St. Clement Parish

About St. Clement Parish

St. Clement Catholic Church is a 1914-brick, Early Gothic Revival (Low Gothic) house of worship with two square towers facing west, located at 707 N. 6th Street in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The parish was organized in 1914 and the church was dedicated on May 30, 1915; today it serves about 650 families as one of three parishes in the Sheboygan North Catholic Parishes (SNCP) collaborative, formed in 2017 alongside Holy Name of Jesus and St. Dominic. St. Clement is the spiritual home of the collaborative's Spanish-language Masses and Hispanic ministry.

Sanctuary, Statues and Patron

To the left of the altar stands a statue of St. John the Evangelist, and to the right a statue of St. Clement, shown wearing a triple crown as a sign of the papacy. St. Clement I was the fourth Bishop of Rome and a contemporary of the Apostles; his feast day is November 23 and the anchor — the instrument of his martyrdom at sea — is his traditional symbol.

• Statue of St. John the Evangelist (north side)
• Statue of St. Clement wearing the papal triple crown (south side)
• Feast Day: November 23
• Patron symbol: the anchor

Stained-Glass Windows

The church is known for an extensive stained-glass program built around three themes. The high sanctuary windows depict the four Evangelists — Matthew and John on the north wall, Mark and Luke on the south — while a south window above the side altar shows the Consecration of St. Clement as Pope and Bishop of Rome, paired on the north wall with a tall window of the anchor that marks his martyrdom. A narrative cycle of the life of Christ then runs across the transepts, from the Nativity in the south transept through the Flight into Egypt, the Holy Family and Jesus Blessing the Children, to the Calling of St. Peter, the Good Shepherd and the Last Supper on the north wall, culminating in the Ascension in the north transept with Mary and the Apostles.

• Four Evangelists in the high sanctuary windows
• Consecration of St. Clement and the anchor above the side altar
• Life-of-Christ cycle: Nativity, Flight into Egypt, Holy Family, Blessing of the Children, Calling of St. Peter, Good Shepherd, Last Supper
• Ascension in the north transept with Mary and the Apostles

History

The parish was organized in 1914 and the church was dedicated on May 30, 1915. From the start it was served by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, who taught at St. Clement Catholic School from its opening in 1915; a new school was built north of the church in 1951, and a new rectory replaced the old school around 1955. The Second Vatican Council was reflected locally in 1966 when a new altar was installed to face the people; new bells followed in 1978. In 1968 Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Helen Neenan began Hispanic outreach at St. Clement, and in 1969 the first Spanish-language liturgy was celebrated in the convent chapel — the seed of today's thriving Spanish Ministry.

• 1914 — Parish organized
• 1915 — Church dedicated May 30; school opens under the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
• 1928 — Convent acquired on Wisconsin Avenue
• 1951 — New school built north of the church
• 1955 — Old school demolished; new rectory built on New York Avenue
• 1965 — New convent built on Wisconsin Avenue
• 1966 — New altar installed facing the congregation (Vatican II)
• 1968 — Sister Mary Helen Neenan begins Hispanic outreach at St. Clement
• 1969 — First Spanish-language liturgy in the convent chapel
• 1978 — New bells installed
• 1985 — St. Clement School closes; merges into Holy Family Catholic School
• 1989 — Lower-level hall renovated and named Dominican Hall
• 1992–2002 — Stained-glass windows restored over ten years
• 2012 — School merger forms St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School
• 2017 — Holy Name, St. Clement and St. Dominic form Sheboygan North Catholic Parishes

Sheboygan North Catholic Parishes (Collaborative)

In 2017 Holy Name of Jesus, St. Clement and St. Dominic parishes formed the Sheboygan North Catholic Parishes with a single pastor, a single associate pastor and a provisional pastoral council whose members come from all three parishes. In 2018 the council voted to remain joined. Membership stands at roughly 1,100 families at Holy Name, 950 at St. Dominic, and 650 at St. Clement, with St. Clement serving as the home of the collaborative's Spanish Masses and Hispanic events.

• One pastor, one associate pastor shared across all three parishes
• Provisional pastoral council with members from each parish
• St. Clement hosts the collaborative's Spanish-language Masses and Hispanic events

Spanish Ministry and Hispanic Outreach

St. Clement is the spiritual home of the Sheboygan North Catholic Parishes' Spanish Ministry, a tradition that traces back to 1968 when Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Helen Neenan began ministering to Sheboygan's growing Hispanic community here. The first Spanish-language liturgy was celebrated in the convent chapel in 1969, and today the parish hosts both a Tuesday-evening and a Sunday-afternoon Spanish Mass, along with ongoing Hispanic faith formation and outreach. The parish office provides a Spanish-language contact line (920-458-5390) and the Faith Formation program offers bilingual registration.

