About St. Andrew · Delavan, Wisconsin
St. Andrew Parish is a vibrant, multi-cultural Catholic community in Delavan, Wisconsin, founded in 1848 and now the largest parish in the city with over 1,000 registered families. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and serves its members from the 1899 Gothic-style church at 714 Walworth Avenue, distinguished by hand-carved altars and stained-glass windows and accompanied by a parish school (K-8). St. Andrew is widely known for three signature ministries: a long-standing Hispanic ministry, a dedicated Deaf ministry serving the Wisconsin School for the Deaf community, and outreach through the Harold Johnson Food Pantry. A shared pastor with neighboring St. Patrick Parish in Elkhorn leads the community alongside an associate pastor, two deacons, and a full parish and school staff.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Oriol Regales
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Andrew is a multi-cultural family that is proud and grateful for its special ministries with the Spanish-speaking, the Deaf, and seasonal visitors — three communities that visitors encounter every Sunday at 714 Walworth Avenue. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass in English and Spanish, with the Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass interpreted in American Sign Language and a rotating ASL Deaf Mass celebrated by Father Christopher Klusman, one of the Archdiocese's few Deaf priests. Beyond liturgy, St. Andrew Parish School (K-8) has been educating students on the same campus since 1948, the Harold Johnson Food Pantry distributes groceries to roughly 80 families every Saturday, and a year-round Eucharistic Adoration hour welcomes anyone who wants to sit with the Lord.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday (before the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass) and by appointment
- Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at St. Andrew or by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration every Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
History of St. Andrew Parish
St. Andrew traces its roots to 1848, when Father Kundig organized Catholic families — many of Irish and German heritage — in the Wisconsin wilderness only 12 years after the territory had been organized. Early Masses were offered in the homes of Frank Delaney and Morris O'Connor before a 32-by-40-foot church went up at 4th and Matthews Streets in 1856 for $750. Membership growth drove construction of the present Gothic limestone church at 7th and Walworth (cornerstone 1895, dedicated 1899), restored for its centennial in 1995. The parish school opened under the Sisters of St. Francis in 1939, was built in 1948, and added an auditorium in 1956 — all during the 27-year pastorate of Msgr. McDermott. The parish marked another milestone in 1982 with its first co-pastors, who launched the ministries to the Hispanic and Deaf communities that remain the parish's signature today.
- 1848 — Parish organized by Fr. Kundig
- 1856 — First church at 4th & Matthews Streets ($750)
- 1895 — Cornerstone of present church laid
- 1899 — Church dedicated debt-free ($20,000)
- 1939 — Sisters of St. Francis arrive; religious education begins
- 1948 — Current St. Andrew School built
- 1956 — School auditorium added
- 1982 — First co-pastors begin Hispanic and Deaf ministries
- 1995 — Centennial Mass celebrated (Nov. 28, 350 in attendance)
- 2018 — Fr. Oriol Regales installed as shared pastor with St. Patrick, Elkhorn
Parish Mission & Community
St. Andrew describes itself as 'a multi-cultural family, proud and grateful for its special ministries with the Spanish-speaking, the Deaf and seasonal visitors.' That ministry-first identity grew out of the 1982 co-pastorate of Fr. James Vojtik and Fr. Donald Zerkel and has shaped parish life ever since. Today three cultural communities — English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and Deaf — worship on the same campus week after week.
Clergy & Staff
Pastoral leadership is shared between St. Andrew and neighboring St. Patrick Parish in Elkhorn. Fr. Oriol Regales, a Barcelona-born priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, was installed by Bishop James Schuerman as shared pastor on January 14, 2018. Fr. Josegerman Zapata serves as shared associate pastor. Two shared deacons — Deacon Phil Kilkenny and Deacon Arnie Byrson — assist, while lay staff lead Hispanic ministry (Sr. Monica Semper), Deaf ministry (Jennifer Paul), faith formation (Ray Henderson), parish school (Principal Maureen Mathew), stewardship (Shelley Koch), administration (Trisha Lilly), and communications (Brandie Kertho).
- Rev. Oriol Regales — Pastor
- Rev. Josegerman Zapata — Shared Associate Pastor
- Deacon Phil Kilkenny — Shared Deacon
- Deacon Arnie Byrson — Shared Deacon
Hispanic Ministry
St. Andrew's Hispanic Ministry describes itself as the parish's response to its growing multicultural community: 'Somos una parroquia centrada en la Eucaristía y comprometida en aprender y vivir nuestra fe católica a través de la convivencia y la acción apostólica.' A weekly Tuesday evening Mass at 7:00 p.m. and a Sunday noon Mass anchor the ministry, with formation, sacramental preparation, fellowship, and community outreach programs flowing out from those celebrations.
- Weekly Mass: Tuesday 7:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 p.m. (Español)
- Director: Sr. Monica Semper
Deaf Ministry
The Wisconsin School for the Deaf (WSD) is located close to the parish, and St. Andrew's Deaf Ministry serves both its students and Deaf adults in the broader community. Religious education — taught entirely in American Sign Language — runs from lower elementary through high school and prepares students for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. The parish also hosts monthly Catholic Deaf Bible studies (Oct.–May) led by Father Christopher Klusman, the Archdiocese's Deaf priest, and celebrates a monthly Deaf Mass in ASL. The Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass is ASL-interpreted every week.
