About Resurrection · Wausau, Wisconsin
The Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is a Catholic parish in downtown Wausau, Wisconsin, belonging to the Diocese of La Crosse. Worshiping at 621 N 2nd Street since 1912, the parish is part of the 'Eastside Parishes' collaborative with neighboring St. Michael Parish, sharing an office, staff, and many ministries. The parish organizes its life around four key ministry pillars — Sacred Worship, Catholic Education, Family Life, and Social Justice — and operates a weekday Mass schedule, faith formation for school-age children, a parish nurse program, a cemetery, and a parish school.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ
- Rector
- Rev. Tom Lindner
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse
Why belong here
Resurrection offers a daily weekday Mass (Tuesday–Friday at 12:10 PM) and a Sunday morning Mass (8:30 AM) in a historic 1912 church in the heart of Wausau. Parishioners are formed in faith through Forming Young Disciples (grades K–5 with Lee Ann Hudziak and grades 6–12 with John Schmitt), serve as liturgical ministers, and support the community through a parish nurse ministry, cemetery, and outreach such as staffing the Catholic Charities Good Shepherd Shelter on Sunday evenings. As part of the Eastside Parishes collaborative, Resurrection shares resources and ministry with neighboring St. Michael Parish, giving a small but active congregation a broad range of opportunities to worship, learn, and serve.
Mass times at Resurrection
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 AM (Church of the Resurrection)
- Saturday 3:00 PM (St. Michael)
- By appointment
About the Eastside Parishes
Resurrection is one of two parishes that together form the 'Eastside Parishes' of Wausau, the other being St. Michael Parish. The two share a single parish office at 611 Stark Street (office hours Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM), a combined staff, and many collaborative ministries. Visitors and parishioners alike are warmly welcomed to a faith community with more than 100 years of history that is 'committed to Jesus Christ and the Church he founded, its teachings and traditions.'
- Church of the Resurrection — 621 2nd Street, Wausau, WI 54403 (no separate office hours)
- St. Michael Parish — 611 Stark Street, Wausau, WI 54403
- Shared phone: (715) 842-4283
- Shared email: [email protected]
History
The parish's roots go back to 1905, when Fr. Joseph Brennan organized St. James Parish — Wausau's first English-speaking Catholic parish. The present church building was completed and dedicated in 1912 despite a construction mishap in which the dome collapsed. In 1998 the parish was renamed the Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It celebrated its centennial in 2012, and in 2015 added a Family Center between the 1912 church and the 1949 rectory. In 2016 the city of Wausau razed the adjacent 1931 parish-center building to make way for a downtown skyway, new parking ramp, and a city park.
- 1905 — St. James Parish founded by Fr. Joseph Brennan (first English-speaking Catholic parish in Wausau)
- 1911–1912 — current church built; dome collapsed during construction; building completed and dedicated in 1912
- 1931 — St. James Elementary School built (later St. Francis Cabrini Elementary after a 1970s merger)
- 1949 — rectory built adjacent to the church
- 1998 — parish renamed Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ
- 2012 — 100th anniversary celebrated alongside St. Michael Parish's 125th
- 2015 — Family Center addition completed
- 2016 — historic 1931 parish-center building razed by the city
Sacred Worship
Worship is centered at the Church of the Resurrection on N 2nd Street, with weekday Mass Tuesday through Friday at 12:10 PM and a Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM. The Vigil Mass on Saturday and a second Sunday Mass are celebrated at neighboring St. Michael. Reconciliation is offered at Resurrection on Saturdays at 9:00 AM and at St. Michael on Saturdays at 3:00 PM, with appointments available through the pastor. The interior of the 1912 church has been restored with the assistance of Conrad Schmitt Studios.
- Weekend Vigil Mass: Saturday 4:00 PM at St. Michael
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM at Resurrection, 10:30 AM at St. Michael
- Weekday Mass: Tuesday–Friday 12:10 PM at Resurrection
- Reconciliation: Saturday 9:00 AM at Resurrection; Saturday 3:00 PM at St. Michael; by appointment
Catholic Education & Faith Formation
Resurrection partners with St. Michael Parish in the 'Forming Young Disciples' program, which the parish describes as a family-centered approach recognizing the home as the 'domestic church.' Parents serve as the primary educators; the parish provides resources, weekly sessions, and a community of catechists. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion typically takes place in second grade, and Confirmation is traditionally celebrated in the spring of tenth grade.
