About Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary · Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ABVM) is a small Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Strickland, Wisconsin (in Rusk County, near Rice Lake). Founded in 1897 by Polish immigrant settlers, it is one of four parishes in the SSPBAndJ Catholic Cluster — together with St. Peter in Cameron, St. Boniface in Chetek, and St. Joseph in Barron — all within the Diocese of Superior. The parish shares weekend Mass and Reconciliation with the cluster and is anchored by a Polish-built church and an adjacent Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery that continues to serve area families.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (under her title of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Very Rev. John Gerritts (Supervising Pastor of the SSPBAndJ Cluster)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Superior
Why belong here
ABVM offers a quiet, country-parish experience in the Diocese of Superior for Catholics in Strickland, Rice Lake, and the surrounding rural area. Weekend worship is anchored by the Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM with Reconciliation offered a half hour before, and the cluster's four parishes share weekday Masses, faith formation, and sacramental prep. Visitors are welcomed into a tight-knit community that maintains its Polish-Catholic heritage through the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery and family traditions carried across generations.
Mass times at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (at ABVM, 30 minutes before the Vigil Mass)
Parish Identity & Heritage
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary takes its name from the Solemnity of the Assumption, celebrated August 15, commemorating the doctrine that Mary was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory at the end of her earthly life. The parish was founded in 1897 by Polish-American farming families who settled the Strickland area in the 1880s. For decades it functioned as a mission of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in nearby Weyerhaeuser; today it is one of four parishes in the SSPBAndJ Catholic Cluster of the Diocese of Superior.
- Patron: Blessed Virgin Mary (Assumption)
- Feast Day: August 15
- Founded: 1897
- Diocese: Superior
- Cluster: SSPBAndJ (St. Peter, St. Boniface, ABVM, St. Joseph)
Location & Setting
ABVM is located in the small unincorporated community of Strickland in Rusk County, on Old Highway 14 just north of the city of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The rural setting — surrounded by farmland and cranberry bogs — reflects the heritage of the Polish immigrant founders, and the adjacent Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery remains an important part of the parish's pastoral life.
- Address: W16431 Old Hwy 14, Strickland, WI 54895
- Cluster mailing address: 111 W. Marshall Street, Rice Lake, WI 54868 (cluster administration)
- Phone: 715-637-3255
- Email: [email protected]
Worship Schedule
Public worship at ABVM centers on the Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation offered a half hour before Mass. Weekday Masses are celebrated at the other cluster parishes (St. Peter in Cameron, St. Boniface in Chetek, St. Joseph in Barron) on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings and evenings. Cluster-wide Lenten Reconciliation services rotate among the four parishes, including a 3:00 PM Lenten Reconciliation at ABVM during the season.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM (English)
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:30 PM (30 min before Mass)
- Cluster Weekday Masses: Tue 5:00 PM St. Peter; Wed 7:15 AM St. Joseph; Thu 8:30 AM St. Boniface; Fri 8:00 AM St. Peter
- Sunday Mass in cluster: Sun 8:30 AM St. Peter; Sun 10:30 AM St. Boniface
Cluster Leadership & Staff
ABVM is led through the SSPBAndJ cluster model, with a Supervising Pastor overseeing the four parishes and a Sacramental Minister assisting with liturgies and sacraments across the cluster. A Parish Director coordinates day-to-day operations, and the cluster administration office in Rice Lake is the main contact point for all four parishes.
- Very Rev. John Gerritts — Supervising Pastor
- Rev. Mariadas Vallabhaneni — Sacramental Minister
- Patricia Gerber — Parish Director
- Cluster administration: 111 W. Marshall Street, Rice Lake, WI 54868
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
In addition to weekend Mass and regular Reconciliation, ABVM parishioners can request Anointing of the Sick, funeral and burial ministry, and hospital visits through the cluster parish office. Priests are also on call for emergencies, and parishioners are encouraged to notify the parish when a family member is admitted to the hospital so a visit can be arranged if possible.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 PM at ABVM
- Anointing of the Sick: by request (call 715-637-3255)
- Funerals and burials at ABVM and the ABVM Cemetery in Strickland
- Hospital and sick-call visits on request
- Cluster emergency priest coverage
Missions & Outreach
Through the SSPBAndJ cluster's Missions Ministries, ABVM participates in small-group faith sharing, the Little Jesus Ministry, parish evangelization, and broader outreach efforts aligned with the Diocese of Superior's pastoral plan and Bishop Powers' pastoral letter on evangelization. The cluster also supports the diocesan Catholic Services Appeal (CSA), which funds seminarian formation, Catholic schools, and parish ministries across northwestern Wisconsin.
- Cluster Missions Ministries — small groups, Little Jesus Ministry, outreach
- Diocesan Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) — ABVM 2024-2025 goal: $5,123
- Seminarian prayer and formation support
- Bishop Powers' Pastoral Letter on Evangelization (Diocese of Superior)
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery
Adjacent to the church on Old Highway 14, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery in Strickland is the historic resting place for generations of Catholic families of the parish and surrounding area. Burial arrangements are coordinated through the cluster parish administration office.
- Cemetery location: Strickland, WI (adjacent to the church on Old Hwy 14)
- Burial arrangements: call the parish administration office at 715-637-3255
- Companion cemetery in the cluster: St. Boniface Cemetery in Chetek
Getting Involved
ABVM welcomes new parishioners and visitors, and invites participation through the cluster's small-group ministries, the Little Jesus Ministry, the annual Catholic Services Appeal, and liturgical and pastoral-care volunteer opportunities. Inquirers are encouraged to reach out to the cluster office to learn more about joining the parish family or scheduling sacraments.
- Contact the cluster office: 715-637-3255
- Email: [email protected]
- Join a cluster small group or the Little Jesus Ministry
- Support the diocesan CSA
- Volunteer with liturgical, funeral, or cemetery ministries