lima

In 2012, St. Joseph, St. Rose of Lima Church in Cadott, and Holy Family Church in Stanley merged to form All Saints Parish. The Boyd church site is the most historic and largest of the three. To represent unity among all three church sites, new medallions were painted representing the patrons of the Cadott and Stanley churches. All three church sites will continue to have weekend Mass.

Many of the historic elements of the church are being preserved, like the high altar.

Guardian Angel window

Surprisingly for a church nearing 90 years old, there were few structural concerns that needed attention. However, not all of the decorative improvements could be made in this project. The stained glass windows will need to be cleaned and reinforced in the future. Even without a window cleaning, I couldn't help but notice how the new color palate of the church walls brought out the color of the windows, even on the cloudy day that I visited.

Angels float on the precipice above the Sanctuary.

Presentation of the Christ Child

Repainted organ pipes

Such a refreshingly new, but historic-feeling look!

According to Father Felix, the decorative renovation is meant to roughly follow the original design of the church dating from the 1920s. I am planning on visiting the church again after it opens to the public to share more details on the changes in this magnificent building.

Got to have a little fun, right?

In December 2013, just as I was starting the blog, I took photos at St. Joseph's, which you can see here: http://roamincatholicchurches.blogspot.com/2014/02/st-joseph-catholic-church-boyd.html 

St. Joseph Church, All Saints Catholic Parish
719 E. Patten St.  Boyd, WI 54726
http://allsaintscathcom.com/

Thanks again to Father Felix for taking time out of his schedule to give a tour of the church while still in construction mode and for offering a few of my text notes!

Our Lady Guadalupe Catholic Church, Milwaukee - VIP Milwaukee Preview

Note: This is one in a series of five posts previewing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Very Important Parishes (VIP) event on Saturday, November 5^th. To view the other preview posts and learn more about VIP, check out the first post in the series.

One of Milwaukee's oldest churches, but perhaps not as well known as some of its brethren Downtown, Our Lady of Guadalupe is worth a visit during VIP.

Mid 19th Century architecture, an old German parish, Milwaukee's Mother Hispanic parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe (formerly Holy Trinity) parish has plenty of designations. Over 150 years after its founding, it is still as important for its community as it was at the start. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church looks strikingly similar to Milwaukee’s Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church. This should come as little surprise, as they were designed by the same architect _[1].

You too can toll the bell ropes at Our Lady of Guadalupe if you make a visit during the VIP event!

Special VIP Offerings:

- Beer! Beer! Beer! Not many church tours come with free alcohol! Use the coupon attached to the VIP Event Guide to get a free tour at nearby Brenner Brewing at 3 p.m., exclusive to VIP attendees.

- Milwaukee’s first Spanish-language Mass was held in adjacent Holy Trinity School. Hear about the genesis of this important ministry in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

- Ring the bells! Guided and self-guided tours are open throughout the day, and ringing the church bells is allowed.

- Special dance and children’s choir performances throughout the day.

- Mass at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, November 5^th

The Holy Trinity School building was witness to the first Spanish Mass in Milwaukee and is open for tours during the VIP event.

Location: 605 S. 4^th Street, Milwaukee, WI – Tucked away off the local main corridors, Our Lady of Guadalupe is effectively an anchor tenant of an anchor neighborhood in Walker’s Point. Walker’s Point is one of Milwaukee’s original three settlements dating from the mid-19^th Century. With the church building present on this site since 1849, it has seen waves of ethnic cultures come through its doors and shape the neighborhood _[2]. Today, Our Lady of Guadalupe sits in the middle of a neighborhood that is revitalizing itself through a mix of business and housing developments. 

Why is this Parish a VIP?

1. One of the Oldest Churches in Milwaukee: While Bobby Tanzillo’s article at OnMilwaukee.com does a great job of sharing the early story of the Our Lady of Guadalupe church building, it is best to check it out in person at a Mass or this Saturday at VIP!

