About Good Shepherd · Chilton, Wisconsin
Good Shepherd Parish is a Catholic parish in Chilton, Wisconsin, belonging to the Diocese of Green Bay. Founded in 2005 from the merger of six historic area parishes, it operates Chilton Area Catholic School (CACS) as well as a parish religious education program and youth ministry. The community gathers for Mass in English and Spanish, runs a 24/7 Chapel of Divine Mercy (Perpetual Adoration), and is served by an active pastoral team and lay ministries.
- Established
- 2005
- Patron
- Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd)
- Rector
- Rev. Jon Thorsen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
Good Shepherd is a bilingual Catholic community serving the wider Chilton area with Mass in English and Spanish, daily weekday Masses, weekly Confession, and perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in its Chapel of Divine Mercy. Families can walk the full journey here — from CACS elementary and middle school, through parish religious education for grades 1–12, youth ministry (EDGE and Life Teen), and adult faith formation — all under the pastoral care of Fr. Jon Thorsen, Deacon Paul Gleichner, and an engaged lay staff.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 pm (Confessional)
- Sunday 7:00–7:45 am (Confessional)
- Sunday 9:15–9:45 am (Confessional)
- Domingo 1:15–1:45 pm (Confesiones en Español)
- By appointment — email Father Jon or call 920-849-9363
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration — 24 hours/day, 7 days/week in the Chapel of Divine Mercy on the parish campus (security code required; available from the Parish office)
Parish Identity and Mission
Good Shepherd Parish describes itself as 'a Catholic community dedicated to worship, education, moral values and social justice by prayer, service and sharing through the Grace of God, for the salvation of all.' The parish serves a broad rural area around Chilton in Calumet County and operates both a parish school and parish religious education program.
History of the Parish
The parish took its present shape in 2005 when six historic Catholic parishes of the Chilton area — Holy Trinity (Jericho), St. Augustine (Chilton), St. Charles Borromeo (Charlesburg), St. Elizabeth (Kloten), St. Martin (Charlestown) and St. Mary (Chilton) — were dissolved and unified as Good Shepherd Parish under the Diocese of Green Bay. The diocesan directory lists Good Shepherd as the legal repository for the records of all six predecessor parishes.
- 1879 – St. Mary School opens in Chilton
- 1967–1979 – Consolidation of six area Catholic schools around St. Mary School
- 1995 – Six parishes form the Chilton Area Catholic Ministry
- 2003 – Major school renovation completed
- 2005 – Chilton Area Catholic Ministry dissolved; Good Shepherd Parish established
- 2019 – Chapel of Divine Mercy relocated to its current home behind the Parish office
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
Daily and Sunday Masses, a regular weekly Reconciliation schedule (including a Spanish-language slot), and sacramental preparation through the Religious Education and Youth Ministry programs make the full sacramental life of the parish accessible to its members. The Religious Education program uses the Faith and Life Series for grades 1–6 and the EDGE/Life Teen models for grades 6–12.
- Reconciliation times six days a week plus by appointment
- Religious Education for Grades 1–6 (Wednesdays 6:00–7:15 pm)
- Religious Education & Youth Ministry for Grades 7–11 (Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 pm; EDGE for 6–8, Life Teen for 9–12)
- Volunteer catechists, aides and hall monitors trained in VIRTUS
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Registration for Religious Education opens in July and closes by September 1 each year. Sheila Oakley coordinates Grades 1–6 using the Faith and Life Series, while Ziggy Gross coordinates Grades 7–12 and Youth Ministry, using the EDGE (middle school) and Life Teen (high school) small-group models.
- 2025-2026 Religious Education Registration Form available for download
- 2025 Religious Education Letter to Parents and Handbook online
- Catechist, Aide and Hall Monitor volunteer roles
- Diocesan certification program available to volunteers
Youth Ministry
The parish operates a Catholic Youth Group and runs the EDGE (Grades 6–8) and Life Teen (Grades 9–12) programs on Wednesday evenings, supplemented by catechetical mini-courses throughout the year.
