About Immaculate Conception · Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Immaculate Conception Parish in Luxemburg, Wisconsin — commonly known as St. Mary Parish — is a Catholic congregation serving the Village of Luxemburg in Kewaunee County and surrounding rural townships of northeastern Wisconsin. Founded in 1862 to minister to German Catholic settlers carving farms out of the forest, it was formally incorporated under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception on March 13, 1884, and its brick church was consecrated by Bishop Francis Krautbauer in 1885. Today the parish operates the parish school (St. Mary School), shares its pastor with neighboring Holy Trinity Parish in Casco, and remains a focal point of faith, school, and community life in the Luxemburg area.
- Established
- 1862
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (Blessed Virgin Mary); commonly invoked as St. Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel J. Schuster (Very Rev.)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception / St. Mary Parish offers the rhythm of small-town Catholic life: multiple weekend Masses (Saturday 4:00 pm; Sunday 7:30 and 10:30 am), a daily Mass schedule, weekly Saturday confessions, Eucharistic adoration, a parish school (St. Mary School) on the same Main Street campus, the Alpha youth/discipleship program and the post-confirmation 'Dead Theologians Society,' and the long-standing local tradition of devotion to the Blessed Mother that has defined the parish since its 1862 founding. The current pastor, Fr. Daniel Schuster, shares ministry between Luxemburg and Holy Trinity in Casco, giving the parish both a stable shepherd and a wider Catholic network in Kewaunee County.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 pm
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration on Holy Thursday (per parish COVID-era protocol and continuing tradition)
Parish History
Immaculate Conception Parish — universally known as St. Mary's — was born in 1862 when Fr. F. X. Pfaller of Green Bay began making monthly visits to the heavily German-settled farmlands around Luxemburg to say Mass in a small schoolhouse. Within a few years the settlers built a log church on land donated by Nicholas Merens and John Kaut; the parish was served as a mission from New Franken until Fr. John Videnka became the first resident pastor in 1876. The cornerstone for a new brick church was laid in 1883, the congregation was incorporated under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception on March 13, 1884, and Bishop Francis Krautbauer consecrated the church during his episcopal visit on September 29, 1885. Bishop Fox reconsecrated the building in 1906 upon completion of a sizable addition, and Bishop Sebastian Messmer blessed the church bells on April 28, 1892.
- 1862 — Fr. F. X. Pfaller begins monthly Masses in a schoolhouse.
- 1876 — Fr. John Videnka becomes the first resident pastor.
- 1881 — Fr. Hugo Prasser named pastor; starts the parochial school.
- 1884 — Congregation incorporated as Immaculate Conception Parish.
- 1885 — Bishop Krautbauer consecrates the new church on September 29.
- 1892 — Bishop Messmer blesses the Blessed Mother bell (1,220 lb) and the St. Joseph bell (385 lb).
- 1906 — Bishop Fox reconsecrates the church after the new addition.
- 1980 — Fr. Milton M. Suess appointed pastor (serves 38 years).
- 2018 — Fr. Daniel J. Schuster named pastor.
Pastorate & Staff
The parish is led by Very Rev. Daniel J. Schuster as pastor; he also serves Holy Trinity Parish in Casco. He is assisted by Rev. Juan Manuel Marinoni Ruiz, C.R., parochial vicar, and lay staff including parish office assistant Sophie Degeneffe, pastoral associate Tony Klink, and school principal Roxanne Zellner. The Diocese of Green Bay's most recent directory lists the parish's RE contact as Fr. Schuster himself, with the office address at 1412 Main Street and the school at 1406 Main Street, both in Luxemburg.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Daniel J. Schuster ([email protected])
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Juan Manuel Marinoni Ruiz, C.R. ([email protected])
- Office Assistant: Sophie Degeneffe
- Pastoral Associate: Tony Klink
- School Principal: Roxanne Zellner
- Diocesan note: shares pastor with Holy Trinity Parish, Casco.
Becoming Catholic & Sacraments
Inquiries into the Catholic faith through the RCIA process are welcomed year-round. The parish celebrates the usual sacraments — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick — and the pastor and parochial vicar staff both school-day and sacramental ministry. An after-hours emergency number (920-371-5771) is published for those in need of a priest in urgent pastoral situations.
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic — inquiries accepted year-round
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Pastoral emergency line: 920-371-5771
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish runs a Religious Education program with Fr. Schuster as the contact, supported by the parish school. Youth ministry includes the Alpha conversation-based evangelization program — through which the parish recently confirmed 62 young Catholics — and a post-confirmation group called the 'Dead Theologians Society' designed to keep older teens engaged in the life of the Church.
- Religious Education (K-8, contact Fr. Schuster)
- Alpha (youth and adult evangelization)
- Dead Theologians Society (post-confirmation program)
- Recent confirmation class: 62 youth
St. Mary School
St. Mary School is a parish grade school sharing the Main Street campus with the church (1406 Main Street). Its mission statement describes it as 'a safe and welcoming community that inspires all to live, learn, and serve as Christ taught us,' offering a quality Catholic education focused on faith, academics, and discipleship in partnership with parents. The school also operates a thriving 4K program — five days a week, full day — designed to bridge the gap between 3K/daycare and kindergarten.
- Principal: Roxanne Zellner
- Office: 920-845-2224
- Email: [email protected]
- 4K Program (5 days/week, full day)
- Mission: faith, academics, discipleship
Twin-Parish Relationship with Holy Trinity, Casco
Since at least the late 2010s, Immaculate Conception (St. Mary), Luxemburg, has shared a pastor with Holy Trinity Parish, Casco. Fr. Schuster ministers to both congregations, the bulletin is printed jointly under the heading 'St. Mary Parish & Holy Trinity Parish,' and the parishes coordinate faith formation, school leadership (Curt Julian at Holy Trinity School), and sacramental ministry across Kewaunee County.
- Shared pastor: Fr. Daniel J. Schuster
- Joint bulletin and communications
- Holy Trinity School (Casco) — separate principal, shared pastorate
Parish Identity & Devotion
The parish mission statement reads: 'Strengthened by the Holy Mass and filled with devotion to the Blessed Mother, we are a parish of faithful Catholic disciples. Our supportive family desires to bring people to the beauty of knowing, loving, and serving Jesus Christ our Lord.' This Marian identity — rooted in the 1884 choice of the Immaculate Conception as patron — continues to shape the parish's liturgical life and ministry.
- Patron: Immaculate Conception (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Local name: St. Mary's
- Marian devotion central to parish identity
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. F. X. Pfaller1862–1876
Mission priest from Green Bay who began monthly Masses in a schoolhouse for the German settlers and urged them to build a log church.
- Fr. John Videnka1876–1881
First resident pastor of the Luxemburg congregation.
- Fr. Hugo Prasser1881–
Named pastor December 1881; established the parochial school with Miss Weiss as teacher and planned the new brick church.
- Fr. Constantine Ulrich1893–1896
Swiss-born classmate of Bishop Sebastian Messmer; the two were reunited at an 1895 confirmation in Luxemburg.
- Fr. Milton M. Suess1980–2018
Served 38 years as pastor; also served as Episcopal Vicar, Director of Catholic Cemeteries, Canon Penitentiary, and temporary administrator/pastor of several other diocesan parishes. Retired 2018.
- Fr. Daniel J. Schuster2018–present
Current pastor; also serves Holy Trinity Parish, Casco.