About Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary · Green Bay, Wisconsin
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Catholic parish on the west side of Green Bay, Wisconsin, founded in 1932 as the eighth Catholic parish in the city and the third on the west side. It is one of the four parishes that make up the 'Quad Parishes of Green Bay,' a collaborative grouping that also includes St. Joseph, St. Jude, and (formerly) St. Patrick parishes, sharing staff, faith formation, and outreach. The parish serves a bilingual community, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish each Sunday, and reaches out to the wider west-side neighborhood through the Hope Center, a food and baby-supplies pantry shared with neighboring parishes.
- Established
- 1932
- Patron
- Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Erick Ondieki, OFM Conv. (Administrator of the Quad Parishes)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
Annunciation offers a warm, bilingual Catholic community on Green Bay's west side, with Sunday Mass celebrated in both English (8:00 am) and Spanish (12:30 pm), weekday Masses, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, and regular Reconciliation. As one of the four Quad Parishes, members can tap into shared faith formation for children, youth, and adults (including RCIA), Bible study, young-adult community housing, and a robust music and liturgical program — while the parish itself keeps its small, neighborhood feel. Its partnership in the Hope Center pantry and Love Life Ministry means joining Annunciation also means serving the practical needs of struggling families on the west side.
Mass times at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30 pm (2nd & 4th weeks, English & Spanish)
- First Friday of the month 5:30 pm (Spanish)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month 5:30 pm (Vespers / Adoración al Santísimo)
Our Story — The Founding of Annunciation Parish
In the spring of 1932, the Diocese of Green Bay appointed Rev. William H. Kiernan to establish a new Catholic parish on the rapidly growing west side of Green Bay. It became the eighth Catholic parish in the city and the third on the west side. Father Kiernan named the new community 'The Congregation of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.' Most of its first members were of German descent, drawn from a neighborhood that, at the time, consisted of little more than cabbage fields and frog ponds. The cornerstone of the present stone church was laid the same year the parish was founded, and Annunciation School opened its doors in September 1933.
- Founded: Spring 1932, by Rev. William H. Kiernan
- Named: 'The Congregation of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary'
- Cornerstone of present church: 1932
- Annunciation School opened: September 1933, served by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin until June 1980
- Founding pastor served Annunciation 1932–1963
The Annunciation Church Building
The church at 401 Gray Street is a stone-veneered, front-gabled, steel-frame Late Gothic Revival / NeoGothic Revival building, erected in 1932 by builder Jacob Basten. A square bell tower stands at the southwesterly corner, and the entrance features a slightly projecting entrance pavilion with shouldered parapets flanked by buttresses. Three deeply recessed pointed-arch oak doors set in compound moldings form the main entry, above which a tall pointed-arch stained-glass window with stone tracery lights the nave. The nave itself has plaster walls and exposed wooden trusswork, and the side walls are organized into five bays defined by stepped stone buttresses, each bay filled with stained-glass pointed-arch windows topped with trefoil tracery. A three-story school addition, also in matching NeoGothic stone, was erected against the northeast corner of the church circa 1942.
- Architectural style: Late Gothic Revival / NeoGothic Revival
- Year built: 1932 (cornerstone); school addition c. 1942
- Builder: Jacob Basten
- Materials: Steel frame, stone-veneer exterior, plaster interior with wooden trusswork
- Features: Square bell tower, pointed-arch stained glass with trefoil tracery, triple recessed oak entry doors, stepped stone buttresses
Mission, Patron, and Feast Day
Annunciation Parish's mission statement reads: 'Annunciation Parish is a worship community called by God and those around us to make His presence felt in the lives of many people. In order to do this, we educate those who do not understand, inspire those who have no dreams, bring justice and dignity to those who have been oppressed, and bring near those who are far away.' The parish takes its name and its identity from the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary — the Angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she would conceive Jesus — and celebrates its patronal feast day on March 25.
- Patron: Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Patronal Feast Day: March 25
The Quad Parishes of Green Bay
Annunciation is one of four Catholic parishes in the 'Quad Parishes of Green Bay' collaboration. Together with St. Joseph (936 9th Street), St. Jude (1420 Division Street), and (until July 2022) St. Patrick, the Quad Parishes share a single pastoral team, a unified business office at 1087 Kellogg Street, a shared faith formation office, and joint outreach. The model allows each individual parish to keep its own identity and worship schedule while pooling resources to offer parishioners more programs — youth and children's faith formation, RCIA, Bible study, music, Hispanic ministry, and the Hope Center outreach — than any single parish could sustain alone.
