About Most Sacred Heart · Dodge, Wisconsin
Most Sacred Heart Catholic Church (also known as Most Sacred Heart Parish – Pine Creek) is a small rural parish in the unincorporated community of Pine Creek, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, served from an address within the nearby Town of Dodge, WI. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, in the Arcadia Deanery, and shares its pastorate with neighboring Holy Family Parish in Arcadia. The parish preserves the heritage of the Polish (Kashubian) and Bohemian immigrant families who founded it in the 1860s and who built the current brick church in 1875 — making it one of the older Polish-origin parishes in Wisconsin. Today it continues as a tight-knit farming-community parish with a weekly Mass schedule, Friday Eucharistic Adoration and regular confession times.
- Established
- 1864
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus (co-patronage with St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia)
- Rector
- Reverend Kyle N. Laylan (Parochial Administrator, since July 5, 2022; resides at Holy Family Parish, Arcadia)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse (Arcadia Deanery)
Why belong here
Most Sacred Heart – Pine Creek is a close-knit rural parish where generations of farming families still worship in the same 1875 brick church their ancestors built. As a small parish in the Arcadia Deanery of the Diocese of La Crosse, it offers a full weekly Mass schedule with daily Masses on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Friday evenings, and regular times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation — making it a true spiritual home for Catholics in the Pine Creek valley and a welcoming stop for travelers exploring Wisconsin's Polish-Bohemian Catholic heritage.
Mass times at Most Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:00 PM – 6:20 PM (before vigil Mass)
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 7:45 AM (before Mass)
- Friday 7:00 PM (before/with Adoration)
Adoration times
- Friday 7:30 PM (following the 7:00 PM Mass)
Parish History & Immigrant Heritage
Most Sacred Heart Catholic Church grew out of an informal prayer community of Kashubian Polish and Bohemian Catholic farming families who settled the Pine Creek valley of rural Trempealeau County in the early 1860s. With no nearby Catholic parish to serve them, these families — including the Rudnicks, Liberas, Cyzrans and Bromes — gathered for prayer beginning around 1862, and the congregation was formally organized on February 7, 1864. The parish reflects the dual ethnic origins of its founders and is historically known as Sacred Heart–Saint Wenceslaus, honoring both the Sacred Heart of Jesus (from the Polish members) and Bohemia's patron St. Wenceslaus.
- Founded as a Polish-Bohemian immigrant parish; recognized as the third oldest Polish parish in Wisconsin.
- First small frame church built on land donated by Paul Libera.
- Parish formally organized February 7, 1864.
- 150th anniversary celebrated in fall 2012.
The 1875 Church Building
The present brick church was erected in 1875 under the pastorate of Rev. Adolf Snigurski (1874–1878) to replace the original wooden structure, which had burned. Measuring 44 by 125 feet and built at a cost of $18,000, it was called by contemporary newspapers one of the handsomest church edifices in Wisconsin and was solemnly dedicated on November 12, 1875. The building sits on a hilltop overlooking the Pine Creek valley and has been carefully restored to recapture its original 1875 character.
- Brick church constructed 1875 on the original hilltop site.
- Cost: $18,000; size: 44 by 125 feet.
- Dedicated November 12, 1875.
- Underwent a full renovation aimed at restoring the original 1875 configuration.
Parish School & Cemetery
A brick parish school was constructed in 1890, providing Catholic education for the children of Pine Creek's farming families. From 1898 it was taught by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi; from 1949 the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis took over. The school closed in 1976, and the school building now serves as the parish rectory. The parish cemetery, consecrated in 1873, remains in active use adjacent to the church.
- Brick parish school opened 1890.
- Taught by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi from 1898.
- Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis served from 1949.
- School closed 1976; building now serves as the rectory.
- Adjacent parish cemetery consecrated 1873.
Diocese, Deanery & Clergy
Most Sacred Heart Parish – Pine Creek belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse and is one of the parishes of the Arcadia Deanery. As of July 5, 2022, the parish has been administered jointly with neighboring Holy Family Parish in Arcadia, with the parochial administrator residing at Holy Family's rectory in Arcadia. The arrangement followed the transfer of the previous pastor, Very Rev. Sebastian J. Kolodziejczyk, who had served the parish along with his duties as Dean of the Arcadia Deanery and Chaplain to the Hispanic Community in the Arcadia area.
- Diocese of La Crosse — Arcadia Deanery.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Kyle N. Laylan (effective July 5, 2022).
- Preceding Pastor: Very Rev. Sebastian J. Kolodziejczyk (transferred to St. Matthew Parish, Wausau, July 5, 2022).
- Collaborative pastoral arrangement with Holy Family Parish, Arcadia.
Visit, Contact & Location
The parish sits in the unincorporated Pine Creek valley in rural Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, with a Dodge mailing address. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed by contacting the parish office by phone or email; the parish also publishes a weekly bulletin via its website mailing list.
- Address: N20555 County Road G, Dodge, WI 54625-9721.
- Phone: (608) 539-3704.
- Email: [email protected].
- Website: http://sacredheartpc.wixsite.com/sacredheartpc.
- Free weekly bulletin available via the parish website mailing list.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Florentine Zadzioski1866–
First permanent resident pastor; Polish-born priest.
- Rev. Adolf Snigurski1874–1878
Built the present brick church (1875) at a cost of $18,000; church dedicated November 12, 1875.
- Rev. Jakob W. Gara1904–1937 (death)
Born March 3, 1875, Jawisjowice, Poland; ordained 1898; over 33 years as pastor; present at the 1912 golden jubilee; died December 29, 1937.