About St. Francis Solanus · Gresham, Wisconsin
St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church is a small rural parish in the Village of Gresham, Shawano County, Wisconsin, belonging to the Diocese of Green Bay. Founded by Bavarian Catholic settlers in the late nineteenth century, it was named for St. Francis Solanus, the sixteenth-century Spanish Franciscan missionary to the Indians of Peru. The parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM and offers weekday Mass on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, along with regular confession times and a Tuesday evening Holy Hour. It serves as the spiritual home for Catholics in the Gresham area and surrounding rural communities of northeastern Wisconsin.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. Francis Solanus (Spanish Franciscan missionary, 1549–1610, "Apostle of the New World" / "Wonder-Worker of the New World")
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Francis Solanus is a welcoming rural parish rooted in the faith of Bavarian settlers who first gathered for Mass in their homes in the late 1800s. Today it continues that tradition of faithful, intimate worship with Sunday and weekday Masses, weekday confessions, and a Tuesday evening Holy Hour. As part of the Diocese of Green Bay, it offers the sacraments and devotions of the Roman Catholic tradition to the Gresham community and to Native American parishioners from the neighboring Stockbridge Reservation, making it a small but enduring place of Catholic life in Shawano County.
Mass times at St. Francis Solanus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
- Wednesday 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
- Friday 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 6:30 PM (Holy Hour following 6:00 PM Mass)
Parish History
St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church was founded in 1889 by Bavarian Catholic settlers in what would become the Village of Gresham, Wisconsin. The land for the first church was donated by Joseph Mader Sr., and the building was supervised by Fr. Blasius, a Franciscan stationed at the Keshena mission, who chose the parish's patron saint. From 1888 to 1909 the community was a mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Shawano; it then became a parish of its own with St. Mary, Leopolis, attached as a mission until 1949. The current church building was constructed in 1984 and dedicated by Bishop Adam Maida in 1985.
Founding and Early Years
In the early days, the Gresham-area faithful had to travel to Keshena for Mass, later receiving visits about every six weeks from a Franciscan priest who celebrated the Eucharist in private homes. By 1889 the residents decided to build a proper church. Joseph Mader Sr. donated the land on which the church still stands, and Fr. Blasius, a Franciscan from Keshena, supervised the construction and named the parish in honor of St. Francis Solanus, a sixteenth-century Spanish Franciscan missionary to the Indians of Peru.
- Joseph Mader Sr. donated the original church land
- Fr. Blasius (Franciscan, Keshena) supervised construction
- Parish took the name of St. Francis Solanus, the Spanish Franciscan missionary
The 1895 Parochial School
In 1895 the congregation built Gresham's only Catholic parochial school, with John Venus as its first teacher. He was followed by John Traeger and W. F. Ragan. The school was destroyed by fire in 1909 and was never rebuilt.
- First teacher: John Venus
- Followed by John Traeger and W. F. Ragan
- School destroyed by fire in 1909 and never rebuilt
The 1912 Church and the Lightning Strike of 1948
A new church was built in 1912 under the parish's first resident pastor, Fr. Theodore Pufahl, and its 90-foot steeple became a landmark towering over the community. On June 16, 1948, during an early afternoon thunderstorm, lightning struck the steeple just above the bell tower. Pastor Fr. Henry Schmitt and passersby climbed the tower from inside with fire extinguishers and had the blaze in check by the time the fire department arrived. The interior was redecorated in time for Easter 1949, and a new aluminum cross replaced the wooden one that had been ripped off. A new electric organ replaced the old pipe organ in 1951.
- 1912 church built under Fr. Theodore Pufahl
- Lightning struck the 90-foot steeple on June 16, 1948
- Fr. Henry Schmitt fought the fire from inside the tower
- New 4-foot aluminum cross mounted after the fire
- Electric organ installed in 1951
Modern Renovations and the 1985 Church
In 1960 a 20-foot front addition enclosed the steps and added restrooms for the first time, and the interior was renovated in 1963. A new brick ranch-style rectory replaced the aging 1898 frame house in 1959. In 1982, parishioner Mrs. Guinevere Stier bequeathed funds for a new church. Under the guidance of Fr. William Spalding, the present church was constructed in 1984, and Bishop Adam Maida celebrated a Mass of Dedication on August 25, 1985.
- 1960: front addition with restrooms
- 1963: interior renovation
- 1959: new brick ranch-style rectory
- 1982: Guinevere Stier bequest
- 1984: present church constructed under Fr. William Spalding
- August 25, 1985: dedication by Bishop Adam Maida
Native American Parishioners
Although it has always been a predominantly non-Native American parish, St. Francis Solanus has welcomed Stockbridge, Munsee, and Mahican parishioners from the nearby Stockbridge Reservation since the 1920s. Sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, burials) for these Native American parishioners are held within the parish's registers.
- Stockbridge, Munsee, and Mahican parishioners since the 1920s
- Sacramental records for Native American parishioners kept from the 1920s onward
Mass and Sacraments
St. Francis Solanus offers a steady weekly rhythm of Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:00 AM, with weekday Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:30 AM, plus a Tuesday evening Holy Hour following the 6:00 PM Mass (time listed by aggregators). Confessions are heard before weekday Masses.
Holy Hour
A Holy Hour is held on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM, following the 6:00 PM Mass, in keeping with the parish's devotional life.
- Tuesday 6:30 PM Holy Hour
Contact and Location
The parish is located at 724 Mader Street in the Village of Gresham, Shawano County, Wisconsin, in the heart of the Diocese of Green Bay. The mailing address is P.O. Box 177, Gresham, WI 54128-0177. Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone or email, and updates are posted to the parish's Facebook page.
- Address: 724 Mader Street, Gresham, WI 54128
- Mailing: P.O. Box 177, Gresham, WI 54128-0177
- Phone: (715) 787-3250
- Email: [email protected]
Patron: St. Francis Solanus
The parish is named for St. Francis Solanus (1549–1610), a Spanish Franciscan missionary known as the 'Apostle of the New World' and the 'Wonder-Worker of the New World.' He spent decades evangelizing among the indigenous peoples of South America, particularly in Peru and Argentina, where he founded missions and worked among the poor. His feast day is celebrated on July 24. Fr. Blasius, who chose the parish's name, was himself a Franciscan stationed at Keshena, and the connection to the Franciscan missionary tradition gave the Bavarian settlers of Gresham a fitting patron for their new church.
- St. Francis Solanus (1549–1610), Spanish Franciscan
- Known as 'Apostle of the New World' / 'Wonder-Worker of the New World'
- Missionary to the Indians of Peru
- Feast day: July 24
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Blasius1889 (supervised construction)
Franciscan from Keshena who supervised building of the first church and chose the parish's patron.
- Fr. Theodore Pufahl1912 (first resident pastor)
First resident pastor of the parish; oversaw construction of the 1912 church with its 90-foot steeple.
- Fr. Henry Schmitt1948 (at time of lightning strike)
Pastor during the 1948 steeple fire; fought the blaze with extinguishers from inside the bell tower.
- Fr. William Spalding1984
Guided construction of the present church building.