- Annunciation — 401 Gray Street (Mass: Sun 8:00 am, Sun 12:30 pm Spanish; Tue & Fri 8:00 am)
- St. Joseph — 936 9th Street (Mass: Sun 10:30 am; Wed & Sat 8:00 am)
- St. Jude — 1420 Division Street (Mass: Sat 4:00 pm, Sun 9:15 am; Hmong Mass 1st & 2nd Sun 12:00 pm)
- Shared Business Office — 1087 Kellogg Street, Green Bay, WI 54303 — 920-496-2160
- Faith Formation Center — 936 9th Street, Green Bay, WI 54304
Sacramental Preparation
Through the Quad-Parish Faith Formation Center, Annunciation prepares children and adults for all seven sacraments. Children typically celebrate First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in second grade, after completing first-grade faith formation materials. Adults seeking Baptism, Eucharist, or Confirmation do so through the RCIA process. Marriage preparation begins at least six months in advance and includes a meeting with a priest, work with a FOCCUS couple, and a retreat. Anointing of the Sick can be requested at any time by contacting the Parish Office, and communal Anointing Masses are celebrated twice a year and at area nursing homes.
- Baptism (infant and adult) — contact Parish Office
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — 2nd grade, through Faith Formation
- Confirmation — typically 3rd grade / teen years via Faith Formation
- Marriage — 6 months' notice, priest + FOCCUS couple + retreat
- Anointing of the Sick — by request; communal Masses twice yearly
- Holy Orders / Vocations — speak with Fr. Erick or Fr. Dominic
Faith Formation for Children, Youth, and Families
The Quad-Parishes stress that 'faith formation begins with you at home' — parents are recognized as the primary witnesses of the Gospel to their children. The Faith Formation program supports that mission with classroom sessions, family work at home, retreat experiences, and resources for young families. Registration typically opens in late spring for the following academic year; classes begin in the fall on Wednesday evenings. Questions are directed to Patti Phillips, Religious Education Coordinator.
- Coordinator: Patti Phillips — 920-496-2160 x133 — [email protected]
- 2026–2027 Registration Form available on the parish website
- Classes meet on Wednesdays
- Includes preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation
Growing in Faith — Adults and Young Adults
Beyond the children's programs, Annunciation and the Quad Parishes offer a range of adult and young-adult formation opportunities: weekly Bible study, the RCIA journey for those exploring Catholicism, monthly Movie Days for faith-and-fellowship, and 'Embers From the Fire,' weekly reflections written by Deacon Dan Wagnitz. Young adults have the option of living in intentional community at the St. Jude Young Adult House (men) or St. Joseph Young Adult House (women).
- Bible Study
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Movie Days (monthly)
- Embers From the Fire — weekly reflections from Deacon Dan Wagnitz
- Young Adult Houses (St. Jude for men, St. Joseph for women)
Music and Liturgy
Liturgy at the Quad Parishes is coordinated by Mark Phillips (Liturgical Coordinator) and Jim Bertler (Music Coordinator). Together they shape the parish's worship life across the four sites — supporting music ministry, liturgical seasons, special celebrations, and the bilingual rhythm of Annunciation's own English and Spanish Masses.
- Liturgical Coordinator: Mark Phillips — [email protected] — 920-496-2160 x146
- Music Coordinator: Jim Bertler — [email protected] — 920-496-2160 x129
Hispanic Ministry
Because Annunciation's Sunday schedule includes a 12:30 pm Spanish Mass (as well as a First Friday Spanish Mass and First Friday Spanish Reconciliation), the parish maintains an active Hispanic Ministry. Lorena Gomez, Coordinator of Hispanic Ministries, staffs the office (Mon–Tue 8:00 am–4:30 pm) and supports sacramental preparation, faith formation, and parish life for Spanish-speaking parishioners across the Quad Parishes.
- Coordinator: Lorena Gomez — [email protected] — 920-496-2160 x142
- Office hours: Mon & Tue 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
- Spanish Mass every Sunday at 12:30 pm
Care and Support — Visiting the Sick, Homebound, and Bereaved
Annunciation's Care & Support ministry reaches parishioners who cannot easily come to Mass. Ministers of Care bring Communion to the homebound and visit nursing-home residents; the parish also celebrates weekly Communion services (and periodic Masses) at Green Bay Health Services, Grancare Nursing Center, Grancare Gardens, and Marla Vista / Care for All Ages. Hospital visits are made on Thursdays, with special visits and anointings on request. The Prayer Shawl Ministry offers handcrafted shawls and lap blankets for those in need of comfort.
