About St. Francis Xavier · Lake Mills, Wisconsin
St. Francis Xavier is a Roman Catholic church at 602 College Street in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, belonging to the Diocese of Madison. Founded in 1912, the parish served the Lake Mills community for more than a century before canonically merging on October 1, 2024 with St. Bernard (Watertown), St. Henry (Watertown), and St. Mary Magdalene (Johnson Creek) to form St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish under the Diocese of Madison's 'Into the Deep' pastoral initiative. The church remains an active worship site, offering one Sunday Mass, a Saturday Vigil, and weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday. It is now staffed along with the rest of the merged parish by Fr. Tim Renz (Pastor) and Parochial Vicars Fr. David Drefcinski and Fr. Milot Frederique, SMM, whose parish office is at St. Bernard Church in Watertown.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Fr. Tim Renz (Pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, which includes St. Francis Xavier as a worship site)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier continues to welcome Catholics from Lake Mills and the surrounding Jefferson County area to its quiet church on College Street, with a Saturday Vigil, Sunday morning Mass, and weekday services that fit a working schedule. As one of four worship sites of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, it now benefits from shared staff, broader ministries such as a Young Adult Ministry, and resources that allow the community to host speakers and formation events none of the four churches could have funded alone. Parishioners describe 'more vibrant' Masses and new opportunities for evangelization since the merger — an inviting reason to visit and join.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
- Sunday 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM (First Thursdays only)
Identity and Patron Saint
The parish is named for St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552), the Jesuit 'Apostle of the Indies' and co-founder, with St. Ignatius of Loyola, of the Society of Jesus. He is one of the most celebrated missionaries in Catholic history and a patron saint of Catholic missions. The parish observes his feast day on December 3.
Founding and Centennial (1912–2012)
St. Francis Xavier Parish was established in 1912 in Lake Mills, Jefferson County, Wisconsin. A century of parish life was documented in the commemorative volume "St. Francis Xavier Parish, 100 Years, 1912-2012," held in the Dodge/Jefferson Counties Genealogical Society collection — the strongest documentary evidence of the founding date. The community at 602 College Street has served Lake Mills Catholics continuously since then.
- Parish founded 1912
- Centennial publication: 'St. Francis Xavier Parish, 100 Years, 1912–2012'
Canonical Merger into St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish (2024)
As part of Bishop Donald Hying's diocesan pastoral initiative 'Into the Deep,' St. Francis Xavier was canonically merged with three neighboring parishes on October 1, 2024: St. Bernard (Watertown), St. Henry (Watertown), and St. Mary Magdalene (Johnson Creek). The merged entity took the name St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, after Bishop Hying's personal devotion. Fr. Tim Renz was installed as Pastor on November 1, 2024 (Solemnity of All Saints) at St. Bernard Church in Watertown. The parish office for the merged parish is located at St. Bernard, 114 S. Church St., Watertown, WI 53094. This was the Diocese of Madison's second canonical merger under Into the Deep.
- Effective October 1, 2024
- Installation Mass: November 1, 2024 at St. Bernard Church, Watertown
- Companion worship sites: St. Bernard, St. Henry, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Francis Xavier
- First Pastor: Fr. Tim Renz
Worship Site Today
St. Francis Xavier continues as an active worship site of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. The church maintains its small, traditional schedule: one Sunday Mass, one Saturday Vigil, and two weekday Masses. Holy Day Masses may vary; parishioners are directed to the parish website for updates.
Parish Office and Contact
Since the canonical merger, the parish-wide office is staffed out of St. Bernard Church in Watertown, though St. Francis Xavier in Lake Mills remains the local address of record and a place to call or visit for parish life.
- Worship site address: 602 College St., Lake Mills, WI 53551
- Parish-wide phone (per Discover Mass): (920) 261-7273
- Pre-merger church office phone (D&B): (920) 648-2468
- Parish website: https://stlwi.org
- Parish Office (post-merger): St. Bernard, 114 S. Church St., Watertown, WI 53094
Ministries and Community Life
At the Lake Mills worship site, the parish publicly highlights ministries that involve the wider community. A Young Adult Ministry is listed for St. Francis Xavier – St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish. Parishioners have also emphasized the new evangelization, formation, and outreach opportunities made possible by the resources pooled across the four worship sites.
- Young Adult Ministry
- Director of Evangelization (parish-wide)
- Director of Operations (Jeanne Wolf, parish-wide)
Diocese and Pastoral Initiative
St. Francis Xavier belongs to the Diocese of Madison, where Bishop Donald Hying launched 'Into the Deep,' a process of pastoral planning that has led to groupings of parishes into pastorates and eventual canonical mergers. The merger that formed St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in 2024 was the diocese's second canonical merger under that program.
- Diocese: Diocese of Madison
- Initiative: Into the Deep
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish was the diocese's second Into the Deep merger
Practical Information for Visitors and Newcomers
Visitors and newcomers are welcomed at the Lake Mills church on College Street, which sits in the heart of Lake Mills in Jefferson County. Mass is offered four times each week, with confession before each Sunday Mass and Saturday Vigil, and First Thursday adoration giving the community an extended period of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. People seeking baptism, marriage, or other sacraments at this worship site should contact the parish office through the St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish website at stlwi.org.
- Four Masses per week (1 Vigil, 1 Sunday, 2 weekday)
- Two regular confession times
- Adoration on First Thursdays
- Worship site is one of four in St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bernard J. Pickartspre-1999 retirement
Diocese of Madison priest (ordained 1955); served as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish with mission of St. Mary Magdalene, Johnson Creek; retired in 1999.
- Fr. Robert (Bob) Hughescirca 2008
Identified as celebrant at parish funerals and as the 'religious leader' of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Lake Mills.
- Fr. Tim Renzinstalled November 1, 2024
First Pastor of the merged St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish; previously Parochial Administrator of the four-church pastorate (formerly Pastorate 16).