St. Cloud

About Our Lady of the Holyland

Our Lady of the Holyland is a multi-site Roman Catholic parish in the northwest corner of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, made up of five worship sites — Holy Cross (Mt. Calvary), St. Cloud (St. Cloud), St. Joseph (St. Cloud), St. John the Baptist (Johnsburg/Malone), and Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Marytown). Its Mission Statement reads, 'We are God's children in the Holyland striving to welcome one and all,' and its Vision Statement is, 'As disciples of Jesus in the Holyland, love unites us beyond all difficulties. God will do the rest.' The parish is pastorally served by the Capuchin Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Joseph, who have served the Holyland continuously since 1857.

History of the Holyland Parishes

The parish's roots stretch back to 1841, when Fr. Caspar Rehrl and German pioneer families founded St. John the Baptist Parish in Johnsburg. In 1849 Fr. Rehrl established Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Marytown and built a log chapel on the hill at Mount Calvary under the patronage of St. Nicholas to serve German immigrant farmers; this chapel was renamed Holy Cross in 1853 and the parish relocated to the base of the hill in 1970. Two daughter parishes — St. Claudius (later St. Cloud) and St. Joseph — were subsequently founded in the village of St. Cloud. In 2010 the three area parishes reunited with St. John the Baptist and Visitation parishes to form St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, which today operates as Our Lady of the Holyland.

• 1841 — St. John the Baptist founded in Johnsburg by Fr. Caspar Rehrl.
• 1849 — Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary founded in Marytown; log St. Nicholas Chapel built atop the hill in Mt. Calvary by Fr. Rehrl, the 'Apostle to the Holyland.'
• 1853 — Mt. Calvary log chapel renamed Holy Cross.
• 1857 — Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of St. Joseph begin serving the Holyland.
• 1970 — Holy Cross parish moves from the top of the hill to its current base-of-the-hill location.
• 2010 — St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Holy Cross, St. John's and Visitation merge to form St. Isidore the Farmer Parish (now operating as Our Lady of the Holyland).

St. Cloud Church (Worship Site)

St. Cloud Church sits at 924 S. Main Street, St. Cloud, Wisconsin 53079, and serves as one of the parish's Sunday and weekday Mass sites. Originally named St. Claudius, the church is the second-oldest of the five-area Catholic communities that today form Our Lady of the Holyland. St. Cloud hosts the parish's Tuesday morning Mass at 8:00 a.m. and its early Sunday Mass at 7:30 a.m.

• Address: 924 S. Main Street, St. Cloud, WI 53079
• Patron: St. Cloud (originally St. Claudius)
• Hosts Tuesday 8:00 a.m. Mass and Sunday 7:30 a.m. Mass

Clergy and Parish Staff

The Capuchin Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Joseph continue to shepherd the parish, joined by religious and lay ministers who coordinate worship, formation, music, and pastoral care across all five sites.

• Pastor — Fr. Paul Koenig, OFM Capuchin (920-753-7572, [email protected])
• Weekend Assistant / Sacramental Minister — Fr. Baudry Metangmo, OFM Capuchin (920-753-7500 ext. 7586, [email protected])
• Sacramental Minister — Fr. Larry Abler, OFM Capuchin (920-740-1193)
• Sacramental Minister — Fr. Oliver Bambenek, OFM Capuchin (920-238-7940)
• Pastoral Care Minister — Sr. Jenada Fanetti, SDS (920-753-2151, [email protected])
• Pastoral Care Minister — Ann Mischo (920-960-4540)
• Director of Religious Education — Sheila Skiff ([email protected])
• Director of High School Religious Education — Catherine Petrie ([email protected])
• Director of Elementary Religious Education — Nicole Sippel ([email protected])
• Ministers of Sacred Music — Brady Freund, Marilyn Lisowe, Lynn Schmitz (earlier roster: Ellie Gavin)
• Parish Secretaries — Lori Lemke (Mt. Calvary Office, 920-753-3311) and Tammy Horn (Johnsburg Office, 920-795-4316)
• Principal of Holyland Catholic School — Nicole Klein (920-795-4222)

Parish Pastoral & Finance Councils

Lay leadership at Our Lady of the Holyland is organized through a Pastoral Council, a Finance Council, and three standing committees — Human Concerns, Christian Formation, and Prayer & Worship — that collaborate with Fr. Paul and the parish staff.

