About Mother of Good Counsel · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mother of Good Counsel Parish is a bilingual Catholic community in northwest Milwaukee, Wisconsin, founded in 1925 by the Salvatorian Fathers (Society of the Divine Savior, S.D.S.) and staffed at its start by the Salvatorian Sisters. Located at 6924 West Lisbon Avenue, the parish serves both English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics through weekend and weekday Masses, a thriving K3–8th grade parish school, a full range of faith formation programs, and a St. Vincent de Paul conference. The parish recently marked its 100th anniversary and remains a Salvatorian mission parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
- Established
- 1925
- Patron
- Our Lady of Good Counsel (Madre del Buen Consejo)
- Rector
- Fr. Reed C. Mungovan, S.D.S.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
Mother of Good Counsel is a bilingual parish that welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics to a 100-year-old Salvatorian community on Milwaukee's northwest side. Worship is supported by weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a Spanish Rosary, multiple choirs (Adult, Children's, Jubilate, and Bell), and ministries for every age and stage of life — from Bible studies, Scout troops, and Vacation Bible School to RCIA, confirmation prep, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, and homebound ministry. The parish school, K3 through 8th grade, gives families an integrated parish-and-school experience grounded in traditional Catholic values.
Mass times at Mother of Good Counsel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday after the 8:15 AM Mass
- Wednesday at 6:00 PM during Adoration in the Chapel
- By appointment: contact the parish office or Fr. Reed for individual confession and sick calls
Adoration times
- Saturday after the 8:15 AM Mass
- Wednesday at 6:00 PM in the Chapel
Welcome to Mother of Good Counsel Parish
Mother of Good Counsel is a Catholic community in northwest Milwaukee 'committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ through Worship, Ministry, Stewardship, and Outreach.' The parish invites everyone — those visiting, returning, or new to the area — to consider MGC as their spiritual home, with ministries for every age and stage of life and a K3–8th grade school where, in the principal's words, students 'are more like a family than classmates.'
- Mission statement: Worship, Ministry, Stewardship, and Outreach
- Address: 6924 W. Lisbon Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53210
- Phone: 414-442-7600
- Bilingual parish: English and Spanish
Parish History — 100 Years of Salvatorian Mission (1925–2025)
Founded December 8, 1925 by Fr. Willibald Unger, S.D.S., Mother of Good Counsel grew from a sparsely settled northwest Milwaukee neighborhood into one of the largest Catholic school communities in the country. Three daughter parishes were carved out of its territory in the 1950s, the present church was dedicated in 1968, and the Bell Tower was completed during the 1975 Golden Jubilee. The parish school and congregation celebrated 100 years in 2025.
- Dec 8, 1925: Parish founded; first Mass in Salvatorian Monastery house chapel near Holy Cross Cemetery
- 1926: Frame bungalow serves as church and school; students convert it weekly
- 1928: Combination church-and-school building opens; Sisters live on 2nd floor
- 1940: Fr. Paul Schuster, S.D.S. becomes pastor; major building expansion follows
- 1949: 9th grade added; junior high opened at 68th & Burleigh
- 1952: St. Pius Parish founded from MGC
- 1953: Fr. Joseph Derks, S.D.S. appointed pastor
- 1955: Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Margaret Mary parishes established; MGC enrollment peaks near 2,100 — largest Catholic school in Wisconsin and the U.S.
- 1966: Groundbreaking for the present church (Oct 9)
- 1967: Cornerstone laid by Bishop Roman Atkielski (Oct 29)
- 1968: Archbishop William E. Cousins dedicates the new church (Dec 8)
- 1975: Golden Jubilee building phase adds Bridal Room, restrooms, and the Bell Tower
- 1985: Fr. Fred Roesing begins tenure; implements Vatican II, forms first Parish Council, bell choir, ecumenical Lenten devotions, and welcomes first deacon Rev. Dean Collins
- 1991: Fr. Raphael Berringer becomes pastor
- 1992: Fr. Dan Pekarski, S.D.S. becomes pastor; launches MGC TOGETHER 2000 campaign, raising over $1 million
- 2025: 100th Anniversary celebrated
Parish Staff and Pastoral Council
Fr. Reed C. Mungovan, S.D.S., leads the parish as pastor and is supported by a team of deacons, directors of faith formation, music, business, facilities, and administrative staff, plus a Pastoral Council.
- Fr. Reed C. Mungovan, S.D.S. — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon Andy Meuler — [email protected]
- Deacon Tony Dompke — [email protected]
- Deacon Dean Collins
- Mariza & Robert Konzal — Directors of Religious Education ([email protected], 414-899-1811)
- Craig Bodoh — Director of Music ([email protected])
- Adolfo Delgado — Director of Maintenance & Facilities
- Kathy Denk — Finance Assistant
- Maria Roman — Parish Secretary & Bulletin Editor
- Pastoral Council Chairperson: Pamela Welch-Gniot
- Trustees: Kevin Sullivan, Steve Prueher
Sacraments at Mother of Good Counsel
MGC celebrates all seven sacraments. Sacramental preparation is coordinated by Fr. Reed Mungovan, S.D.S. and the Directors of Religious Education, Mariza and Robert Konzal. The parish invites adults interested in becoming Catholic to join RCIA, which meets from October through Easter Sunday, and welcomes children age 7 and older who have not been baptized or catechized to a parallel Children's initiation track.
