About St. Francis Xavier · Cross Plains, Wisconsin
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is a parish in Cross Plains, Wisconsin, about 15 miles west of Madison. Founded in 1853, it has served as the spiritual and educational home of countless families in the Cross Plains area for more than 170 years. The parish is one of five worship sites that make up Holy Cross Catholic Parish (also called Pastorate 19 in the Diocese of Madison), alongside St. Bernard in Middleton, St. Peter in Ashton, St. Martin of Tours in Martinsville, and St. Mary in Pine Bluff. The parish also operates a fully accredited 4K–8th-grade Catholic school and welcomes visitors and new members to join in its mission of forming missionary disciples.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Fr. Scott Jablonski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier is a long-standing Cross Plains parish where families can worship, send their children to an accredited Catholic school (4K–8), and serve together in a tightly-knit community about 15 minutes west of Madison. As part of Holy Cross Catholic Parish, it offers daily and weekend Masses in English with Spanish-speaking clergy, weekly Eucharistic Adoration (Thursday mornings), regular Confession on Saturdays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, an extensive school athletics program, after-school care, and tuition assistance for families who need it — all grounded in the parish's stated mission to be 'a community of Christian missionary disciples who seek to faithfully and lovingly share the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ with all those we encounter.'
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- Sunday: 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
- Tuesday: 7:45 AM – 8:05 AM
- Thursday: 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM
Adoration times
- Thursday: 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM (per parish site) / 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM (per pastorate schedule)
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church describes itself this way on its website: 'Inspired by the example of our patron, St. Francis Xavier, we are a community of Christian missionary disciples who seek to faithfully and lovingly share the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ with all those we encounter.' Located in Cross Plains, WI — about 15 miles west of Madison — the parish has served as both a spiritual and educational home to children, adults and families in the area since 1853. Visitors are warmly welcomed to Mass, school events, or simply to reach out with questions.
- Parish motto/mission: missionary discipleship
- Located 15 miles west of Madison
- Founded 1853
Parish History
The parish's roots go back to 1853, when Catholic settlers — predominantly of German heritage — established the congregation in the Cross Plains area. Anniversary publications preserved by the Dane County Historical Society document this early history in remarkable detail. The 1928 'Souvenir of Diamond Jubilee of St. Francis Xavier Congregation, 1853–1928' (printed in Black Earth by Pickering Print. Co.) covers the founding and development of the church, the priests and sisters who served it, the building of church and school structures, and the parish's societies and clubs (choir, Christian Mothers, Maennerchor, Catholic Knights, dramatic club), and even lists parish families living there in 1928. A 1953 'Centennial' booklet covers the parish's first hundred years. Both publications are valuable records of immigrant Catholic life in the Cross Plains community.
- 1853 — congregation founded
- 1928 — Diamond Jubilee; five-day celebration June 6–10
- 1928 — Diamond Jubilee souvenir booklet (53 p., Pickering Print Co., Black Earth)
- 1953 — Centennial publication
Holy Cross Catholic Parish (Pastorate 19)
Under Bishop Donald Hying's 'Into the Deep' pastoral initiative, St. Francis Xavier was grouped with four neighboring parishes into a single pastorate officially named Holy Cross Catholic Parish, also known as Pastorate 19 in the Diocese of Madison directory. The other worship sites are St. Bernard in Middleton, St. Peter in Ashton, St. Martin of Tours in Martinsville, and St. Mary in Pine Bluff. Together the pastorate offers Masses across the western Madison suburbs, with each church keeping its own identity and Mass schedule. The unified pastorate site (holycrosswi.org) is the central hub for Mass times, confessions, adoration and the combined parish calendar.
- St. Bernard — Middleton
- St. Francis Xavier — Cross Plains
- St. Peter — Ashton
- St. Martin of Tours — Martinsville
- St. Mary — Pine Bluff
Clergy & Staff
Holy Cross Parish is served by a team of four priests, with Fr. Scott Jablonski as Parochial Administrator. Fr. Brian Dulli serves as Parochial Vicar and has Spanish-language proficiency; Fr. Michael Wanta is also Parochial Vicar; and Fr. Tait Schroeder is Priest in Residence and Director of Into the Deep implementation. Fr. Grant Thies and Fr. Brad Grobbel are also listed on the parish contact page. St. Francis Xavier's school-side support staff includes Stacey Eslinger, Director of Advancement (also referenced as Director of Operations in the parish's supporting-organization filings).
