About St. Boniface · Aniwa, Wisconsin
St. Boniface Parish is a small, rural Catholic parish in the village of Aniwa, Shawano County, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. It is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the area, organized by German and other immigrant settlers in 1884, and its current red-brick church (the second on the site, built in 1912) sits at the center of the village. Because the parish is too small to support a resident priest of its own, St. Boniface is formally linked with St. Philomena Parish in nearby Birnamwood and is "served from" Birnamwood by the same pastor and parish staff.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- St. Boniface (Boniface of Mainz, Bishop and Martyr, 'Apostle of the Germans')
- Rector
- Rev. Vicente Luis F. Llagas (Administrator; commonly called 'Fr. Chito'), Filipino priest of the Diocese of Green Bay, serving from St. Philomena, Birnamwood.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay (Northwest vicariate)
Why belong here
St. Boniface offers exactly what a rural Wisconsin Catholic could want: a worshipping community with deep roots (since 1884), a historic red-brick church in the heart of a small village, Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass celebrated by a pastor who also serves the linked St. Philomena parish in Birnamwood, a permanent deacon, and a shared religious-education program. Parishioners belong to a tight-knit farming community that prays together, tends the historic St. Boniface Cemetery together, and gathers through the year under the care of Deacon Anthony Debroux and the parish office.
Mass times at St. Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM (immediately before the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass)
Parish Identity and Pastoral Union with St. Philomena, Birnamwood
St. Boniface Parish, Aniwa, and St. Philomena Parish, Birnamwood, form one pastoral family in the Diocese of Green Bay. The 2023–24 Diocesan Directory lists them together under the same administrator (Rev. Vicente Llagas), the same deacon (Anthony Debroux), the same administrative assistant (Shirley Schreurs), and the same Religious Education contact (Katie Waldvogel). St. Philomena's entry specifies that it 'also serves St. Boniface, Aniwa,' and St. Boniface's entry says it is 'Served from St. Philomena, Birnamwood.' The shared mailing address (P.O. Box K, Birnamwood, 54414-0911) and shared phone number (715-449-0050) reflect that reality.
- Administrator: Rev. Vicente Luis F. Llagas ('Fr. Chito')
- Deacon: Anthony Debroux
- Admin Assistant: Shirley Schreurs
- Religious Education Contact: Katie Waldvogel (715-297-2404)
- Shared phone: (715) 449-0050
- Shared email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Green Bay; Vicariate: Northwest
History
The parish traces its origins to 1884, when the St. Boniface Congregation became the first organized body in the Town of Aniwa. Rev. John Suebert of Clintonville was the first priest to visit the mission. The first church was erected between 1891 and 1893, and Rev. William De Haan became the first resident pastor. In 1912, the original structure was replaced by the present red-brick church, built with brick hauled from the Birnamwood Brick Company — about 250,000 bricks in all. Today the parish continues to use that 1912 church and shares its ministry with St. Philomena, Birnamwood.
- 1884 — parish congregation organized
- First visiting priest: Rev. John Suebert of Clintonville
- First resident pastor: Rev. William De Haan
- First church: built 1891–1893
- Present red-brick church: built 1912
- 250,000 bricks hauled from the Birnamwood Brick Company
The Church Building and Architecture
The current St. Boniface Church, completed in 1912, is a modest red-brick edifice built to serve a small rural farming congregation. It stands in the center of the village of Aniwa, exactly where one would expect a 19th-century mission church in Wisconsin — at the heart of the community it serves. The parish's own online materials do not assign it a formal architectural style, but its heavy brick walls and simple rural character are typical of Wisconsin mission churches of that era.
- Red-brick construction, completed 1912
- Located in the center of Aniwa on W19104 Church Street
- Replaced an earlier wood-frame church built 1891–1893
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Faith-formation programming for the children of St. Boniface families is administered jointly with St. Philomena, Birnamwood, under the direction of RE Contact Katie Waldvogel. Parents can reach the RE office at 715-297-2404 or through the shared parish email, [email protected]. The diocese's Office of Evangelization, Youth & Young Adults supports the parish's OCIA (formerly RCIA) and youth-ministry needs at the diocesan level.
- RE Contact: Katie Waldvogel — 715-297-2404
- Shared email: [email protected]
- Programming shared with St. Philomena, Birnamwood
- OCIA / RCIA available through the Diocese of Green Bay
St. Boniface Cemetery
St. Boniface Cemetery, also referred to as the Aniwa Public Cemetery or Union Cemetery, sits along County Road Z just outside the village. It was established in the 1890s, when the road that would become Highway 45 was still no more than a wagon trail. The oldest surviving marker is dated 1889 (James Arthur Gain); other early markers include Mary Ella Carley and Charles Salzar (1893). The cemetery is divided by a central graveled drive — Protestant graves on the west side, Catholic graves (predominantly St. Boniface parishioners) on the east. Since 1920, the Cemetery Association has cleared brush, cared for graves, graveled driveways, and maintained the property. Veterans of multiple American wars rest in both sections.
- Established in the 1890s in the Town of Aniwa
- Also known as Aniwa Public / Union Cemetery
- Located along County Road Z
- Catholics (mainly St. Boniface) buried on the east side; Protestants on the west
- Cemetery Association organized 1920 and active ever since
- Oldest marked grave: James Arthur Gain, 1889
Clergy and Staff
Pastoral leadership at St. Boniface is provided by a small, dedicated team shared with St. Philomena, Birnamwood. The administrator is Rev. Vicente Luis F. Llagas, a Filipino priest of the Diocese of Green Bay known to parishioners as 'Fr. Chito.' Permanent Deacon Anthony Debroux assists with the Masses and pastoral care. Shirley Schreurs serves as administrative assistant, and Katie Waldvogel coordinates Religious Education.
- Administrator: Rev. Vicente Luis F. Llagas ('Fr. Chito')
- Deacon: Anthony Debroux
- Administrative Assistant: Shirley Schreurs
- RE Contact: Katie Waldvogel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Suebert of Clintonvillepre-1891
First priest to visit the St. Boniface mission
- Rev. William De Haan1890s
First resident pastor; first church completed 1891–1893