About St. Boniface · Waumandee, Wisconsin
St. Boniface Parish is a small Catholic parish in the unincorporated Village of Waumandee, Wisconsin, part of the Diocese of La Crosse. Founded in 1867 by German and Irish farming families, it is one of three parishes in the "Tres Ecclesiae" parish cluster alongside Immaculate Conception in Fountain City and St. Lawrence in Alma. Despite serving a village of only about 46 residents, St. Boniface is home to more than 190 registered families and still operates its parish school, St. Boniface Catholic School (PreK–8). The parish celebrates Mass in English and remains a tightly knit rural Catholic community in Buffalo County.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- St. Boniface (Patron Saint of Germany)
- Rector
- Fr. Albert
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse
Why belong here
St. Boniface in Waumandee is a tight-knit rural parish where, as one longtime member put it, "everyone knows your name and family values carry on to descendants." Founded in 1867 by German and Irish Catholic families, it still operates its parish school (PreK–8), maintains an active Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW), and gathers for weekday and Saturday Mass along with adoration and the sacraments. Joining the parish means becoming part of a 190-family Catholic farming community that has kept its faith, school, and traditions alive for more than 150 years.
Mass times at St. Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 7:00 pm (St. Boniface, Waumandee)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, immediately before 5:30 pm Mass
- Friday approximately 10:00 am – 11:00 am, one hour before 11:00 am Mass
History of St. Boniface Parish
Catholic life in the Waumandee Valley began as early as 1858, when Mass was celebrated in homes and in the open fields of scattered German and Irish farming families in Buffalo County. Those settlers were originally a mission of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Fountain City. On September 1, 1867, Bishop Henri formally elevated the mission to a full parish, naming it for St. Boniface, patron of Germany, because the German Catholic population outnumbered the Irish. Statues of both St. Boniface and St. Patrick still stand in the sanctuary, honoring both founding communities. In 2017, the parish joyfully marked its 150th anniversary with a Mass celebrated by the bishop.
- 1858 — First Masses celebrated in homes and fields across Buffalo County
- 1867 — Bishop Henri elevates Waumandee mission to parish status on September 1
- 1890s — Parishioners build the first Catholic school
- 1928 — Original school (72 windows) condemned and demolished as unsafe
- 1930 — New four-room schoolhouse constructed; once served 150 students
- 2017 — Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) celebrated with the bishop
Parish School (St. Boniface Catholic School)
St. Boniface Catholic School has educated parish children since the 1890s and continues to operate today as a PreK–8 elementary school at the parish campus on County Road U in Waumandee. According to the Diocese of La Crosse, the school serves grades PreK through 8 and is a focal point of parish identity — at the 150th anniversary celebration, parishioners proudly noted that the school, 'though in a small village,' remained the educational heart of the community. The school is currently enrolling for the 2026–2027 school year and runs a Tuition Assistance Fund to help more families access Catholic education. Contact for enrollment: Olivia Wick ([email protected]).
- Grades served: PreK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Diocese of La Crosse school listing: diolc.org/school/st-boniface-school/
- Active Tuition Assistance Fund with red donation envelopes in each parish
- Contact: [email protected]
Clergy, Staff & Parish Directory
St. Boniface is part of the three-parish "Tres Ecclesiae" cluster led by one pastor. Fr. Albert is the current pastor, installed on May 24, 2026 by Bishop Battersby of the Diocese of La Crosse at the 10:00 am Mass at Immaculate Conception in Fountain City. The cluster is also served by Deacon Edward Wendt. The parish and school offices are administered by Connie Sweno, and the cluster-wide Director of Religious Education is Carrie Venner-Adams.
- Fr. Albert — Pastor (mobile 608-863-8815; rectory 608-687-3496)
- Deacon Edward Wendt — mobile 608-739-2261, [email protected]
- Connie Sweno — Office Administrator
- Carrie Venner-Adams — Director of Religious Education (507-450-7191)
- Bishop Battersby — Diocese of La Crosse (installing bishop)
Sacraments & Sacramental Preparation
Sacramental preparation for the three-cluster parishes (Immaculate Conception, St. Lawrence, and St. Boniface) is coordinated through the parish offices. Parents are asked to contact the pastor well in advance of Baptism or Marriage, and adults seeking baptism, confirmation, or full membership in the Church are guided through the RCIA process.
- Baptism — contact the pastor 1–2 months prior to the date
- Marriage — arrangements 6 months in advance; contact the pastor
- Anointing of the Sick — call the church office or the pastor
- RCIA — contact Fr. Albert; sessions begin in the Fall
- First Communion & Confirmation prep — coordinated through the cluster DRE
Parish Life, Ministries & Community
St. Boniface has a notably active lay community for a parish of its size. The Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) runs fellowship, fundraisers, and service projects (including Pro-Life donations and fraud-prevention seminars in the Rippley Social Hall), and partners with the Knights of Columbus on quarterly breakfast socials. The parish is also home to a Parish & Finance Council, faith-formation programs through Confirmation, and ongoing community events such as house blessings at Easter.
- Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) — every woman of the parish is a member
- Knights of Columbus — KC/PCCW breakfast socials (next: June 21)
- Rippley Social Hall — venue for parish meals and the Fraud Prevention Seminar co-sponsored with the Waumandee Lions and Waumandee State Bank
- Parish & Finance Council — six members plus the pastor as president
- Easter House Blessings — sign-up sheets in the back of church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Aruldoss Savarimuthu ("Fr. Doss")
Previous pastor of the Tres Ecclesiae cluster; originally from India, described as personable and community-minded.
- Fr. AlbertInstalled May 24, 2026
Officially installed as pastor of the parish cluster by Bishop Battersby at the 10:00 am Mass at Immaculate Conception, with a luncheon to follow in the Parish Life Center.