About Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary · River Falls, Wisconsin
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as St. Mary's - Big River, is a rural Catholic parish in the Diocese of La Crosse located at W10137 570th Ave in River Falls, Wisconsin. Founded in 1861 by eleven German families and five single men, the parish marked its 150th anniversary in 2022 and has served the Catholic faithful in western Wisconsin since 1872, when the frame church at the current site was built. St. Mary's is especially notable as the childhood parish of Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey, the Capuchin friar beatified in Detroit in 2017, and the parish is actively developing a shrine in his honor. With about 140 families and an active homeschool community, the parish lives out the motto from 1 Corinthians 11 — to receive from the Lord what is handed on — by reverently celebrating the Mass, faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, and teaching the Faith once delivered to the Saints.
- Established
- 1861
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (Nativity)
- Rector
- Rev. William D. Brenna (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Deanery: Durand)
Why belong here
St. Mary's - Big River is a faithful, family-sized rural parish of about 140 households with an active homeschool community and a deep sense of Catholic Tradition. Visitors are welcomed to daily and Sunday Mass in English, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, and a flourishing Knights of Columbus council, all centered on reverently celebrating the Mass and faithfully handing on the Faith. A new shrine in honor of Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey — the Capuchin friar who attended this very parish as a boy — is being developed on the grounds, making St. Mary's a unique pilgrimage stop in western Wisconsin.
Mass times at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30–9:15 AM
- Wednesday 7:45–8:10 AM
- Thursday 7:45–8:15 AM
- Friday 7:45–8:15 AM
- Saturday 7:45–8:15 AM and 5:15–5:45 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Welcome to St. Mary's - Big River
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as St. Mary's - Big River, is a rural Catholic parish in the Diocese of La Crosse that has served the faithful in the River Falls area since 1872 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022. The parish's mission, drawn from 1 Corinthians 11, is to receive from the Lord what has been handed on — to reverently and frequently celebrate the Holy Mass, fully and faithfully proclaim the Holy Gospel, and learn, teach and live the Faith once delivered to the Saints.
- Formal name: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Common name: St. Mary's - Big River
- Diocese of La Crosse, Durand Deanery
- Celebrated 150th anniversary in 2022
Parish History
Eleven German families and five single men founded the parish in 1861, building a small log church a half-mile south of the present cemetery. In 1872 a frame church was constructed at the current site; that building has been enlarged, remodeled, and redecorated over the years and is called the 'Little Cathedral.' The original 1861 log church is still standing on parish grounds, and a three-phase sanctuary restoration project began construction in 2022.
- 1861 — log church built by 11 German families and 5 single men
- 1872 — frame church built at the present site
- Nicknamed the 'Little Cathedral' after enlargements and renovations
- Original 1861 log church still standing on parish grounds
- Three-phase sanctuary restoration underway (2022)
Childhood Parish of Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey
St. Mary's - Big River is honored as the childhood parish of Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey. Bernard Francis 'Barney' Casey was born on November 25, 1870, near Prescott in Oak Grove, Wisconsin, the sixth of sixteen children of Irish immigrants who had fled the Potato Famine. When Barney was young the family moved to a farm on the Trimbelle River near Ellsworth, and the children attended Mass at St. Mary's - Big River in the original log church that still stands. With sixteen children and a single family wagon, the parents used a rotation system so that only half of the family could attend Mass on any given Sunday, even in cold Wisconsin winters. Casey was baptized at St. Joseph's in Prescott, made his First Holy Communion in 1883 at St. Patrick's in Hudson, and later joined the Capuchins at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit. He was ordained a priest in 1904, declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II on July 11, 1995, and beatified in Detroit on November 18, 2017.
- Born Nov 25, 1870 in Oak Grove, WI; sixth of 16 children
- Baptized at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Prescott
- Attended Mass at St. Mary's - Big River as a child in the original log church
- First Holy Communion at St. Patrick's, Hudson, 1883
- Ordained a Capuchin priest in 1904
- Declared Venerable: July 11, 1995 (Pope John Paul II)
- Beatified: November 18, 2017, Detroit
St. Mary's Fr. Solanus Society & Shrine
The parish is actively promoting Fr. Solanus Casey's cause for canonization and developing a Blessed Solanus Casey Shrine on the parish grounds, with the goal of increasing devotion to him and to his love for God. A benefit gala held September 25, 2022, at Mystical Rose Gardens in Baldwin raised funds for the shrine, and the parish is seeking interested individuals to help with the cause.
- Promotes Fr. Solanus Casey's cause for canonization
- Developing a parish shrine in his honor
- 2022 benefit gala at Mystical Rose Gardens, Baldwin
Clergy & Parish Leadership
The parish is currently led by Parochial Administrator Rev. William D. Brenna, with two permanent deacons, Rev. Mr. Daniel A. Gannon and Rev. Mr. Joseph D. Block, assisting. Fr. Kevin C. Louis, STL, served as pastor for seven years before being placed on administrative leave in August 2022; diocesan clergy and Deacon Gannon shepherded the parish through the 150th-anniversary year.
- Rev. William D. Brenna — Parochial Administrator
- Rev. Mr. Daniel A. Gannon — Deacon
- Rev. Mr. Joseph D. Block — Deacon
- Past pastor: Fr. Kevin C. Louis, STL (approx. 2015–2022)
Parish Life & Ministries
St. Mary's is a tight-knit rural parish of about 140 families with an especially active homeschool community. Lay faithful run a Knights of Columbus council, the St. Mary's Fr. Solanus Society, the Parish Council, and the Finance Council, and they support faith formation for children and youth in cooperation with the diocese.
- Knights of Columbus council
- St. Mary's Fr. Solanus Society
- Parish Council
- Finance Council
- Active homeschool / faith-formation community
Sanctuary Restoration & Building Project
A three-phase sanctuary restoration at the 1872 church building had begun construction as of 2022, aimed at preserving and refreshing the parish's 'Little Cathedral' interior while making room for renewed liturgical life.
- Three-phase restoration plan
- Construction underway in 2022
- Goal: preserve the historic 'Little Cathedral' interior
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone or email, and the church is open during scheduled Masses, confessions, and the Tuesday day of Adoration. The parish grounds also include the original 1861 log church associated with the childhood of Fr. Solanus Casey.
- Address: W10137 570th Ave, River Falls, WI 54022
- Phone: 715-629-0154
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stmarysbigriver.com/
- Diocese: Diocese of La Crosse (Durand Deanery)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Kevin C. Louis, STLapprox. 2015–2022
Served the parish for seven years as pastor before being placed on administrative leave by Bishop William Patrick Callahan in August 2022 for 'personal reasons to allow a time of discernment.' Deacon Dan Gannon and assisting diocesan clergy then led the parish through the 150th-anniversary year.