- Baptism — parent contacts pastor to schedule preparation class and date
- First Reconciliation — children Grade 2 and older
- First Eucharist — children Grade 2 and older
- Confirmation — high school juniors/seniors (classes, service, retreat); adult track runs with RCIA
- RCIA — adults of other faith backgrounds, October through Easter
- Order of Christian Initiation for Children (age 7+)
- Anointing of the Sick — communal celebrations several times per year; available to anyone seriously ill, aged, or in crisis
- Marriage — preparation with pastor and trained couples; marriage enrichment retreats offered (e.g., Worldwide Marriage Encounter)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at MGC spans children, youth, and adults. Directors Mariza and Robert Konzal coordinate sacramental prep, RCIA, and ongoing religious education, and the parish sponsors Bible studies and Vacation Bible School as well as a Prayer Chain for ongoing prayer support.
- Children's Ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Vacation Bible School
- Religious Education (K3–adult)
- RCIA — Adult Initiation
- Bible studies
- Prayer Chain
Mother of Good Counsel School (K3–8th Grade)
Located at 3001 N. 68th Street, Mother of Good Counsel School has offered Catholic education for 100 years. From its origins in a 1926 frame bungalow where students rearranged desks and pews every week, MGC School grew to become (at one point) the largest Catholic school in Wisconsin and the United States, with about 2,100 students during the 1950s. Today the school enrolls students K3 through 8th grade, known for academic excellence and faithful Catholic values, with buddy and peace-building programs creating a family-like atmosphere.
- Address: 3001 N. 68th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53210
- Grades served: K3 through 8th
- Founded with the parish in 1925; staffed from the start by Salvatorian Sisters
- More than 160 Salvatorian Sisters have taught at MGC across its history
- At peak enrollment (1950s), about 2,100 students — largest Catholic school in Wisconsin and the U.S.
- Six 'R's of education: Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmetic, Religion, Respect, Responsibility
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Music is central to MGC's worship life. The parish supports Adult, Children's, Jubilate, and Bell choirs, each with regular weekly practice, and a Director of Music coordinates the program.
- Adult Choir
- Children's Choir
- Jubilate Choir — Thursday 6:30 PM practice
- Bell Choir — Thursday 4:30 PM practice; founded in 1985 under Fr. Fred Roesing
- Director of Music: Craig Bodoh
Outreach, Charity, and Social Ministry
MGC carries out its mission of Outreach through a St. Vincent de Paul Society conference, a Human Concerns Committee, and Eucharistic ministry to the homebound. The parish also publishes a Spanish-language bulletin ('Madre del Buen Consejo') and joins marriage-enrichment retreats and community-wide Catholic campaigns such as the Archdiocese's Love One Another campaign.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society Conference — 414-442-7600 ext. 155; parish line to the wider Milwaukee SVDP network
- Human Concerns Committee (formed under Fr. Fred Roesing)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the Homebound
- Eucharistic Minister to the Homebound coordinator: Mary Betzwieser
- Marriage enrichment (Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends)
- Parish Social Ministry Program (encouraged by Fr. Raphael Berringer)
- Love One Another archdiocesan campaign participant
Parish Membership and Getting Involved
The parish encourages parishioners and visitors to register and to plug into ministries matching their interests and stage of life — from Women's and Men's Ministries to choir, Scouts, faith formation, and outreach. Registration and ministry sign-up information is on the parish website.
- Parish Registration
- Women's Ministry
- Men's Ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Children's Ministry
- Music Ministry
- Sacraments preparation
- Religious Education / Faith Formation
- Vacation Bible School
- Event Volunteering
- Extraordinary Ministers
- Prayer Chain
- Other
Facilities, Location, and Directions
The parish church is at 6924 W. Lisbon Ave. and the school is at 3001 N. 68th St. — both in Milwaukee's 53210 ZIP code on the city's northwest side. Driving directions from the parish's own directions page cover visitors coming from Madison (I-94 East → Hwy 45 North → Burleigh east → Lisbon) and from Chicago or Milwaukee's east side (I-94 West → Hwy 175 North → Lisbon west → 69th Street).
- Church: 6924 W. Lisbon Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53210
- School: 3001 N. 68th St., Milwaukee, WI 53210
- Parish phone: 414-442-7600
- Automatic door openers and recent campus improvements (landscaping, lighting, gym/Alumni Hall renovations funded by TOGETHER 2000)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Willibald Unger, S.D.S.1925–1940
Founding pastor; opened the parish and school; served 15 years.
- Fr. Paul Schuster, S.D.S.1940–1953
Added classrooms, dining room, gym, and a junior high school.
- Fr. Joseph Derks, S.D.S.1953–1985
Longest-tenured pastor; oversaw growth to ~2,100 students and three daughter parishes; organized the Patron Club and built/dedicated the present church (1968).
- Fr. Fred Roesing1985–1991
Implemented Vatican II; formed first Parish Council, bell choir, ecumenical Lenten devotions; welcomed first deacon, Rev. Dean Collins.
- Fr. Raphael Berringer1991–1992
Previously associate; encouraged Parish Social Ministry Program.
- Fr. Dan Pekarski, S.D.S.1992–
Launched campus improvements and the MGC TOGETHER 2000 campaign.
- Fr. Reed C. Mungovan, S.D.S.present
Current pastor (renewed 2025 in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee priest assignments).