About Sacred Heart · Custer, Wisconsin
Sacred Heart Parish (often called "Sacred Heart–Polonia") is a Roman Catholic parish in the village of Custer, Portage County, Wisconsin, within the Diocese of La Crosse (Stevens Point Deanery). It sits in a small rural community settled in the 1850s by German, Irish, and then Polish immigrant families, whose distinct heritage gives the site the historical name "Polonia." The parish runs Sacred Heart Catholic School (4K through Grade 6) on the same Church Street campus, where the Felician Sisters — whose first mission to America was this very parish in 1874 — began Catholic education that has continued for over 130 years. Today the parish is shepherded by Fr. Mark Miller and Deacon Jim Sniadajewski, while sharing sacramental ministry with the neighboring St. Mary's Immaculate Conception parish in Custer.
- Established
- 1872 (Polish parish of "Polonia" blessed by Bishop Melcher); 1876 (renamed Most Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Patron
- Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Miller
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Stevens Point Deanery)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart welcomes anyone who wishes to worship, learn, or simply find a quiet place to pray — the church doors are open every day from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM for private prayer. Families can enroll children in the parish school (4K–Grade 6) or in the Wednesday-evening Religious Education program (CCD) that prepares them for the sacraments, and the parish coordinates its sacramental and pastoral ministry jointly with neighboring St. Mary's Immaculate Conception under one pastor and deacon. Devotional life is rich: weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Thursday mornings, regular confession times, and a Monday-evening Flame of Love rosary hour make it a community built around both the Eucharist and Marian prayer.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 7:30–8:00 AM
- Saturday 2:45–3:45 PM
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Thursday 7:00–8:00 AM (followed by Mass)
Our Story — 150+ Years of Sacred Heart, Polonia
Sacred Heart traces its origins to 1857, when German and Irish homesteaders formed St. Martin's mission church. By 1870 the Polish Catholic community had grown enough to build its own parish under Fr. Joseph Dabrowski, who in 1872 named the community "Polonia" when Bishop Melcher blessed the relocated church on September 12. A disastrous fire in 1875 destroyed both church and convent; Bishop F. X. Krautbauer of Green Bay laid the cornerstone of a stone church dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1876 — the name the parish still bears. A larger brick church was dedicated July 26, 1902 under Fr. Thomas Grenbowski; that church burned after a lightning strike on March 17, 1934, and the present church was in place by Christmas of the same year.
- 1857 — German/Irish settlers found St. Martin's mission
- 1865 — Fr. Bonaventure Buczynski organizes St. Joseph parish for Polish families
- 1870 — Fr. Joseph Dabrowski arrives; 1871 church relocated away from saloons
- 1872 — Site solemnly blessed under patronage of the Annunciation; named "Polonia"
- 1874 — Five Felician Sisters arrive from Cracow, Poland (their first U.S. mission)
- 1875 — Two fires destroy church and convent
- 1876 — Stone church cornerstone laid by Bishop Krautbauer, named Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- 1895 — Congregation of about 4,000; school enrollment 300
- 1902 — New and largest Sacred Heart Church dedicated July 26 (Feast of St. Ann)
- 1934 — Lightning strike destroys church March 17; rebuilt by Christmas
- 1962 — New school opens January 3 with 196 pupils
- 1971 — St. Martin's, Ellis closes; parishioners join Sacred Heart
Pastor & Staff
Sacred Heart and the neighboring St. Mary's Immaculate Conception parish in Custer share one pastor and one deacon under the Diocese of La Crosse. The pastor is supported by a small staff of lay employees in the parish office, religious education, music, and maintenance.
- Pastor — Fr. Mark Miller (appointed July 6, 2021)
- Deacon — Dcn. Jim Sniadajewski
- Office Administrator — Susanna Lepak
- Business Administrator — Dianne Smith
- Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) — Deb Riske
- Sacred Music — Anna Kozikowski
- Custodian / Maintenance — Clare Kluck
- School Principal — Dawn Ciszewski
Sacred Heart Catholic School
Catholic education at Sacred Heart has run continuously for over 130 years, going back to those first 30 pupils taught by the Felician Sisters in 1874. The current school, opened January 3, 1962, serves 4-year-old kindergarten through Grade 6 with a small-school atmosphere, low teacher-to-student ratios, weekly school-wide Eucharistic Liturgy, and a full Diocesan-approved curriculum that also includes Latin, music, art, physical education, and computers. The principal is Dawn Cisewski, and the school shares the campus (and the 7379 Church Street address) with the parish office.
- Grades 4K through 6
- Small-school environment with strong teacher-to-student ratios
- Weekly school Mass with student participation (readings, offertory gifts)
- Diocesan-approved curriculum including Religion, Reading, Math, Science, English, Latin, Social Studies, Spelling, Music, Art, PE, and Computers
- Home and School Association for parent involvement
- SCRIP gift-card program as a fundraising revenue source
- Principal: Dawn Cisewski
Faith Formation & Religious Education (PRE/CCD)
In addition to the day school, the parish runs a Parish Religious Education (PRE / CCD) program for school-age children whose families worship at Sacred Heart but do not attend the parish school — and for sacramental preparation. Classes meet Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 8:00 PM at the church, with fees on a sliding scale for parishioners, non-parishioners, Catholic-school families, and homeschoolers.
