About St. Andrew · Potosi, Wisconsin
St. Andrew Catholic Church is one of two worship sites of Ss. Andrew & Thomas Parish, a historic rural Catholic community in Grant County, southwestern Wisconsin. Founded in 1846 by German-speaking immigrants under Father Andrew Tusch, the parish now operates alongside the older St. Thomas Church in Potosi (est. 1836 by the Dominican missionary Father Samuel Mazzuchelli) under a single pastorate. The combined Ss. Andrew & Thomas Parish is part of the St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate in the Diocese of Madison, sharing three priests and the Ss. Andrew-Thomas School (built 1964) with the wider cluster of seven parishes in southwestern Wisconsin.
- Established
- 1846
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Brunner (Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
Ss. Andrew & Thomas Parish welcomes visitors and parishioners to a small but vibrant rural Catholic community rooted in 19th-century immigrant faith and still sustained by a strong school and daycare. Worshippers can take part in weekend Masses at both historic church buildings (St. Andrew in Tennyson and the 1847 St. Thomas in Potosi), faith formation for the whole family, Stations of the Cross and a 40-day Holy Hour devotion in Lent, and outreach through Ss. Andrew-Thomas School and Little Saints Daycare. As part of the seven-parish St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate, the parish shares the gifts of three priests and a deep bench of catechists and ministries for anyone seeking to belong.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- 40-Day Holy Hour Devotion during Lent (times listed on the parish calendar, e.g. 5:30 PM and 6:00 PM evenings)
Our Parish Story
Ss. Andrew & Thomas Parish carries the heritage of two intertwined Catholic communities in Grant County — the German immigrant parish of St. Andrew in Tennyson (1846) and the older St. Thomas mission in Potosi (1836) founded by Dominican Father Samuel Mazzuchelli. After operating side by side for more than a century, the two parishes merged in 1971 into a single parish with one pastor, one school, and one accounting system. Today the parish is one of seven that make up the St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate in the Diocese of Madison.
- St. Thomas Parish founded 1836 by Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P.
- St. Andrew Parish founded 1846 by Father Andrew Tusch
- St. Thomas Church (1847) — oldest continuously used church in Wisconsin
- Parishes joined Diocese of Madison in 1946
- Ss. Andrew-Thomas School built in 1964
- Parishes merged into one in 1971
- St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate formed in the diocesan realignment
St. Andrew Church in Tennyson
The present brick St. Andrew Church was constructed between 1874 and 1877 under Father Nicholas Thill and remains the parish's Tennyson worship site. An automatic door installed in 2014 by the Apostolate to the Handicapped of the Diocese of Madison has made the church more accessible.
- Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM
- Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM
- Ash Wednesday Mass held here
- Stations of the Cross held here during Lent
St. Thomas Church in Potosi
The 1847 St. Thomas Church in Potosi is the oldest continuously used church in Wisconsin. Built of brick for $11,000 under the first resident pastor, Father James Causse, it stands on the original mission site of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, whose log cabin chapel once occupied what is now the parking lot. Treasures on display in the church include a silver aspergillum and aspersorium and a golden monstrance.
- Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM
- Founded by Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P., in 1836
- Pope John Paul II declared Father Mazzuchelli Venerable in 1993
Lenten & Holy Week Devotions
The parish observes a 40-Day Holy Hour devotion during Lent along with weekly Stations of the Cross at St. Andrew Church and an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Andrew Church. Check the parish calendar on stjworkerparish.com for the exact weekly times.
- Stations of the Cross at St. Andrew Church (Lent)
- 40-Day Holy Hour Devotion (Lent)
- Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Andrew Church
Ss. Andrew-Thomas School
Ss. Andrew-Thomas School has provided continuous Catholic education in the Potosi-Tennyson community since 1843, when Father James Causse built the first school. The current school building was jointly constructed by both parishes on Highway 61 North in 1964. Today the school serves 3K through 8th grade and shares its campus with Little Saints Daycare.
