About Our Lady of the Assumption · Beloit, Wisconsin
Our Lady of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic parish in Beloit, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Madison, known locally as "OLA." The parish was founded in the mid-1950s to serve the growing Catholic community in southern Beloit and today anchors an OLA School (4K–8) that has educated more than 1,500 students over six decades. On May 10, 2025, Bishop Donald Hying canonically merged OLA with St. Jude, St. Thomas the Apostle (both in Beloit) and St. Stephen (Clinton) into the new Queen of Martyrs Parish, with Fr. Bart Timmerman installed as pastor on June 22, 2025. The church at 2222 Shopiere Road continues to host weekend and weekday Masses, Tuesday confessions, faith formation, the OLA School, and active Hispanic and youth ministries.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Assumption (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Bart Timmerman (Pastor of Queen of Martyrs Parish, which now includes OLA)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison (Bishop Donald Hying)
Why belong here
OLA is a long-standing Catholic community in southern Beloit with deep roots — more than 1,500 school alumni, a 4K–8 parish school, an active Religious Education program, and ministries spanning Hispanic ministry, youth evangelization, Totus Tuus summer catechesis, weekly Peace Garden prayer, and an annual Fall Festival with pancake breakfast. As part of the new Queen of Martyrs Parish (formed May 2025), OLA worshippers now have access to four churches across Beloit and Clinton, bilingual Masses, a dedicated Director of Hispanic Ministry, and a clergy team of three priests — making it a vibrant, multi-generational home for cradle Catholics, young families, Spanish-speaking parishioners, and newcomers alike.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 4:30 p.m. — Our Lady of the Assumption, Beloit
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 p.m. — Our Lady of the Assumption, Beloit (per Discover Mass listing)
Adoration times
- Tuesday (Adoration and Benediction scheduled with OLA Tuesday schedule — see parish calendar for current times)
Our Story: A Beloit Parish Since 1953
Our Lady of the Assumption began as a 1953 vision of Bishop William O'Connor of the Diocese of Madison, who launched a $100,000 campaign to build a new Catholic church and school in Beloit. Founding pastor Monsignor Robert J. O'Hara and the parish's founding members saw the school, all-purpose room, and rectory completed in 1955, with the church/school complex groundbreaking that same year. Through the leadership of successive pastors — Fr. John Urban in the late 1970s, Fr. Donald Murray in the early 1980s, and others — the campus grew to include a permanent church (1979), gym and expanded school (1981), the OLA Education Center (1995), and a brand-new parish church dedicated in August 2004.
- 1953 — Bishop O'Connor launches $100,000 capital campaign (Aug. 17)
- 1955 — School, all-purpose room, and rectory completed
- 1960 — Convent finished; school expands to grades 1–8
- 1975–1979 — Fr. John Urban leads drive; old multi-purpose room becomes permanent church
- 1980–1981 — Fr. Donald Murray's drive adds kindergarten, library, gym, and new multi-purpose room
- 1995 — Convent remodeled into OLA Education Center
- 2004 — New parish church dedicated, older church remodeled, school office and parish hall added
- 2015 — 60th anniversary weekend celebrated (Sept. 18–20)
- May 10, 2025 — Merged with St. Jude, St. Thomas the Apostle, and St. Stephen into Queen of Martyrs Parish
Queen of Martyrs Parish: Today's Catholic Community of Beloit and Clinton
On May 10, 2025, Bishop Donald Hying formally decreed the canonical merger of Our Lady of the Assumption, St. Jude, and St. Thomas the Apostle (Beloit) and St. Stephen (Clinton) into a single new parish: Queen of Martyrs Parish / Parroquia Reina de los Mártires. Fr. Bart Timmerman was named Pastor for a six-year renewable term, and Bishop Hying celebrated a bilingual Mass on June 22, 2025, to bless the parish and install him. The four worship sites — OLA, St. Jude, St. Thomas, and St. Stephen — remain open with their own Mass and confession schedules under one unified parish staff and one bulletin.
- Rev. Bart Timmerman — Pastor (ext. 113)
- Rev. James "Jim" Murphy — Parochial Vicar (608-362-1034)
- Rev. Lawrence Oparaji — Parochial Vicar (ext. 153)
- Bishop: Most Rev. Donald Hying, Diocese of Madison
- Motto: "One Parish, One Faith"
OLA School: Catholic Education from 4K through 8th Grade
OLA School has educated Beloit-area Catholic children since 1955 and today serves more than 125 students in grades 4K through 8, with 21 staff members and a 60+-year tradition. The school shares its campus with the OLA Education Center, which houses a childcare center and 3K program. A 60th anniversary was celebrated in September 2015, and the school continues to be recognized for its family-like atmosphere, commitment to technology, and innovative curriculum. The pastorate periodically hires preschool and summer-care staff (job listings are posted to the parish website).