- Religious education for WSD students, K–12, taught in ASL
- First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation in ASL
- Monthly Catholic Deaf Bible studies (Oct.–May) with Fr. Christopher Klusman
- Monthly ASL Mass celebrated by Fr. Christopher Klusman
- ASL interpretation at the Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass
- Director: Jennifer Paul
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation is offered through the Wisdom Wednesday and Wisdom Weekend programs and prepares students from K–12 for the sacraments. Children as young as first grade can begin preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion, with first celebration possible in 2nd grade after two consecutive years of Wisdom classes. Confirmation requires two consecutive years of preparation (typically starting sophomore or junior year) and culminates in a Confirmation Mass. Classes meet at St. Andrew on Sundays (6:00–7:45 p.m. with 7:00 p.m. Mass) or at St. Patrick on Wednesdays (7:00–8:45 p.m. with 7:00 p.m. Mass). Adults and teens have separate programs, and St. Andrew / St. Patrick offers an adult program that can fulfill a teen's second year of Confirmation prep.
- Wisdom Wednesday classes (at St. Patrick, Elkhorn)
- Wisdom Weekend classes (at St. Andrew, Sundays)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation (begins 1st grade; celebrated as early as 2nd)
- Two-year Confirmation preparation for high schoolers
- Adult Sacramental Preparation program
- Director: Ray Henderson
St. Andrew Parish School
St. Andrew Parish School serves grades K–8 on the same campus as the church. Its roots go back to 1939, when the Sisters of St. Francis arrived to begin religious education; a kindergarten opened in the convent at 119 S. 7th Street in 1941, and the current school building was constructed in 1948 during Msgr. McDermott's pastorate, with an auditorium added in 1956. The school participates in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and welcomes referrals from area families.
- K–8 parish school
- Sisters of St. Francis, founding religious order (1939)
- Current building constructed 1948; auditorium added 1956
- Wisconsin Parental Choice Program enrollment available
- Principal: Maureen Mathew
Outreach: Harold Johnson Food Pantry
The Harold Johnson Food Pantry is operated by the parish out of the basement of St. Andrew Church. It is open Saturdays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and serves about 80 people each Saturday, with deliveries also made to several disabled clients in the area. St. Andrew's students run food drives throughout the year to help stock the shelves, and donations can be dropped off at the back of church or at the Parish Office. Volunteers to collect, organize, and distribute food are always needed.
- Saturdays 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
- Located in the basement of St. Andrew Church
- Approximately 80 people served each Saturday
- Home deliveries to disabled clients
- Phone: 262-374-3503
Architecture & Sacred Art
The current church was built of Waukesha stone in Gothic style between 1895 and 1899, with a matching rectory added in 1896. The interior's defining features are its hand-carved altars — the main altar was carried over from the 1856 church — and a set of stained-glass windows that includes the sanctuary's St. Andrew window donated by Father Smith. Members hauled much of the foundation stone themselves, and the building was restored to its original splendor in time for its centennial Mass on November 28, 1995.
- Gothic style; Waukesha limestone
- Hand-carved altars (main altar transferred from 1856 church)
- Stained-glass windows, including sanctuary's St. Andrew window (gift of Fr. Smith)
- 1995 centennial restoration
Parish Stewardship & Communications
Stewardship at St. Andrew is coordinated by Shelley Koch, who works with parishioners on sharing their time, talent, and treasure across the many ministries of the parish. The Communications office, led by Brandie Kertho, produces the weekly bulletin and keeps the parish's website and social media channels current.
- Director of Stewardship: Shelley Koch
- Communications Coordinator: Brandie Kertho
- Weekly parish bulletin published online
Getting Involved
Anyone who feels called to serve is invited to fill out a sign-up form or call the Parish Office at 262-728-5922. Active ministries include volunteering at the Harold Johnson Food Pantry, becoming a religious interpreter for the Deaf community, signing up for a permanent hour of Eucharistic Adoration, and serving at Mass as a reader, usher, or Eucharistic minister. Training is provided for liturgical and formation roles.
- Parish Office: 262-728-5922
- Food Pantry: 262-374-3503
- Deaf Ministry (Jennifer Paul): 262-725-0375
- Adoration sign-up by calling the Parish Office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Kundig1848–
Organized St. Andrew Parish in 1848.
- Father Kernan & Father Fander
Resident priests of Lake Geneva who served St. Andrew monthly in its earliest years.
- Father G. H. Brennan1859–
Became St. Andrew's first full-time pastor.
- Father Buckley1890s–1920
Came as upper church was completed; dedicated the $20,000 church debt-free on July 12, 1899; served 21 years.
- Father Shanahan1921–1931
Purchased the organ for $2,200, established the first Sunday collection, organized the first choir, and celebrated the first midnight Mass.
- Msgr. McDermott
27-year pastorate; built St. Andrew School in 1948 and added the auditorium in 1956.
- Father James Vojtik & Father Donald Zerkel1982
First co-pastors of St. Andrew; developed special ministries to the Hispanic and Deaf communities.
- Father Debski1991–1998
Oversaw extensive restoration of the church for its centennial.
- Rev. Oriol Regales2018–present
Installed by Bishop James Schuerman as shared pastor of St. Andrew (Delavan) and St. Patrick (Elkhorn) on January 14, 2018; previously pastor of St. Patrick since 2012.