• Hispanic outreach at St. Clement since 1968
• First Spanish liturgy in the convent chapel in 1969
• Weekly Tuesday 5:15 p.m. and Sunday 12:15 p.m. Spanish Masses
• Bilingual Faith Formation registration

Faith Formation

Faith Formation across the three parishes is centered on helping children know, love and follow Jesus in their daily lives. Weekly classes meet on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. on the St. Dominic campus for PreK4 through 8th grade, with grade-level themes ranging from the Creed (Grade 3) and the Ten Commandments (Grade 4) to the Sacraments (Grade 5), Old Testament (Grade 6), Catholic identity (Grade 7) and conscience formation (Grade 8). Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is a two-year process typically beginning in first grade.

• PreK4–8th grade weekly classes, Wednesdays 5:30–6:45 p.m. (St. Dominic campus)
• Two-year First Reconciliation / First Eucharist preparation beginning in Grade 1
• Grade-level themes: Creed, Ten Commandments, Sacraments, Old Testament, Catholic identity, conscience formation
• Community Days: Praise • Play • Serve
• Totus Tuus summer program and Vacation Bible School

Becoming Catholic (OCIA) and Adult Faith Formation

Adults considering the Catholic Church are welcomed through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which begins in September and culminates at the Easter Vigil. Sessions are held on the second and fourth Sundays from 9:00–10:15 a.m., followed by the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Adult faith formation also includes Bible studies and small groups, equipping adults to deepen their relationship with Jesus and share their faith as disciples. Kym Leibham serves as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Northside Catholic Parishes.

• OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
• Sessions: 2nd & 4th Sundays, 9:00–10:15 a.m., followed by 10:30 a.m. Mass
• Bible study and small-group ministry
• Director of Adult Faith Formation: Kym Leibham (920-207-0222)

Clergy and Staff

St. Clement is served collaboratively by the clergy and staff of the Sheboygan North Catholic Parishes, with shared lines reaching the parish offices at Holy Name, St. Clement and St. Dominic.

• Fr. Nick Baumgardner — Pastor
• Fr. Dennis Beltré — Associate Pastor
• Deacon Jim Hall
• Kym Leibham — Director of Adult Faith Formation
• Jennifer Branecky — Director of Child & Youth Discipleship
• Maria 'Lulu' Torres — Administrator for Faith Formation & Spanish Ministry
• Lori Biebel — Director of Communication & Bulletin
• Mary Petrie — Pastoral & Administrative Assistant (funeral coordinator)
• Andrea Thill — Office Manager; Safeguarding Coordinator
• Judy Wilsing — St. Clement Director of Music Ministry
• Ryan O'Keefe — Facilities Manager

Sacraments

All seven sacraments are celebrated across the Northside Catholic Parishes, including Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and the funeral liturgy. First sacraments are prepared through the two-year Faith Formation program beginning in first grade. Funeral arrangements are coordinated by Mary Petrie in cooperation with the family's funeral home.

• Baptism
• First Reconciliation & First Eucharist (two-year preparation)
• Confirmation
• Marriage
• Anointing of the Sick
• Holy Orders / vocations
• Funeral liturgy (coordinator: Mary Petrie)

Contact and Visiting

The church is at 707 N. 6th Street in Sheboygan; the parish office and mailing address is 807 Superior Avenue, Sheboygan, WI 53081. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached at 920-458-7721. The parishes share a Spanish-language line (920-458-5390) and bulletin requests can be directed through the parish offices.

• Church: 707 N. 6th St., Sheboygan, WI 53081
• Office / Mailing: 807 Superior Ave., Sheboygan, WI 53081
• Parish phone: 920-458-7721
• Spanish Ministry line: 920-458-5390
• Office hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Community Outreach and Social Services

St. Clement has a long tradition of community outreach, from Hispanic ministry begun in 1968 to its current Thanksgiving Food Box Project (about 350 boxes annually) and its partnership with Anchor of Hope Pregnancy and Sexual Health Center. The historic convent building continues to house Catholic Social Services, a presence rooted in the parish's identity.

• Thanksgiving Food Box Project (~350 boxes annually)
• Anchor of Hope Pregnancy and Sexual Health Center (community partnership)
• Catholic Social Services (housed in the historic convent)