- Grades served: 4K through 8th
- Current enrollment: 125+ students, 21 staff
- Alumni network: 1,500+ since 1955
- Education Center: 3K program and childcare center
- School website: olabeloit.com (school portal)
- Facebook: facebook.com/olacatholicschool
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education is a cornerstone ministry of OLA and the wider Queen of Martyrs Parish, serving parish children and families who do not attend OLA School. The Director of Hispanic Ministry and a part-time assistant coordinate sacramental preparation, RCIA, youth ministry, liturgical planning, and devotional and cultural celebrations across the pastorate, with a particular focus on the Spanish-speaking community. The parish also runs Totus Tuus, a summer Catholic youth program that brings energetic catechesis, games, and Mass to grade-school and middle-school students.
- Religious Education for parish children
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation)
- Totus Tuus summer youth program
- Translator and bilingual catechist support
Hispanic Ministry / Ministerio Hispano
OLA and the Queen of Martyrs pastorate maintain a full-time Director of Hispanic Ministry who, with a part-time assistant, evangelizes, catechizes, and serves the Spanish-speaking families of the community. The director's portfolio includes Religious Education, translation, youth ministry, sacramental preparation, RCIA, liturgical planning, devotional and cultural celebrations, and pastoral care. Spanish-language Masses are celebrated on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. at St. Jude in Beloit, and a monthly First-Saturday 8:15 a.m. Spanish Mass is also held at St. Jude.
- Full-time Director of Hispanic Ministry
- Part-time Assistant Director of Hispanic Ministry
- Bilingual weekend Masses at St. Jude
- Sacramental preparation in Spanish
- Cultural and devotional celebrations across the pastorate
Youth Evangelization, College Ministry, and Social Justice
The parish employs a Coordinator of Youth Evangelization & Discipleship and partners with the wider pastorate to walk with young people in faith, friendship, and service. Through Queen of Martyrs Parish, college students at nearby Beloit College find a spiritual home — with St. Thomas the Apostle just steps from campus — and a community that is dedicated to worship, community nights, service opportunities, and a quiet space to pray. The Social Justice Committee hosts a weekly Thursday-evening OLA Peace Garden prayer for world peace (around 20 minutes), gathering outdoors in the gardens between the OLA School and Day Care Center during the summer months.
- Coordinator of Youth Evangelization & Discipleship
- Beloit College college ministry rooted in Queen of Martyrs Parish
- OLA Peace Garden Prayer for World Peace — Thursdays 6:30 p.m. (summer)
- Social Justice Committee of Queen of Martyrs
Parish Life, Events, and the Queen of Martyrs Fall Festival
OLA is a hub of community life for the merged Queen of Martyrs Parish. Each September, the parish hosts the Queen of Martyrs Fall Festival at the OLA campus, featuring an All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast ($10 adults, $5 children 10 and under), taco trucks, karaoke, bingo, raffles, and music. The parish also publishes a weekly bulletin, runs a Flocknote email list for parish updates, livestreams Mass for the homebound, and welcomes job applicants for preschool, summer-care, and ministry positions throughout the year.
- Queen of Martyrs Fall Festival (hosted at OLA each September)
- All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast
- Weekly Flocknote email updates
- Online parish bulletin
- Livestream Mass
- Job openings posted to the parish website (preschool lead teacher, summer-care lead teacher, ministry staff)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Robert J. O'Harafounding pastor, mid-1950s
Led the original $100,000 capital campaign and oversaw the 1955 construction of the school, rectory, all-purpose room, and groundbreaking for the church/school complex.
- Rev. John Urban1975–1979
Led the fund drive that converted the old multi-purpose room into a permanent church.
- Rev. Donald Murray1980–1981
Led the campaign and construction for the kindergarten room, expanded library, gym, kitchen, and new multi-purpose room.
- Rev. Bart TimmermanParochial Administrator, then Pastor from May 10, 2025
Previously Parochial Administrator of OLA, St. Jude, St. Thomas, and St. Stephen; installed as first Pastor of merged Queen of Martyrs Parish by Bishop Hying on June 22, 2025.