About St. Augustine University Parish · Platteville, Wisconsin
St. Augustine University Parish is a Catholic parish in Platteville, Wisconsin, that serves the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville as well as the wider community. It belongs to the Diocese of Madison and operates its campus ministry under the name Pioneer Catholic. The parish is well known for its strong vocational fruitfulness — in the eleven years leading up to its new-church groundbreaking in 2020, seventeen seminarians had come from the parish. Weekly Sunday Mass is followed by Newman dinners and is supported by nearly fifty hours of weekly Eucharistic Adoration during the school year, along with daily Mass, Bible studies, and a robust social calendar for students.
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Fr. Eric Nielsen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Augustine University Parish combines the warmth of a tight-knit community with the energy of a college campus: two Sunday Masses, daily Mass, weekday Eucharistic Adoration (about fifty hours weekly during the school year), regular confessions, and a packed calendar of Bible studies, Newman dinners, and student events. It is also a parish with a remarkable vocational legacy (seventeen seminarians in eleven years) and a parish currently building a Gothic-arched new church and Newman Center designed to be a true spiritual home for UW-Platteville students for generations to come.
Mass times at St. Augustine University Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
- Sunday: 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
- Monday: 6:30 AM – 7:00 AM
- Wednesday: 6:30 AM – 7:00 AM
Adoration times
- Monday – Friday: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM (school year only)
About St. Augustine University Parish
St. Augustine University Parish is the Catholic parish serving the University of Wisconsin–Platteville campus and the Platteville community. It belongs to the Diocese of Madison and operates its campus ministry under the name Pioneer Catholic. The parish is recognized for strong student engagement, robust Eucharistic Adoration, and an extraordinary vocational record — seventeen men from the parish entered seminary in an eleven-year span leading up to 2020.
- Catholic parish at UW-Platteville, Diocese of Madison
- Campus ministry branded 'Pioneer Catholic'
- Seventeen seminarians from the parish over eleven years
- Hundreds of students at weekly Sunday Mass and Bible studies
History & New Church Project
Fueled by student growth and the success of its ministries, the parish launched a two-phase campus development plan. The first phase, Newman Heights, opened in 2018 as safe, faith-based student housing and now operates at full capacity. The second phase — a new 33,732-square-foot church and Newman Center — broke ground on March 14, 2020, with Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison presiding over the ceremony.
- Newman Heights apartment building completed in 2018 (Phase 1)
- Groundbreaking for new church and Newman Center: March 14, 2020
- Bishop Donald J. Hying presided over the groundbreaking
- Architects: Plunkett Raysich Architects; Builder: CG Schmidt Construction
- Fr. John Del Priore, SJS began the vision for the new building
Pioneer Catholic Campus Ministry
Pioneer Catholic is the parish's campus ministry and the public face of Catholic life at UW-Platteville. It encourages participation in the sacraments, offers Bible studies, hosts weekly events, and provides spiritual support to help Catholic students sustain their faith and attract others to know Christ while in college. The campus ministry team is led by a Campus Ministry Director, supported by a small staff serving full-time in student ministry.
- Sunday Mass and Newman dinners
- Bible studies and small groups
- Eucharistic Adoration sign-ups
- Sacramental preparation for students
- Outreach and fellowship events
Campus Ministry Staff
The Pioneer Catholic campus ministry team is staffed by full-time ministers who live and serve in the Platteville community. Their contact information is published on the parish website.
- Patty Cox — Campus Ministry Team Director (now in fourth year)
- Rachel Hessling — Campus Minister; from Dickeyville, WI; alumna of Franciscan University of Steubenville (Human Development & Family Studies)
Newman Heights Student Housing
Newman Heights is the parish's faith-based student apartment building, completed in 2018 as Phase 1 of the campus development project. It provides safe, community-oriented housing for UW-Platteville students and currently operates at full capacity.
- Faith-based student apartments on or near the UW-Platteville campus
- Opened in 2018 (Phase 1 of the parish development plan)
- Currently at full occupancy
New Church & Newman Center (2020 Groundbreaking)
Phase 2 of the parish's development is a new 33,732-square-foot church and Newman Center on the UW-Platteville campus. Design highlights include Gothic arches, a great hall and kitchen for weekly Newman dinners, more effective ministry spaces, comfortable gathering areas, and a coffee shop meant to draw students in. Construction partners are CG Schmidt Construction (which also donated preconstruction and fundraising services) and Plunkett Raysich Architects.
- 33,732-square-foot building
- Gothic-arched church design
- Great hall and kitchen for weekly Newman dinners
- Coffee shop to draw students into the building
- Elegant, enduring masonry construction
- Plunkett Raysich Architects and CG Schmidt Construction
Visiting & Getting Involved
New and returning students, as well as parish neighbors, are welcomed at Sunday Mass and at the wide range of student events during the school year. The Pioneer Catholic team can be reached through the parish website and email for inquiries about getting involved, Bible studies, or sacraments.
- Office: 135 S Hickory St., Platteville, WI 53818
- Phone: (608) 348-7530
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: http://www.pioneercatholic.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Del Priore, SJS
Served at St. Augustine University Parish; began the new church/Newman Center project; succeeded before Fr. Eric Nielsen.
- Fr. Eric Nielsennamed pastor in 2019
Shepherded the new-church project to its groundbreaking on March 14, 2020.