- Fr. Scott Jablonski — Parochial Administrator
- Fr. Brian Dulli — Parochial Vicar (Spanish)
- Fr. Michael Wanta — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Tait Schroeder — Priest in Residence / Director of Into the Deep
- Stacey Eslinger — Director of Advancement
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School
The parish operates an accredited Catholic school serving 4-year-old kindergarten through 8th grade. According to the FAQ page, the school typically has one section per grade level capped at 18–24 students, with most families living in Middleton or Cross Plains and additional families coming from Mount Horeb, Black Earth, Mazomanie, and Verona. Students attend Holy Mass weekly (usually Tuesday mornings) and benefit from daily prayer, regular Adoration and Confession, retreats, and classroom religious instruction. All homeroom teachers are practicing Catholics and are certified through the Diocese of Madison.
- Grades: 4K through 8th
- Accredited by WRISA; member NCEA
- Class size: 18–24 students per grade
- School Mass: Tuesdays, 8:15 AM
- Bus service via Middleton/Cross Plains and Wisconsin Heights districts
Curriculum & Specials
All grades take Music, Library, Art, Technology, Spanish and Physical Education. Students in grades 6–8 choose semester-long electives on a rotating basis, with offerings in subjects like robotics, programming, game design, photography, theater arts, and personal finance. The school uses interactive flat-panel LEDs in every classroom; grades 4K–4 use Chromebooks and iPads as needed, while grades 5–8 receive a personal device.
- Core specials: Music, Library, Art, Technology, Spanish, PE
- Middle-school electives: 3D Printing, Animation, Engineering, Forensics, Game Design, Guitar, Photography, Theater Arts, Nutrition/Culinary Arts, Personal Finance
- Personal devices issued to grades 5–8
Extracurriculars & Athletics
'The Saints' compete in the Madison Area Independent Sports League (MAISL) in boys' and girls' volleyball and basketball, and field co-ed track-and-field and football teams. Beyond athletics, the school offers a broad extracurricular menu: Instrumental Band (Grades 4–8) and Honors Band, Children's Choir, National Junior Honor Society, Forensics, Piano Lessons, Robotics Club, Ski Club, Math Meets, Oratorical and Essay Contests, and Art Club. Football in grades 7–8 is run as a co-op with Middleton.
- Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field — MAISL
- Football — grades 4–6 on-campus; grades 7–8 co-op with Middleton
- Athletic directors: Ms. McDermott and Ms. Doherty
Hot Lunch, Fundraising & Parent Involvement
Hot lunch is served Tuesday–Thursday through Culinary Creations Catering (the Catholic Multicultural Center), with two homemade soups and a fresh salad bar prepared on-site daily. Mondays and 'Farm to School Fridays' feature entrees made fresh on-site using ingredients from Hillside Harvests in Black Earth, WI. The school keeps fundraising community-focused via an annual Benefit Dinner and Golf Outing and the RaiseRight Gift Card Program, rather than sale-based fundraisers. Parents engage via the Home & School Association, the School Education Committee, classroom volunteers, athletics, and required playground supervision (twice per year per family).
- Caterer: Culinary Creations Catering (Catholic Multicultural Center)
- Local sourcing: Hillside Harvests, Black Earth, WI
- Tuition: ~$8,500/year per student; subsidized; tuition assistance available
Faith Formation, Sacraments & Family Life
Faith formation is woven into both school and parish life. Beyond classroom religion, students attend weekly School Mass (Tuesday morning), benefit from regular Adoration and Confession opportunities, and experience retreats and seasonal liturgical celebrations. Sacramental preparation (Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage) is coordinated through the parish office. The parish also hosts a Vacation Bible School / summer program ('Ashton,' hosted this year at St. Peter) with daytime sessions for grades 1–6 and evening sessions for grades 7–12.
- Weekly School Mass
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Vacation Bible School / 'Ashton' summer program
Office, Contact & Visiting
The St. Francis Xavier parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and closed Friday. The parish can be reached by phone at (608) 798-0100 and by email at [email protected]. The worship site is at 2947 Thinnes Street, Cross Plains, WI 53528, and the unified pastorate site is holycrosswi.org.
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Closed Friday
- Phone: 608-798-0100
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastorate website: holycrosswi.org