About SS. Joseph & Edward · Porterfield, Wisconsin
SS. Joseph & Edward Parish is a Roman Catholic parish located in the unincorporated community of Walsh, in the Town of Porterfield, Marinette County, Wisconsin. It was formed in 2004 through the merger of the former St. Joseph Parish in Walsh and St. Edward Parish in Wagner, and is currently linked with St. Mary Parish in Peshtigo, sharing pastoral and administrative staff. The parish is part of the Diocese of Green Bay and serves the small rural communities of northern Marinette County, including the stewardship of two historic parish cemeteries (St. Joseph Cemetery in Walsh and St. Edward Cemetery in Wagner).
- Established
- 2004
- Patron
- St. Joseph and St. Edward the Confessor
- Rector
- Fr. Michael Lightner (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
SS. Joseph & Edward is a tightly-knit rural Catholic community rooted in the long Catholic heritage of the Porterfield/Walsh/Wagner area — a heritage that has hosted Mass in English, French, German, and Polish since the 1890s. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a small, accessible parish where the same pastor serves both this community and St. Mary in Peshtigo, where faithful Catholic tradition continues with weekday and Sunday Mass, regular Confession before Mass, Faith Formation for children, and ongoing stewardship of two historic parish cemeteries.
Mass times at SS. Joseph & Edward
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM (Walsh)
- One half hour before every Mass
History of SS. Joseph & Edward
SS. Joseph & Edward Parish was formed in 2004 through the merger of the former St. Joseph Parish in Walsh and St. Edward Parish in Wagner. The two communities had already been linked in 2001 along with St. Mary Parish in Peshtigo, and they began sharing a single priest. With the 2004 merger the St. Edward church building and property in Wagner were sold, while the parish retained stewardship of both the St. Joseph Cemetery in Walsh and the St. Edward Cemetery in Wagner. The parish remains linked to St. Mary–Peshtigo, sharing administration and pastoral guidance while remaining a separate and distinct parish. The combined parish uses the Walsh church site as its home.
- Founded 2004 (merger of St. Joseph–Walsh and St. Edward–Wagner)
- Linked with St. Mary–Peshtigo since 2001
- Located at the Walsh church site (W3308 County Road G, Porterfield, WI)
- Stewards of St. Joseph Cemetery (Walsh) and St. Edward Cemetery (Wagner)
St. Joseph – Walsh
Catholic life in the Walsh area began before there was a church. Around 1880 the local Catholic community worshipped in a town hall that also served as a school and meeting place, with Fr. Joseph Fox (later Bishop Fox) coming once a month from Marinette. In 1893 Our Lady of Lourdes in Marinette established a formal mission at Walsh, and a church was built in 1894. The mission served English, French, German, and Polish Catholics. The first rectory was built in 1906 and a resident pastor assigned. The church was struck by lightning in 1907 (repaired) and again on June 18, 1944, when it burned to the ground. A new church was built in 1945 and dedicated in 1946, with seating for 256.
- 1880s: Mass in town hall, monthly from Marinette
- 1893: Mission established by Our Lady of Lourdes, Marinette
- 1894: First church built in Walsh
- 1906: First rectory built; resident pastor assigned
- 1907: Lightning damage repaired
- 1944 (June 18): Church destroyed by lightning
- 1945–46: New church built and dedicated
St. Edward – Wagner
The first Mass in Wagner was celebrated at the home of Joseph Wagner, the town's first settler. In the 1890s Fr. Joseph Hemmer (1870–1958) began celebrating Mass in Wagner, and Fr. Joseph John Fox later celebrated Mass regularly at the Bernardy residence. In 1905 a St. Cecilia congregation was established, initially meeting in homes. A site for a church was purchased in 1917, and a $500 memorial donation in honor of Edward M. Dougherty inspired the dedication to Saint Edward the Confessor. The church was rebuilt in 1917–18 with altar furnishings brought from the old Walsh church, and the community was formally incorporated in August 1918. The church was moved back from the road and a basement added in 1924; electricity was installed in 1948; a new altar was built by Gene Rolkosky in 1966; the building was sold in 2004 when the parish merged into SS. Joseph & Edward.