- Coordinator: Deb Riske
- When: Wednesday evenings 6:15–8:00 PM at Sacred Heart church
- Required for sacraments: Baptism, First Communion, First Penance, Confirmation
- Fees — Parishioners: $75 / one student; $115 / two; $140 / three or more
- Fees — Non-parishioners: $100 per student
- Fees — Catholic-school or homeschool families: $50 per student
- Religious Education Transfer Form available from the parish
Devotions & Prayer Groups
Sacred Heart's devotional life includes the long-established Thursday Eucharistic Hour and a Monday-evening gathering around the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Movement — a Marian devotion the parish highlights on its homepage and invites visitors to learn about.
- Eucharistic Adoration — Thursday 7:00–8:00 AM
- Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary — Monday evenings at 6:30 PM (rosary and prayers; use the handicap entrance)
- Daily private prayer in the church — 7:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Year-round Inclement Weather policy: if Mass is scheduled at St. Mary's, Immaculate Conception, it moves to Sacred Heart
Contact, Office Hours & Inclement Weather
The parish office shares the parish/school building at 7379 Church Street and can be reached by phone, email, or in person. The office follows Stevens Point Public Schools for delays, closures, and cancellations — a practical arrangement for a rural parish in the Stevens Point area. When the schools close, so do the parish office, the school, and all parish activities (announcements are posted on the parish website). Even so, the pastor still celebrates scheduled daily Mass at Sacred Heart on those days.
- Address — 7379 Church Street, Custer, WI 54423 (mailing and physical)
- Phone (school/parish office) — (715) 600-6942
- Church kitchen line — (715) 600-0396
- Email — [email protected]
- Summer office hours — Mon/Tue/Wed 9 AM–3 PM; Thu 9 AM–1 PM; closed Friday
- Inclement weather — follows Stevens Point Public Schools; cancellations posted on the website
A Note from Fr. Miller
Fr. Mark Miller was appointed the current pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Mary's Immaculate Conception on July 6, 2021. Before entering Mundelein Seminary, he worked as an actuary (DB, ESOP, and 401(k) plans), a business analyst, and an economic forecaster, after majoring in economics (econometrics, labor and managerial economics) at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. Prior to Custer he served as administrator of St. Ansgar Parish in Blair and St. Bridget Parish in Ettrick.
- Fr. Mark Miller — pastor of Sacred Heart (Polonia) and St. Mary's Immaculate Conception (Custer) since July 2021
- Previous assignments: St. Ansgar, Blair and St. Bridget, Ettrick
- Education: B.A. economics, UW–Eau Claire; M.Div., Mundelein Seminary
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bonaventure Buczynski1865–1868
Organized the first Polish-speaking parish (St. Joseph) in Ellis; resigned amid turmoil.
- Fr. Joseph Dabrowski1870–1882
Bishop Melcher's appointee who relocated the church in 1871, named the community "Polonia" in 1872, and brought the first five Felician Sisters from Poland to America in 1874.
- Fr. Ladislaus Grabowski1882–1888
Succeeded Dabrowski; originally from Brazil.
- Franciscan Fathers from Pulaski, Wisconsin1888–1891
Took charge of the parish after Fr. Grabowski's departure.
- Fr. Thomas Grenbowski1891–1904
Undertook the building of the new and larger Sacred Heart Church, dedicated July 26, 1902.
- Fr. Theopil Malkowski1904–1916
Transferred to Antigo in 1916.
- Very Rev. L.J. Pescinski1916–1928
Instrumental in bringing electricity to Polonia; died April 2, 1928 in the parish rectory.
- Fr. Leon Jankowski1928–1946
Died September 27, 1946 after a long illness.
- Rev. John B. Gruna1946–1951
Served five years until retirement.
- Rev. Joseph Schulist1951–1974
Parish son; served 23 years before retiring.
- Fr. Thaddeus Szczberbicki1974–1978
Replaced Fr. Schulist; served four years and retired.
- Fr. Herbert Zoromski1978–1988
Assigned as pastor of both Sacred Heart, Polonia and St. Mary's, Custer in 1987; left in January 1988 to return to his home parish in Galloway.
- Fr. Aloysius "Al" Wozniak1988–1995
Appointed March 1988; retired from active ministry in 1995.
- Fr. Joseph Konopacky1995–1998
Also pastor of St. Adalbert (Rosholt) and St. Mary's (Custer). Fr. Steve Kachel served as assistant pastor.
- Fr. Marcin Mankowskicirca 1998–2011
Also pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Adalbert parishes.
- Fr. Gregory Michaud2011–2019
Also served St. Adalbert in Rosholt and St. Mary's in Torun. Transferred to Milladore July 1, 2019.
- Fr. Alan Guanella2019–2021
Also pastor of St. Mary's, Custer. Transferred to Wisconsin Rapids July 6, 2021.
- Fr. Mark Miller2021–present
Appointed July 6, 2021; also pastor of St. Mary's Immaculate Conception, Custer. Previously administrator at St. Ansgar (Blair) and St. Bridget (Ettrick); degrees from UW-Eau Claire (economics) and Mundelein Seminary (M.Div.).