- EDGE for middle school (Grades 6–8), Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 pm
- Life Teen for high school (Grades 9–12) with catechetical mini-courses
- Coordinator: Ziggy Gross
Adult Faith Education
The parish mission statement highlights 'many opportunities for adult faith education,' offered alongside catechetical formation for parish staff and volunteers, and supported by the Worship & Spiritual Life Committee which 'assists the Pastor in planning and providing for the spiritual development of the members of the Parish through liturgical celebrations, significant prayer experiences and spiritual growth programs.'
- Worship & Spiritual Life Committee
- In-service and diocesan certification programs
Liturgy Ministries and Music
Good Shepherd Parish relies on a strong corps of liturgical lay ministers, organized through the Parish office and Ministry Scheduler. Liturgical service opportunities include serving as Ushers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Altar Servers — most weekend servers are students in grades K–8.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (homebound visits and weekend Masses)
- Lectors, Ushers and Altar Servers
- Vocal Choir, Handbell Choir and Youth Choir
- Videography and Photography at parish events
- Contact: Michelle Blatz, 920-849-9363
Chilton Area Catholic School (CACS)
Chilton Area Catholic School (CACS) is the parish elementary and middle school, located at 60 E. Washington St., Chilton. Tracing its origins to St. Mary School (founded September 19, 1879), CACS today educates the whole person — mind, body and soul — with extracurriculars ranging from music, art and engineering to public speaking and games. All official school communication is available in both English and Spanish.
- Principal: Samantha Meyers, [email protected]
- School phone: (920) 849-4141
- Programs include Music, Art, Engineering, Games, Public Speaking
- Participates in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP)
- English Language Learner (ELL) support and Spanish translation for families
- Full-day and half-day 4K and 3K options plus before- and after-school care
Parish Staff and Pastoral Team
The current pastoral and administrative team serves the parish from the office at 62 E Main Street. Pastor Fr. Jon Thorsen is assisted by Deacon Paul Gleichner, with Michelle Blatz providing pastoral, liturgy and music coordination.
- Pastor: Rev. Jon Thorsen
- Deacon: Dcn. Paul Gleichner
- Business Manager: Sandy Winkel
- Pastoral/Liturgy/Music Coordinator: Michelle Blatz (Ministry Support Assistant)
- Religious Education Coordinator Grades 1–6: Sheila Oakley
- Religious Education Coordinator Grades 7–12 & Youth Ministry: Ziggy Gross
- Principal, CACS: Samantha Meyers
- Communications Coordinator & Administrative Support: Lindsay Schultz
- Maintenance: Rick Weber
- Hispanic Discipleship Coordinator: position open at time of search
- Parish office phone: (920) 849-9363
Outreach, Community and Parishes Served
Beyond the parish proper, Good Shepherd Parish maintains outreach through parish-based groups such as the Knights of Columbus and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and serves the surrounding rural area including the historic mission territory of six predecessor parishes spread across Calumet County.
- Knights of Columbus parish council
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Live-streamed Masses delivered to nursing home residents
- Merger parishes: Holy Trinity (Jericho), St. Augustine (Chilton), St. Charles Borromeo (Charlesburg), St. Elizabeth (Kloten), St. Martin (Charlestown), St. Mary (Chilton)
Visiting and Getting Involved
First-time visitors can join Good Shepherd for Mass, stop in to the Chapel of Divine Mercy for Perpetual Adoration any time of day, and explore the parish through faith formation, volunteer liturgical roles, or CACS. The Parish office is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 am–4:30 pm and Friday 8:00 am–12:00 pm.
- Parish office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 am–4:30 pm; Fri 8:00 am–12:00 pm
- Phone: (920) 849-9363
- Address: 62 E Main St, Chilton, WI 53014
- Wheelchair accessible per Diocese of Green Bay directory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Robert Kollath
Listed as Pastor in the April 21, 2013 parish bulletin.
- Fr. Jon Thorsen
Current pastor; referenced by parish website, GCatholic and the diocesan directory.