About St. Henry · Watertown, Wisconsin
St. Henry Catholic Church is a historic parish at 412 N 4th Street in Watertown, Wisconsin, founded in 1853 by German — primarily Bavarian — immigrants who settled near the eastern shore of the Rock River. For more than 170 years the parish has served the east-side German Catholic community of Watertown and is notable for its famous bells installed in 1930, a complete rebuild in 1962, and a major interior renovation in 2002. Since October 1, 2024, St. Henry has been canonically merged with St. Bernard (Watertown), St. Mary Magdalene (Johnson Creek) and St. Francis Xavier (Lake Mills) to form St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in the Diocese of Madison, with Fr. Tim Renz as pastor. The St. Henry campus continues to host daily Masses, parish-school Masses, the parish Religious Education program, and Adoration, while a Spanish-language Mass is offered weekly.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- St. Henry (Holy Roman Emperor Henry II)
- Rector
- Rev. Tim Renz (Pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Henry offers a rare combination of small-parish intimacy and large-parish resources: a daily 8:15 a.m. weekday Mass in a historic church on the Rock River, weekly Tuesday and Thursday evening Masses (including a Thursday evening Mass in Spanish), bilingual reconciliation, Tuesday and Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and an all-night Vigil Adoration on the second Friday of each month. The St. Henry campus continues to host Watertown Catholic Religious Education and the parish school, so families with children can pray, learn, and serve in one place — all under the pastoral care of the newly formed St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish and its three priests.
Mass times at St. Henry
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM (at St. Henry, during Adoration)
- Tuesday 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM (at St. Henry, bilingual, during Adoration)
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM (at St. Henry, bilingual)
- Friday 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM (at St. Henry, during Adoration)
- Half hour before each weekend Mass
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM
- Friday 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM
- Thursday 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM (Spanish Mass to follow)
- Second Friday of the month: 6:00 PM all-night Vigil Adoration until 7:00 AM Saturday (even hours prayed aloud, odd hours in silence)
Parish History
St. Henry was incorporated in 1853 to serve the Bavarian and other German Catholic immigrants — particularly those in the 'Bohemian Settlement' on the east side of Watertown — who wanted their own German-language parish rather than worship at the English-speaking St. Bernard's. A frame church was built in 1850, the property was deeded to Bishop Henni of Milwaukee in 1852/53, and a parish school opened in 1854. The current brick church was built on the same site in 1862 and was rebuilt and renovated several times — most recently in 2002 — while retaining its celebrated bells installed by 1930.
- 1847 — Fr. Maximilian Gaertner, O.Praem., first serves German settlers
- 1850 — frame church built at Cady & N. 4th St.
- 1852 — property deeded to Bishop John Martin Henni of Milwaukee
- 1853 — parish incorporated as a Catholic parish
- 1854 — parish school begins
- 1862 — brick church built on same site
- 1930 — famous bells installed
- 1946 — parish transfers to the newly formed Diocese of Madison
- 1962 — church literally re-built
- 2002 — major interior renovation
- 2003 — parish celebrates 150th anniversary with 'A Church Built on the Rock'
- October 1, 2024 — canonical merger into St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish
St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish (Merger)
As of October 1, 2024, St. Henry is one of four churches in the new St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish of the Diocese of Madison, alongside St. Bernard (Watertown), St. Francis Xavier (Lake Mills), and St. Mary Magdalene (Johnson Creek). The four communities previously formed Pastorate 16. Fr. Tim Renz — formerly Parochial Administrator — was installed as the first pastor of the merged parish on November 1, 2024 (Solemnity of All Saints) at St. Bernard Church. The name was selected by Bishop Donald Hying from a list submitted after parish-wide voting.
- St. Bernard, Watertown (parish office, 114 S. Church St.)
- St. Henry, Watertown (412 N 4th St.)
- St. Francis Xavier, Lake Mills
- St. Mary Magdalene, Johnson Creek
- Pastor: Fr. Tim Renz
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. David Drefcinski and Fr. Milot Frederique, SMM
Clergy & Staff
Three priests currently serve St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish and its four church communities, including St. Henry.
- Fr. Tim Renz — Pastor
- Fr. David Drefcinski — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Milot Frederique, SMM — Parochial Vicar
- Jeanne Wolf — Parish Director of Operations and pastoral council member
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education programs for the merged parish are based at the St. Henry campus. The parish uses a Learning Centers approach for grade-school faith formation and the Ascension Press 'Chosen' program for Confirmation prep.
- GROW (Grades 1–6) — Learning Centers model, two monthly sessions (Monday or Tuesday)
- MISSION (Grades 7–9) — 2-year Confirmation prep using the 'Chosen' program; meets 17 times/year on Mondays and Tuesdays at 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation for children 7+
- Catechist and assistant roles
- Vacation Bible School (one week in late June, preschool through 5th grade)
Youth, Young Adults & Parish School
Beyond faith formation, the parish offers a Youth Ministry for teens and a Young Adult Ministry for adults. Watertown Catholic School, which has long used both St. Bernard and St. Henry campuses, was renamed St. Thérèse School in August 2025 as the parish itself took the name of the Little Flower.
- Youth Ministry — adult leaders for teen faith gatherings
- Young Adult Ministry
- Watertown Catholic School (St. Henry campus) — now St. Thérèse School as of August 2025
- School Masses held at St. Henry
Sacraments
The merged parish prepares members for and celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments at its four church campuses, including St. Henry.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — via GROW family formation
- Confirmation — via MISSION (Chosen) for 7th–9th graders
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see schedule
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Maximilian Gaertner, O.Praem.1847–~1851
Norbertine missionary from Roxbury; first priest to serve the German settlers, preached in German, noted the 1850 frame church in his journal.
- Fr. Francis Etschmann~1851–1852
Based in Madison; served St. Henry's mission on the fourth Sunday of each month.
- Fr. Michael Haider1852–
Based in Jefferson; served the parish after Etschmann.