About St. Anthony · Neopit, Wisconsin
St. Anthony Parish is a predominantly Native American (Menominee) Roman Catholic parish serving the Menominee Indian Reservation in Neopit, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. The parish traces its origins to a Franciscan mission established in 1909 by the German Franciscan friars of the Sacred Heart Province (St. Louis), which became a full parish in 1931 and has been staffed by diocesan priests since 1975. It is partnered with the neighboring St. Michael Parish in Keshena and maintains a long-standing sister-parish relationship with St. Thomas More in Appleton, which has provided food, fuel assistance, and other support for more than three decades.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. Anthony (of Padua)
- Rector
- Rev. Hanz Christian Borbor (Parish Administrator; concluding his appointment June 30, 2026 — to be succeeded by Rev. Juan Tejerero, Jr. effective July 1, 2026)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Anthony is the principal Catholic parish serving the Menominee Indian Reservation, with deep roots going back to the 1909 Franciscan mission and a continuing community of Menominee Catholics. It is a place where faith, Menominee culture, and reservation life intersect, supported by sacramental life (daily and Sunday Mass, confession, adoration), faith formation for children and youth, food-pantry and thrift-shop outreach, and a long-standing sister-parish partnership with St. Thomas More in Appleton. For a Catholic seeking to worship alongside the Menominee community in northeastern Wisconsin, or to support Native Catholic ministry, St. Anthony offers a grounded, mission-focused home.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30–3:45 PM (as listed by the Diocese of Green Bay)
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00–7:00 PM (1st Fridays Holy Hour)
Parish Identity and the Menominee Community
St. Anthony Parish in Neopit, Wisconsin, is the principal Catholic parish serving the Menominee Indian Reservation. According to the Marquette University Archives' Guide to Catholic Records About Native Americans, it has been a predominantly Native American (Menominee) parish in the Diocese of Green Bay throughout its history. The village of Neopit itself was established around 1909 alongside the Menominee Tribal Enterprises sawmill, which is famed worldwide for its sustainable forestry practices.
- Predominantly Menominee Catholic parish since 1909
- Located within the Menominee Indian Reservation
- Village of Neopit grew up around the tribal sawmill c. 1909
- Diocese of Green Bay parish
History and Franciscan Mission Origins
The parish traces its roots to the Sacred Heart Province Franciscans of St. Louis, who came to northeastern Wisconsin at the request of the Bishop of Green Bay in 1880 to serve the Menominee and Ojibwe. St. Anthony Mission was established in Neopit in 1909, became a parish in 1931, and was administered by Franciscans of the Sacred Heart Province until 1975, when administration transferred to diocesan clergy. Sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, funerals) begin in 1909; first communions in 1910 and confirmations in 1911.
- 1880: Sacred Heart Province Franciscans arrive in northeastern Wisconsin
- 1909: St. Anthony Mission founded in Neopit; sacramental records begin
- 1931: Mission formally becomes a parish
- 1975: Administration transferred to Diocese of Green Bay
Parish School and the Religious Sisters
St. Anthony Mission School opened in 1913 and was staffed by two successive communities of women religious for most of the 20th century before closing in 1990. Records of the school — including cumulative student cards, grades, attendance, registration, and medical records from 1913 to 1990 — are preserved at the parish and the Diocese of Green Bay archives.
- 1913–1936: Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Manitowoc
- 1936–1990: Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross, Green Bay
- School closed 1990
- Student and administration records held at parish and diocesan archives
St. Anthony Parish Endowment and the Father Dave Kiefer Fund
The Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay holds two funds dedicated to St. Anthony Parish, Neopit. The St. Anthony Parish Endowment provides supplemental funding for parish programs and services, operations, maintenance, and capital improvements, while the Father Dave Kiefer Fund for St. Anthony was established to provide additional support and assistance in carrying out the parish's mission.
- St. Anthony Parish Endowment, Neopit
- Father Dave Kiefer Fund for St. Anthony
- Both administered by the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation for children and youth is offered at the parish, with programming increasingly shared with neighboring St. Michael/St. Mary parishes on the reservation. Sacramental preparation for baptism, first Communion, confirmation, and marriage is provided, and the parish serves all residents of the reservation. The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd are listed among formation offerings in the combined parish annual reports.