- Address: 100 Highway 61 North, PO Box 160, Potosi, WI 53820
- Phone: (608) 763-2120
- Principal: Beth Flesch
- Continuous Catholic education since 1843; present school built 1964
- Staff includes Beth Flesch (Principal & Lead Teacher, 7th-8th), Becky Johnson (3K & 4K), Becky O'Connor (K-1), Kate Collins (2nd-4th), Amy Bailie (Administrative Assistant/Secretary)
Little Saints Daycare
Little Saints Daycare operates alongside Ss. Andrew-Thomas School as part of the parish's ministry to young families. The daycare is part of a wider St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate network that also includes Little Chargers in Cassville.
- Located on the Ss. Andrew-Thomas School campus
- One of two daycares in the St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Family Faith Formation is offered as a pastorate-wide program: families meet on the first Wednesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 PM (with a shared meal from 6:00 PM), with Fr. Mark Miller teaching parents, Fr. Sudhakar Devarapu preparing 2nd graders for First Reconciliation/First Communion, and Fr. Steve Brunner teaching the 7th and 8th graders. The remaining grade levels are taught by parish catechists, and the rest of the month families work through materials at home — the 'Domestic Church.'
- Family Faith Formation (K-6): monthly Wednesday evenings
- 7th-8th grade class with Fr. Steve Brunner
- High School Program
- First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation (2025-26 sacrament prep dates listed on the parish site)
- Ss. Andrew-Thomas / St. Charles registration form available online
Our Priests & Staff
As part of the St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate, Ss. Andrew & Thomas Parish is served by a team ministry: Fr. Stephen Brunner as Parochial Administrator, with Fr. Mark Miller and Fr. Sudhakar Reddy Devarapu as Parochial Vicars. Deacon Roger Scholbrock serves as Pastoral Minister. Katherine Bernhardt serves as the parish secretary. Priests can be reached through the pastorate office at 608-723-4990.
- Rev. Stephen Brunner — Parochial Administrator
- Rev. Mark Miller — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Sudhakar Reddy Devarapu — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Roger Scholbrock — Pastoral Minister
- Ms. Katherine Bernhardt — Secretary
St. Joseph the Worker Pastorate
Ss. Andrew & Thomas Parish is one of seven parishes that make up Pastorate 1 — St. Joseph the Worker, formed during the Diocese of Madison's pastoral realignment that merged many parishes into teams. The pastorate includes four Catholic schools (Bloomington St. Mary, Cassville St. Charles Borromeo, Lancaster St. Clement, and Potosi Ss. Andrew-Thomas) and two daycares (Little Saints in Potosi and Little Chargers in Cassville).
- Bloomington — St. Mary
- Cassville — St. Charles Borromeo
- Glen Haven — St. Mary Help of Christians
- Lancaster — St. Clement
- Patch Grove — St. John
- Tennyson/Potosi — Sts. Andrew & Thomas
- Pastorate patron: St. Joseph the Worker
Get Involved & Support the Parish
Parishioners are encouraged to share their gifts through the parish Time & Talent form, the Scrip gift-card program, and Online Giving — all linked from the parish website. There are also opportunities to volunteer in the school, daycare, faith formation program, and music ministry.
- Time & Talent form (online)
- Scrip gift-card program
- Online Giving
- Bible Lessons resource linked on the parish site
- Music ministry / St. Thomas Choir (e.g., Cantor Paul Reuter)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Andrew Tusch1846
Founding pastor of St. Andrew Parish
- Father Nicholas Thill1874-1877
Led construction of the present St. Andrew Church
- Father Joseph Scheffer1921
Founded St. Andrew High School (operated 1921-1962)
- Rev. Richard J. Leffler
Pastor at the 2011 175th anniversary celebration of St. Thomas Church; 14 concelebrating priests joined Bishop Robert C. Morlino for the Mass