About St. Anthony de Padua · Athens, Wisconsin
St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the village of Athens in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Worshipping at 417 Caroline Street, the parish is partnered with neighboring St. Thomas Catholic Church and shares one pastor between the two communities. Belonging to the Diocese of La Crosse (Wausau Deanery), St. Anthony's offers weekday and weekend Masses in the Roman Rite, Saturday confessions, a parish religious-education (CCD) program, and the full range of Catholic sacraments.
- Patron
- St. Anthony de Padua
- Rector
- Rev. George Nelson Graham
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Wausau Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Anthony's is a tight-knit, two-parish Catholic community in rural Marathon County where members know each other by name and where faith is shared across generations. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confessions, sacramental preparation for Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, and marriage, and a parish-based religious-education (CCD) program that gathers children each Wednesday in the school hall. As the parish's own welcome puts it, members 'dedicate ourselves to the understanding and living out our Catholic heritage in the community with others. We share this faith as we all walk together and bring God's love and concern for others' — a faithful place to belong, worship, and serve.
Mass times at St. Anthony de Padua
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 pm at St. Anthony
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church welcomes visitors and new parishioners to its home on Caroline Street in Athens, Wisconsin. The parish is partnered with St. Thomas Catholic Church, the two communities sharing a single pastor and staff. According to the parish's own welcome: 'We the parishes of St. Anthony and St. Thomas, dedicate ourselves to the understanding and living out our Catholic heritage in the community with others. We share this faith as we all walk together and bring God's love and concern for others.' Online parish registration is available, and newcomers are encouraged to call the parish office at 715-257-7684.
- Parish registration available online
- Phone the office (715-257-7684) with questions
- Welcomes those interested in joining or visiting
Sacramental Life
The parish celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. The first three are described as 'the sacraments of initiation, because the rest of our life as a Christian depends on them.' Baptisms at St. Anthony are scheduled after the Saturday or Sunday Masses. First Communion is generally received in the second grade, with strong emphasis on parent involvement. Confirmation is celebrated for parish youth between the ages of 13 and 16, after they complete the Confirmation CCD class and give witness to their faith through service at home, in school, in the community, and within the parish.
- Baptism — scheduled after weekend Masses at St. Anthony
- First Communion — second grade, with parent preparation
- Confirmation — youth ages 13–16 after CCD and service
- Marriage — contact the pastor to begin preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — available on request
- Holy Orders — vocations inquiries welcomed
Religious Education & CCD
St. Anthony's parish-based religious-education program (CCD) gathers children for weekly faith formation during the school year. Registration is held in early September in the school hall, followed by a teachers' meeting. Classes begin the following week. The parish calendar is referenced for the full schedule of class dates, which is published along with the parish bulletins on the parish website.
- CCD registration in early September (school hall)
- Teacher meeting at 6:00 pm the evening of registration
- Weekly classes begin the following week
- Calendar of class dates published on the parish website
- Confirmation preparation integrated into CCD program
Parish Staff & Leadership
The two-parish community of St. Anthony and St. Thomas is shepherded by one pastor and supported by a small lay staff. Pastoral and operational duties are shared across both parishes, with parish-secretarial and bookkeeping work handled centrally for the cluster.
- Rev. George Nelson Graham — Pastor, St. Anthony & St. Thomas
- Sharon Westfall — CCD Coordinator, St. Anthony
- Tricia Cowan — Parish Secretary / Bookkeeper, St. Anthony & St. Thomas
- Jane Schaefer — Custodian, St. Thomas
- Robert Rogaczewski — Custodian / Maintenance, St. Anthony
Community & Heritage
Athens was founded in 1879 as 'Black Creek Falls' by Fred Rietbrock, a Milwaukee lawyer and land developer who brought Polish and German immigrant families north to clear timberland and farm. Among Rietbrock's many gifts to the community was the land on which St. Anthony's Church was built, alongside parcels for the village park and cemetery. By the early 1900s the village supported a Catholic parish and a Catholic school as well as Lutheran and Christ United congregations, reflecting its diverse immigrant heritage. That Catholic heritage remains the heart of the parish today.
- Parish stands on land donated by Fred Rietbrock
- Founding community of Polish and German Catholic immigrants
- Village was renamed Athens in 1890 and incorporated in 1901
- Father Anthony E. Muehlenkamp was a long-time parish priest and friend of the community
Diocese & Contact
St. Anthony de Padua is a parish in the Diocese of La Crosse, located in the Wausau Deanery, and is listed on the diocesan directory at diolc.org. The parish office can be reached by phone, fax, or email, and serves both St. Anthony and St. Thomas.
- Diocese of La Crosse, Wausau Deanery
- Listed at diolc.org/parish/st-anthony-de-padua-parish/
- Parish Phone: 715-257-7684
- Parish Fax: 715-257-7911
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 206, Athens, WI 54411