- Faith Formation for children and youth
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Traditional Catechesis / Religious Education
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage preparation
Outreach and the St. Thomas More Sister-Parish Partnership
Since the late 1990s, St. Anthony has been the sister parish of St. Thomas More Catholic Community in Appleton, Wisconsin — a relationship now spanning more than 35 years. The partnership began with one-time food deliveries coordinated by Dr. Mike Reinardy and Craig and Connie Merrick, was carried for over 12 years by Betty and Lou Mauthe, and is now led by Robin and Carrie Adamski. St. Thomas More's Heat and Energy Relief Fund has also provided financial assistance for fuel and energy bills on the reservation.
- Sister parish of St. Thomas More, Appleton, since late 1990s
- Ongoing food-pantry deliveries from Appleton to Neopit
- Heat and Energy Relief Fund grants for fuel and energy bills
- 35+ years of sustained partnership
Parish Staff and Administration
Since July 1, 2022, St. Anthony has been administered jointly with St. Michael Parish, Keshena, by a single parish administrator appointed by the Bishop of Green Bay. Rev. Hanz Christian Borbor has served as Administrator of both parishes and concludes his appointment June 30, 2026, when he also concludes his faculties for the Diocese. Effective July 1, 2026, Rev. Juan Tejerero, Jr. has been appointed Administrator of both parishes.
- Rev. Hanz Christian Borbor — Parish Administrator (through 6/30/2026)
- Rev. Juan Tejerero, Jr. — Parish Administrator (effective 7/1/2026)
- Joint administration with St. Michael Parish, Keshena
Archives and Sacramental Records
St. Anthony maintains an unusually well-documented sacramental archive, with baptismal, first Communion, confirmation, marriage, and funeral records stretching from 1909 to the present. Holdings also include an undated typewritten 'History of St. Anthony's Parish,' parish administration files from the 1960s to the 1990s, and extensive correspondence with early Franciscan pastors and with Bishops Sebastian Messmer, Stanislaus Bona, and Aloysius Wycislo. Microfilm and microfiche copies are held by the Marquette University Raynor Library Archives.
- Baptisms, 1909–present
- First Communions, 1910–present
- Confirmations, 1911–present
- Marriages, 1909–present
- Funerals, 1909–present
- Records held at the parish, Diocese of Green Bay, and Marquette University Archives
Visiting and Getting in Touch
St. Anthony Parish is located at W6799 Church Street in Neopit, Wisconsin, on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The parish office can be reached by telephone at (715) 756-2361. Visitors are warmly welcomed to celebrate Mass with the community.
- Address: W6799 Church Street, P.O. Box 241, Neopit, WI 54150
- Phone: (715) 756-2361
- Diocese: Green Bay
- Rite: Roman-Latin
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Blase Krake, O.F.M.late 19th–early 20th c.
Franciscan (Sacred Heart Province); also built St. Joseph of the Lake Church and Cemetery on the Menominee Reservation in the 1890s.
- Rev. Simon Schwarz
Franciscan pastor in early correspondence (1908-1910, 1913-1914, 1946-1947, 1951-1952, 1958) archived at Marquette.
- Rev. Paulinus Groukopp, O.F.M.c. 1952
Franciscan pastor during 1952 Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions correspondence about a new school building in Neopit.
- Rev. Marcellus Cabo, O.F.M.through at least 1974
Franciscan pastor; referenced in 1974 letter thanking donors to St. Anthony's Indian Mission.
- (Diocesan priests of the Diocese of Green Bay)1975–present
Administration transferred from Sacred Heart Franciscans to Green Bay diocesan clergy in 1975.
- Rev. Hanz Christian Borbor2022–2026
Appointed Administrator of St. Anthony Parish, Neopit, and St. Michael Parish, Keshena, effective July 1, 2022; concludes appointment June 30, 2026.
- Rev. Juan Tejerero, Jr.2026–
Appointed Administrator of St. Anthony Parish, Neopit, and St. Michael Parish, Keshena, effective July 1, 2026.