The variety of saints depicted on the altars here is astounding.

2. Bilingual Teachings of the Faith: Our Lady of Guadalupe offers religious education in both English and Spanish for its students. This year, the parish Confirmation classes are packed full of soon-to-be confirmed disciples of the Catholic faith. 

3. One Parish, Two Histories: When Our Lady of Guadalupe and Holy Trinity merged in the 1960s, a precedent for many south side Milwaukee parishes was established. This neat essay comes from Our Lady of Guadalupe’s website:

The Unification of Holy Trinity and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parishes

It's the summer of 1966. Not quite three years after the assassination of President Kennedy. Two hours south of Milwaukee, in Cicero, Illinois, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. is very active in community organizing. The British rock-n-roll band The Beatles is an international sensation. And the Packers stars are named Hornung, Nitschke, and Starr.

St. Therese of Lisieux

Six months have passed since the final gathering of Catholic bishops in Rome to conclude the Second Vatican Council. Until the 1960s, the priest has had his back to the congregation, and celebrates Mass in Latin - a language heard and spoken only in Church.

This artwork of St. Augustine was due to be repaired from water damage that impacted the church a decade ago.

Meanwhile, on the Near South Side of Milwaukee, a big change of its own is about to happen . . .

One parish needs more room. It's the only Spanish-speaking church on the South side, located on the southeast corner of 3rd and Washington. The other parish needs more members. It's located six blocks way at 4th and Bruce. Many of its German-and Slovenian-Americans members are passing away, and their children and grandchildren are moving to places like Cudahy and West Allis. Both churches are staffed members of the Franciscan Order-the friars of St. Francis.

Nuestra Señora de San Juan de los Lagos

Our Lady of St. John of the Lakes

The parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe have been told about the move a few weeks in advance by Fr. Bede Phelps, OFM Conv. At Holy Trinity, many people know what is going to happen-certainly the altar servers, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and the daily Mass goers - but also the parents of children at Holy Trinity School, where, since 1960s, the students enrollment has been at least one-third Hispanic.

But still, it is a surprise to some, when on Sunday, August 28, 1966, nearly 200 people arrive in procession to the front steps of Holy Trinity. They are from Our Lady of Guadalupe, and they carry banners with the likeness of La Morenita, Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, as she appeared to Saint Juan Diego in 1531 on the outskirts of Mexico City.

XI, Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

Some Holy Trinity members of Hispanic origin are on the steps waiting to greet the newcomers, encouraged to do so by the longest-standing service group at HT - the Christian Mothers. Everyone enters together for a Mass that starts shortly before 2 p.m.

The merger transformed the complexion of the parish. Indeed, as one former Milwaukee, "My marriages and baptisms are now of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans; my funerals are of Germans and Poles."

From 1966 until 2000, the parishes will be known as Trinity-Guadalupe, then simply as Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church

605 S. 4^th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204

http://www.guadalupe-stpatrick.com/

Weekend Mass Times

Sundays: 10 a.m.

Spanish Sunday Mass: 12 p.m.

Special thanks for Father Tim Manatt, S.J., Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, and Amy Grau for arranging my visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Go see some Very Important Parishes in Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, or wherever you are!

Additional Sources:

The Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish website and my was a great source of information throughout the article-writing process.

[1] http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/vipmkeguadalupetrinity.html
[2] http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:4294963828-4294963814&dsNavOnly=N:1159&dsRecordDetails=R:HI16289

All Saints Catholic Church, Milwaukee - VIP Milwaukee Preview

Note: This is one in a series of five posts previewing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Very Important Parishes (VIP) event on Saturday, November 5^th. To view the other preview posts and learn more about VIP, check out the first post in the series.

Diversity is a major theme at All Saints. Rising from merger of several ethnic north side Milwaukee parishes, All Saints is a wonderful “melting pot” of faith traditions and ethnic roots. This melting pot boils over and runs throughout the liturgy, artistic expressions, and community service of the parish. 