- 1890s: Fr. Joseph Hemmer and Fr. Joseph John Fox celebrate Mass in Wagner
- 1905: St. Cecilia congregation established
- 1917: Land purchased for a church
- 1918 (August): Community incorporated as St. Edward
- 1922: Cemetery land purchased
- 1924: Church moved; basement added
- 1948: Electricity installed
- 1966: New altar built by Gene Rolkosky
- 2004: Church building and property sold upon merger
Parish Leadership
The parish is led by an Administrator who also serves St. Mary Parish in Peshtigo, supported by a Parish Pastoral Council, a Finance Council, lay trustees, a Faith Formation Coordinator, and a retired deacon. The current Administrator is Fr. Michael Lightner.
- Fr. Michael Lightner — Administrator
- Charles Schumacher — Parish Deacon (Retired)
- Donna McVane — Parish Pastoral Council Chair
- Tom Thuemler — Finance Council Chair
- Mary Marzu — Secretary / Trustee
- Mary Nelson — Treasurer / Trustee
- Debra Meunier — Faith Formation Coordinator
- Kelly Wuhrman — Administrative Assistant (SS. Joseph & Edward)
Office Hours & Contact
Parish office hours at the Walsh site are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The parish can be reached by phone, email, or in person at the Walsh church address.
- Address: W3308 County Road G, Porterfield, WI 54159-9736
- Phone: 715-789-2254
- Email: [email protected]
- Walsh office hours: Tue 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM; Thu 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Linked parish office: 141 South Wood Avenue, Peshtigo, WI 54157
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation for the parish is coordinated by Debra Meunier. Religious education for the children of the Walsh and Wagner communities was originally taught by nuns from Marinette; in 1956, lay instructors took over that responsibility, and the parish has continued a lay-led faith formation program ever since.
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Debra Meunier
- Lay-led religious education since 1956
- Succeeds earlier instruction by nuns from Marinette
Cemeteries
SS. Joseph & Edward Parish retains responsibility for two parish cemeteries inherited from its predecessor parishes: St. Joseph Cemetery in Walsh and St. Edward Cemetery in Wagner. Records for both cemeteries are kept at the parish office.
- St. Joseph Cemetery — Walsh
- St. Edward Cemetery — Wagner (land purchased 1922)
- Records maintained at the parish office
Diocese & Linked Parishes
SS. Joseph & Edward is a parish of the Diocese of Green Bay. It has been linked with St. Mary Parish in Peshtigo since 2001; the two parishes share a single priest while remaining canonically independent. Together they form what the parish describes as the Catholic Parishes of St. Mary / SS. Joseph & Edward.
- Diocese of Green Bay (gbdioc.org)
- Linked since 2001 with St. Mary–Peshtigo
- Shared Administrator: Fr. Michael Lightner
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Foxcirca 1880
Came once a month from Marinette to celebrate Mass before a church was built in the Walsh area; later became Bishop Fox.
- Fr. Joseph Hemmer (1870–1958)1890s
Began celebrating Mass for the Wagner community in the 1890s.
- Fr. Joseph John Foxearly 1900s
Celebrated Mass regularly at the Bernardy residence in Wagner.
- Norbertine and diocesan priests1906 onward
First resident pastor assigned in Walsh in 1906 after the rectory was built.
- Norbertine and diocesan priests1906–1977
Priests from various orders/diocese served St. Joseph and St. Edward.
- Franciscan friars1977–2001
Franciscans came to serve the parishes of St. Joseph and St. Edward in 1977.
- Diocesan priest(s)2001–2004
After 2001 linkage, St. Mary, St. Joseph, and St. Edward shared a single priest.
- Diocesan priest(s)2004–present
After the 2004 merger forming SS. Joseph & Edward, the parish has continued to be linked with St. Mary-Peshtigo and share a single priest.
- Fr. Michael Lightnercurrent
Current Administrator of the linked parishes of St. Mary–Peshtigo and SS. Joseph & Edward–Walsh.