About St. Gregory · Saint Nazianz, Wisconsin
St. Gregory Parish (also known as St. Gregory Nazianzen) is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the village of St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, belonging to the Diocese of Green Bay. Its 1868 fieldstone church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built by a German religious colony founded in 1854 by Father Ambrose Oschwald and 113 followers from Baden, Germany — one of the most distinctive communal Catholic experiments in 19th-century America. Today the parish shares its priest with nearby Holy Trinity Parish in School Hill and continues its mission to 'live, grow, share, and serve with the Love of Jesus.'
- Established
- 1854
- Patron
- Saint Gregory of Nazianzus
- Rector
- Rev. Josuva Arulanandu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Gregory is a small, historic Catholic family where the whole village still has, as one historian put it, 'a decidedly old world religious air.' Members grow in faith through a K–11 Religious Education program held Wednesday evenings in the parish community center, share fellowship through Caring Hearts & Hands outreach, a parish food pantry, a prayer line, and nursing home visits, and worship in a nationally landmarked 1868 fieldstone church that tells one of the most remarkable stories of Catholic immigration in Wisconsin. Its mission is simply stated: 'Together, we live, grow, share, and serve with the Love of Jesus.'
Mass times at St. Gregory
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM (before Vigil Mass)
Parish History
St. Gregory Parish is the direct descendant of the Colony of St. Gregory of Nazianzen, a communal Catholic society founded in 1854 when Father Ambrose Oschwald led 113 German followers from Baden to southwestern Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Under Oschwald's rule, all property and labor were shared in common. The colony built its first log church the same year, weathered crop failures and a 1857 fire, and prospered enough by 1864 to begin the present fieldstone church. The completed church was dedicated on November 10, 1868 by Bishop John Martin Henni, and Oschwald's nearby Loretto Shrine Chapel followed in 1870. After his death in 1873 the communal experiment faded; in 1896 the Salvatorians arrived, and the parish continued under diocesan care. The 1955 fire, the 1982 National Register listing, and the 'Storm of 2000' steeple loss are all part of its continuing story.
- Founded 1854 by Fr. Ambrose Oschwald and 113 followers from Baden, Germany
- First log church built 1854; first Mass celebrated October 15, 1854
- Cornerstone of present fieldstone church laid June 9, 1864 by Bishop John Martin Henni
- Church completed and dedicated November 10, 1868
- Loretto Shrine Chapel completed 1870, expanded 1872; Oschwald died 1873
- Salvatorians (Society of the Divine Savior) arrived 1896
- Severe interior fire May 2, 1955; remodeled 1958
- Added to National Register of Historic Places June 7, 1982
- Steeple lost in the 'Storm of 2000'; rebuilt to original design
Architecture & Historic Site
The current church is a single-story, gable-roofed Country Church Gothic structure of locally quarried fieldstone, measuring 120 feet long by 55 feet wide. Together with the Loretto Shrine Chapel (1870–72) and St. Mary's Convent (the 1865–66 orphanage/hospital later run by the Salvatorian Sisters), the complex forms the National Register-listed 'Colony of St. Gregory of Nazianzen Thematic Resource.' A simple stone altar on the village grounds marks the site of the original 1854 log church, demolished in 1949.
- Architectural style: Country Church Gothic
- Builder/Architect: Rev. Ambrose Oschwald
- Materials: locally quarried fieldstone
- Dimensions: 120 ft long × 55 ft wide, single-story, gable-roofed
- NRHP reference #82000681, listed June 7, 1982
Clergy & Staff
Since the Diocese of Green Bay's 2000 reorganization, St. Gregory has shared its priest with Holy Trinity Parish in School Hill. The current parish administrator is Rev. Josuva Arulanandu, assisted by Deacon Gary Wilhelm. The parish office is staffed by Rita Steffen, and Religious Education is led by Coordinator Patty Wilhelm and Assistant Coordinator Rita Steffen.
- Rev. Josuva Arulanandu — Parish Administrator (shared with Holy Trinity), phone (920) 200-6029, email [email protected]
- Deacon Gary Wilhelm — phone (920) 905-3478, email [email protected]
- Rita Steffen — Parish Office, phone (920) 773-2511, email [email protected]
- Patty Wilhelm — Religious Education Coordinator, email [email protected]
- Rita Steffen — Religious Education Assistant Coordinator
Religious Education & Faith Formation
St. Gregory and Holy Trinity Parishes share a Religious Education Program welcoming students in grades K through 11. Classes meet Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM in the St. Gregory Parish Community Center, where students grow in their relationship with God through the sacraments, Scripture, prayer, and moral living. The parish's vision statement commits to 'promoting strong Catholic families by helping parents educate their children in the faith.'
- Grades K–11
- Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM
- Location: St. Gregory Parish Community Center
- Coordinator: Patty Wilhelm
- Assistant Coordinator: Rita Steffen
- Contact: [email protected] or (920) 773-2511
Parish Outreach & Charity
St. Gregory maintains a small but active network of outreach ministries to parishioners and neighbors in need. Coordinators are listed in the parish bulletin so that anyone in the community can reach them directly.
- Parish Food Pantry — Faye Riesterer, (920) 773-2422
- Caring Hearts & Hands — Melissa Frost, (920) 773-3270
- Nursing Home / Assisted Living visits — Melissa Frost, (920) 773-3270
- Parish Prayer Line — contact the parish office
Mission, Vision & Parish Identity
The parish's stated mission is: 'Together, we live, grow, share, and serve with the Love of Jesus.' Its vision statement commits the community to being good stewards of church and neighborhood, welcoming all to worship, encouraging everyone to discover Jesus through Scripture, and sharing their talents to fulfill that mission.
- Mission: 'Together, we live, grow, share, and serve with the Love of Jesus.'
- Vision: 'Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we strive to be good stewards to our church and community…'
- Parish Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Contact, Visit & Getting Involved
New parishioners are warmly welcomed: Catholic adults 18 and over who live within the parish are asked to register in their own name, and 'active and supporting membership includes offering of one's time, talent and treasure.' Visitors can mail the parish at PO Box 199, 214 Church Street, St. Nazianz, WI 54232, or reach the office at (920) 773-2511. The village is reached by taking Hwy. 43 to exit 144 and going west about 10 miles.
- Mailing address: St. Gregory Parish, PO Box 199, 214 Church Street, St. Nazianz, WI 54232
- Parish Office phone: (920) 773-2511
- Rectory: (920) 773-2380
- Parish registration form available from the parish office
- Directions: Hwy. 43, exit 144, west 10 miles
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Ambrose Oschwald1854–1873
Founder of the Colony of St. Gregory of Nazianzen; arrived 1854 with 113 followers from Baden, Germany; commissioned the stone church (1864–68) and Loretto Shrine Chapel (1870); died less than six months after the chapel's dedication in 1873.
- Rev. Peter Mutz1873–
Oschwald's protégé and immediate successor; presided over the colony's gradual disintegration after Oschwald's death.