Resting near the center of the worship space, the altar brings together the congregation from all sides of the church.

Special VIP Offerings:

- Exclusive presentation by All Saints’ internationally-known gospel choir at 11:30 a.m.

- Multi-cultural displays featuring the parish's African-American, European, Caribbean, and African heritages.

- Learn about the Knights of Peter Claver and the Ladies Auxiliary, the parish’s food pantry, and other initiatives.

- Tours include the immersion baptismal font, prayer alcove, balcony, chapel, and more!

The baptismal font makes a remarkable impression upon entering the main church.

Location: 4051 N. 25^th Street, Milwaukee, WI – All Saints calls Milwaukee’s north side home, just off Capitol Avenue. The church building that houses All Saints is the former St. Agnes Catholic Church, indicative of the former ethnic German population of this part of the city. Today, the African-American community anchors the area and provides enthusiastic leadership for much of the All Saints Parish community. Rufus King High School and an old industrial railroad corridor are among the larger landmarks in the area.

The former namesake of the All Saints Catholic Church building, St. Agnes, still holds watch from the balcony years after the closure of her original parish.

Fun All Saints’ Facts:

- The parish’s namesake, All Saints, helps tell the genesis of this community. Over the last couple decades, many of Milwaukee’s north side parishes have combined to help form All Saints, which Bobby Tanzilo’s OnMilwaukee.com article on All Saints describes in detail _[1].

- The first Catholic Church near All Saints was built for the old St. Agnes Parish near 25^th Street and Capitol Avenue in 1926 _[2].
- Weekend Mass and All Saints Gospel Choir performances are recorded and available for sale and streaming _[3]. 

Statue of the Holy Family from a prayer alcove.

Why is this Parish a VIP?

1. Social Activities: You likely have heard of the Knights of Columbus, but did you know that there is an active fraternal organization for African-American Catholics which is active in the heart of Milwaukee? The Knights of Peter Claver were founded in 1909 in Mobile, Alabama to originally offer a fraternal home for men of color. Membership has expanded to allow women and youth into this organization which is active in several social initiatives, including through its membership at All Saints. The Parish also hosts a hot meal program each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for the surrounding community, complemented further by a food pantry that is open on Fridays. 

2. Gospel Choir: I don’t fancy myself a music critic, but I think anyone can recognize the talent and enthusiasm of the All Saints Gospel Choir! The choir will give a special presentation at 11:30 a.m. during the VIP event on November 5^th, and will have CDs available for a good will offering. Give them a listen!

This nave fills weekly with the enthusiasm of both the amazing All Saints Gospel Choir and the parish family at All Saints.

3. Religious Devotions: Admittedly, I am underscoring the diversity of this parish which includes folks of many nationalities and economic backgrounds in part to keep this article concise and to encourage to you go and learn more at VIP! However, similar to many of Milwaukee’s old Polish and German neighborhood churches, All Saints does a terrific job of recognizing saints of African heritage. Our Lady of Africa is represented through a beautiful statue in a prayer alcove just to the side of the sanctuary.

 Detail, Our Lady of Africa Statue.

In a separate prayer alcove, near the Our Lady of Africa statue, statuary and information on more saints are available for education and prayerful reflection. Two saints featured in the alcove, Saints Charles Lwanga and Martin de Porres, each reflect the great sacrifices that come with serving God and the communities that they served with Catholic faith and practice. The All Saints VIP tour on Saturday will feature more detail on these statues and the artwork throughout the church.

Left: St. Charles Lwanga

Right: St. Martin de Porres

4. The Church Building: Like fellow VIP parish, St. Bernard’s in Wauwatosa, the church at All Saints is a modern building, erected in the 1960s. Its nave and worship space is well-designed for a more charismatic form of Catholic worship than what Catholics may often see. A few highlights that will be featured in the VIP tour include the immersion pool used for baptisms, the additional chapel used for worship, and the balcony.