• Pastoral Council Chair — Tom Mullins; Vice-Chair — Pete Keifenheim; Secretary — Sarah Breuer; Trustees — Michael Muldoon and Linda Lefeber
• Finance Council Chair — Julie Binversie; Recording Secretaries — Tammy Horn and Lori Lemke
• Human Concerns Committee Chair — Pat Schmitz; Christian Formation Committee — Marion Manderscheid (chair), Linda Lefeber (vice-chair), Claudia Wagner (secretary)
• Prayer & Worship Committee — Sandi Meyer and Mary Greuel among the leadership
• Endowment Committee — Andy Chuvan and Linda Vixmer among the members

Religious Education & RCIA

The parish runs a full faith-formation program for children and youth at both elementary and high-school levels, overseen by the Director of Religious Education. Adults seeking full membership in the Catholic Church are invited into RCIA, which begins with weekly classes each October and prepares candidates for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist — and also welcomes baptized Christians from other traditions seeking to enter the Roman Catholic faith.

• Elementary Religious Education — Nicole Sippel ([email protected])
• High School Religious Education — Catherine Petrie ([email protected])
• RCIA — Contact Fr. Paul or the Parish Office; weekly classes begin each October
• Adult Confirmation / Reception into the Church — Contact Fr. Paul

Sacraments

The parish prepares members and seekers for the Church's seven sacraments, with published guidelines for Baptism, Matrimony, Reconciliation, and adult reception into the Church.

• Baptism — Preparation class required for new/expectant parents; godparents strongly encouraged to attend. Contact Tammy (920-795-4316) or Lori (920-753-3311).
• Matrimony — Couples are asked to contact the Pastor or either Parish Office at least six months before the wedding date.
• Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:15–3:45 p.m. at St. John's, or by appointment.
• Adult Confirmation / Reception into the Church — Contact Fr. Paul for adult preparation.
• Pastoral Visits — Request a prayer-list inclusion or a visit (hospital, home, nursing home, or incarcerated) by contacting the Parish Offices, Fr. Paul, Sr. Jenada, or Ann Mischo.

Music & Liturgical Ministries

Sacred-music ministry at Our Lady of the Holyland is coordinated by a team of cantors and musicians who serve all five worship sites. The Prayer & Worship Committee works alongside the clergy and music ministers to plan liturgies, devotions, and sacramental celebrations across the parish.

• Ministers of Sacred Music — Brady Freund, Marilyn Lisowe, Lynn Schmitz
• Earlier cantor roster included Ellie Gavin
• Prayer & Worship Committee — coordinates liturgy and devotional life

Pastoral Care & Outreach

Pastoral care at the parish is led by Sr. Jenada Fanetti, SDS, and Ann Mischo, who visit the sick and homebound, accompany those in nursing homes, and pray for those on the parish prayer list. The Miscarriage Ministry offers one-on-one support to families grieving pregnancy loss, with contacts serving each of the five worship sites.

• Pastoral Care Ministers — Sr. Jenada Fanetti, SDS (920-753-2151) and Ann Mischo (920-960-4540)
• Miscarriage Ministry — Kathy Abler (SJB, 920-375-0272), Mary Feldner (SM, 920-418-4678), Angie Steffes (HC, SC, SJ, 920-979-7088)
• Widows & Widowers fellowship — meets monthly at local restaurants for fellowship
• Pastoral Visitation — Hospitals, homes, nursing homes, and the incarcerated

Holyland Catholic School

Holyland Catholic School is the parish's K–8 (and preschool) elementary school, with a principal and integrated faith formation for children of the parish's five worship sites. The school is supported by all five area parishes of Our Lady of the Holyland and provides a Catholic classroom environment from early childhood through grade school.

• Principal — Nicole Klein (920-795-4222, [email protected])
• Preschool through elementary grades
• Faith formation integrated with classroom learning

Parish Offices and Worship Sites

Parish business is handled through two offices that together serve all five worship sites and their surrounding communities.

• Mt. Calvary Office — 308 S. County W, Mt. Calvary, WI 53057 — 920-753-3311 — Lori Lemke ([email protected])
• Johnsburg Office — N9288 Hwy. W, Malone, WI 53049 — 920-795-4316 — Tammy Horn ([email protected])
• Holy Cross Church — 308 S. County W, Mt. Calvary, WI 53057
• St. Cloud Church — 924 S. Main Street, St. Cloud, WI 53079
• St. Joseph Church — W620 County G, St. Cloud, WI 53079
• St. John the Baptist (Johnsburg) — N9288 Hwy. W, Malone, WI 53049
• St. Mary (Marytown) — N10232 Hwy. G, New Holstein, WI 53061