- Home visits and Communion for the sick and homebound
- Weekly Communion services at four local nursing homes
- Hospital visit team (Thursdays)
- Anointing of the Sick (by request)
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Funeral and annulment support
Justice and Service — The Hope Center and Love Life Ministry
Annunciation is one of the founding partner parishes of the Hope Center, an ecumenical outreach located at 505 Clinton Street on Green Bay's west side. In March 2016 the Quad Parishes purchased the former Fox Communities Credit Union building and renovated it; in August 2016 the Hope Center Pantry (formerly St. Patrick's Pantry, dating to the 1970s) and the Love Life Ministry (begun in 1993) moved in. Hope Center is supported by a coalition of west-side Catholic parishes (Annunciation, St. Agnes, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Joseph, St. Jude, Nativity, and St. Patrick) and works with other faith communities to break the cycle of poverty. The Quad Parishes also prepare and serve a meal at the NEW Community Shelter on the fourth Monday of every month.
- Hope Center — 505 Clinton Street, Green Bay, WI 54303
- Hope Center Pantry — Mon–Thu 1:00–3:00 pm — 920-437-3356
- Love Life Ministry — Thu 1:00–4:00 pm (except 5th Thursday) — 920-497-1087
- Outreach programs: StreetLights Outreach, Spokes of Hope, Amani Outreach, Giving Garden (administered through Whatsoever You Do Ministries since Feb 2018)
- NEW Community Shelter meal — 4th Monday of each month
Quad-Parish Staff and Pastoral Team
Because Annunciation shares a single pastoral team with the other Quad Parishes, the parish is served by an extended staff — two Conventual Franciscan priests, a permanent deacon, a religious sister, and a range of lay ministers and coordinators. The shared staff model means parishioners have access to specialized ministry (Hispanic outreach, liturgical coordination, music, faith formation, pastoral care, business administration) that would be difficult for a single parish to sustain on its own.
- Rev. Erick Ondieki, OFM Conv. — Administrator — [email protected]
- Rev. Dominic Wambui, OFM Conv. — Parochial Vicar — [email protected]
- Deacon Dan Wagnitz — [email protected]
- Sr. Jan Villemure — Pastoral Minister — [email protected] — x131
- Mike Walters — Pastoral Associate — [email protected] — x125
- Patti Phillips — Religious Education — [email protected] — x133
- Mark Phillips — Liturgical Coordinator — [email protected] — x146
- Jim Bertler — Music Coordinator — [email protected] — x129
- Lorena Gomez — Hispanic Ministries — [email protected] — x142
- Mary Jane (MJ) Smithers — Bookkeeper — [email protected] — x111
- Patrick Jelen — Maintenance Coordinator
- Jerry Leisgang — Maintenance
- Deacon Bill Gerl — Business Administrator (per Dec 2024 bulletin) — [email protected] — x120
- Laurie Verheyden — Secretary — [email protected] — x110
Contact, Visiting, and Getting Involved
Newcomers are warmly welcomed. The parish website offers a 'Coming to Mass?' page with addresses, Mass times, and Reconciliation schedules for each Quad-Parish site; an 'I'm New / Visit' page that orients visitors to the Quad-Parishes collaboration; and a 'Try Alpha' invitation for those exploring the Christian faith. English Classes are offered for adults, and the Quad-Parishes provide resources and support for every stage of parish life — from children's faith formation to nursing-home visits to community outreach through the Hope Center.
- Annunciation address: 401 Gray Street, Green Bay, WI 54303
- Business Office: 1087 Kellogg Street, Green Bay, WI 54303 — 920-496-2160 — Mon–Thu 8:30 am–3:30 pm, closed Friday
- Fax: 920-496-2167
- After-hours sacramental emergencies: 920-510-9257 or 920-510-3578
- Faith Formation office: 936 9th Street, Green Bay, WI 54304 — Mon & Tue 8:00 am–12:00 pm, Wed 3:00–8:00 pm
- Try Alpha, English Classes, Growing in Faith, Children & Youth, Prayer & Worship, Sacraments, Care & Support, Justice & Service — all listed under 'I'm New / Visit' on the parish website
- Facebook: facebook.com/thequadparishes
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William H. Kiernan1932–1963
Founding pastor; appointed to establish the parish in spring 1932; served Annunciation for 31 years before moving on to other diocesan assignments.