- Forming Young Disciples — Grades K–5 (Lee Ann Hudziak, [email protected], 715-849-3930)
- Forming Young Disciples — Grades 6–12 (John Schmitt, [email protected], 715-849-3930)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation (typically grade 2)
- Confirmation preparation (typically spring of 10th grade)
- Tuition: $75 per child / $200 family maximum; tuition waived for catechists
Family Life
Family Life is one of the four pillar ministries of the Eastside Parishes, recognizing the home as the first and most important place of faith formation. The 2015 Family Center was built explicitly to enhance social and family opportunities for the parish community, and catechist families are offered waived tuition in gratitude for their service.
- Family Center (built 2015) — gathering and social space between church and rectory
- Domestic Church formation model
- Family-friendly sacramental preparation
Social Justice & Outreach
Social Justice is one of the four pillar ministries of the Eastside Parishes. The parishes have committed to staffing and providing meals at the Catholic Charities Good Shepherd Shelter every Sunday evening during the winter season, and parishioners can also volunteer alongside St. Anne volunteers on Tuesday nights.
- Good Shepherd Shelter — Eastside Parishes volunteers every Sunday evening (contact Fr. Tom or Allyson, 715-574-4805)
- Good Shepherd Shelter — Tuesday-night collaboration with St. Anne (Susan Imm, 715-771-9217)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Parents preparing for a child's Baptism are invited to contact Fr. Tom Lindner. Adults interested in Baptism and the sacraments of initiation are invited to contact Lee Ann Hudziak, co-director of Disciple Formation. First Reconciliation and First Communion are typically prepared for in second grade; Confirmation in the spring of tenth grade. Reconciliation is offered weekly (see Sacred Worship). Anointing of the Sick is available to those experiencing illness, and inquiries about Holy Orders are directed to the pastor.
- Baptism — Fr. Tom Lindner
- Adult initiation / RCIA inquiries — Lee Ann Hudziak (715-849-3930)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — typically grade 2
- Confirmation — typically spring of 10th grade
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
- Holy Orders / Vocations — contact the pastor
Parish Staff
The Resurrection / Eastside Parishes staff includes clergy, deacons, and lay ministers serving liturgy, music, faith formation, finance, nursing, and cemetery care.
- Rev. Tom Lindner — Pastor ([email protected], 715-849-3930 / 715-842-4283)
- Rev. Allan J. Slowiak — Associate Pastor ([email protected], 715-842-4283)
- Deacon Peter Burek ([email protected], 715-842-4283)
- Tom Lella — Director of Music and Liturgy ([email protected], 715-842-4283 ext. 6001)
- Cathy Hackel — Administrative Assistant / Liturgical Ministry Coordinator ([email protected])
- Jean Barlow — Assistant Finance Director ([email protected], ext. 4003)
- Pam Frary — Parish Nurse ([email protected])
- Phyllis Burclaff — Cemetery ([email protected], 715-842-2137)
- Lee Ann Hudziak — Faith Formation, Grades K–5 ([email protected], 715-849-3930)
- John Schmitt — Faith Formation, Grades 6–12 ([email protected], 715-849-3930)
Facilities: The 1912 Church, 1949 Rectory, and 2015 Family Center
The parish campus is a study in three eras. The 1912 church — whose dome famously collapsed during construction — is the worship heart of the parish and has been the subject of restoration work by Conrad Schmitt Studios. A 1949 rectory sits adjacent at a different elevation. In 2015, Ellis Construction (Design-Build) completed the Family Center addition between the two older buildings; an octagonal cupola admits natural light into the otherwise enclosed space and visually echoes the design scheme of the original church.
- 1912 Church of the Resurrection (original St. James building)
- 1949 Rectory
- 2015 Family Center — Ellis Construction, octagonal cupola, Design-Build delivery
Cemetery
Resurrection maintains an on-site cemetery, with Phyllis Burclaff serving as the parish cemetery contact.
- Cemetery inquiries — Phyllis Burclaff, [email protected], 715-842-2137
Getting Involved
Parishioners can become involved as liturgical ministers (scheduled through Ministry Scheduler Pro), catechists in the Forming Young Disciples program (tuition is waived for those who serve), volunteers at the Good Shepherd Shelter, members of the music ministry, or through the parish nurse and cemetery ministries. Newcomers and visitors are warmly invited to attend Mass and to explore the four pillar ministries — Sacred Worship, Catholic Education, Family Life, and Social Justice.
- Liturgical Ministry — Cathy Hackel ([email protected])
- Catechist service — tuition waived for catechists and their children
- Good Shepherd Shelter volunteering — Sunday evenings
- Music & Liturgy — Tom Lella
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Brennan1905 – founder / first pastor
Founded the original St. James Parish, the first English-speaking Catholic parish in Wausau.