Our Lady of Grace, featured on the south wall of the church.

All Saints Catholic Church

4051 N. 25th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53209

http://allsaintsmke.org/

Weekend Mass Times

Sundays: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m.

Special thanks for Cecilia Smith-Robertson, Roosevelt, All Saints Parish, and Amy Grau for setting up my visit to All Saints and for bringing this article to life!

Additional Sources:
The All Saints Parish website and my conversations with folks at the parish were great sources of information throughout the article-writing process.

[1] http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/vipmkeallsaints.html

[2] Gurda, John. Milwaukee: City of Neighborhoods, 258.

[3] http://allsaintsmke.org/music/

A Look Inside the New St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Wisconsin Dells

"The present glory of this house shall be greater than the former."

- Haggai 2:9

(Referenced in Father Eric Sternberg's Letter within the Solemn Mass of Dedication Program, August 28, 2016)

Sunday, August 28th marked a landmark moment for the Wisconsin Dells Catholic community. After fifteen months without a proper church building, St. Cecilia Parish opened its wonderful new church to the public. To mark the occasion, the Parish held a Solemn Mass of Dedication, followed by a festival and tours of the church.

To stem the inevitable rush of Mass-goers to claim seats in the building, the doors were kept shut until an hour before Mass. Thanks to the willingness of Father Sternberg and the Parish Development Committee, I was able to take a self-guided tour just before the doors were unlocked. The photos in this post come from that visit.

The new St. Cecilia's church building replaces a smaller century-old building that stood on the same site. In a slight nod toward post-Modernism, and a greater nod towards Parish history, a number of elements from the previous building are visible with the new church. Last year, I published a series of posts detailing the old St. Cecilia Catholic Church, which can be visited for comparison:

Post 1 (Interior photos)

Post 2 (Exterior and Parish grounds)

Post 3 (Windows)

“Novam ecclesiam Sancta Caecilia, XVIII Aug MMXVI

Lux luceat in tenebris”

“New church of Saint Cecilia, 18 August, 2016

The light shines in the darkness”

This was my first look inside the nave. First off, the spaciousness comes to the forefront. For years, St. Cecilia's has held weekend Mass in its old school gymnasium during the summer months to fit the vacationing crowds. The expanded seating in the nave and transepts should keep seating more manageable, with room for over 1,000 souls_[1].

To my eyes, the restoration and adaptation of the statuary, altar works, and windows from the old church building are an instant treasure. Practically every statue and stained glass window from the former building has made its way inside the new church. The high altar represents a creative and tasteful update from the previous high altar. 

The St. Cecilia and Sacred Heart of Jesus statues were each given their own side altar space and are positioned under the large windows on opposite transepts near the front of the church.

Detail: St. Cecilia side altar

Detail: Stained glass window depicting the angel approaching the shepherds the night of Jesus' Nativity

Stations of the Cross

Detail: Sacred Heart of Jesus side altar

This Parish, whose patron saint doubles as a patron saint of sacred music, has a well-supplied music section in the south transept. Their performance at the Dedication Mass was magnificent.

 

 

Recognizing the importance of culture in the local faith, pictures of Our Lady of Częstochowa and Our Lady of Guadalupe hang in the transepts. Wisconsin Dells is a small, but historic outpost for Polish Catholics, and a Polish language Mass is held in town on a monthly basis. Weekly Spanish Mass is also a fixture at this Parish.

Windows from the old church line the nave.

St. Cecilia Catholic Church

603 Oak Street, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
http://www.dellscatholic.com/

Weekend Mass Times

Saturdays: 5 p.m.

Sundays: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 5 p.m.

Spanish Sunday Mass: 6:30 p.m.

Polish Sunday Mass: 3 p.m., first Sunday of the month

Additional Sources
[1] http://www.wiscnews.com/wisconsindellsevents/news/local/article_e7b37864-ee25-5687-9c4c-631de976ed3a.html