About St. James · Franklin, Wisconsin
St. James Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Franklin, Wisconsin, part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Founded in 1857 as the mission of St. Stephen at New Coeln by local farmers, it is one of the older Catholic communities in the Milwaukee south suburbs and today worships in a church dedicated in 1966 at 7219 S. 27th Street. The parish is pastored by Fr. Octavio Trejo-Flores and supported by a lay staff including a Director of Pastoral Care, Director of Family Formation, and Director of Liturgy and Music. Its mission is to 'continue Jesus' work of calling all people into a loving relationship with God and neighbor' through prayer and worship, loving service, evangelization, education, and formation.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. James (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Fr. Octavio Trejo-Flores
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. James offers a warmly traditional Catholic home on the south side of metro Milwaukee, with three weekend Masses, Saturday reconciliation, monthly First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and the full sacramental life of an archdiocesan parish. The parish runs an unusually rich network of pastoral-care ministries — prayer shawls, care checks, Ministers of Care to the homebound and hospitalized, a Bereavement Team, a divorced 'Path to Healing' support group, and a 'Hope in Mourning' grief group — along with Human Concerns outreach such as Sharing Sundays for the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, Habitat builds, a Giving Tree, and Santisimo Peru. Family Faith Formation, RCIA for adults, marriage preparation, adult Bible study, and a strong Music and Liturgy program make St. James a place where families, the elderly, and the homebound are all visibly looked after.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays, 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm (or by appointment; call 414-761-0480)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month at 12:00 pm (noon)
Parish History
St. James began in 1857 as the mission of St. Stephen at New Coeln, founded by local farmers on three acres donated by Peter Steffen and dedicated by Bishop John Martin Henni. It grew through a brick schoolhouse (1865), a basement and move (1931), parish status under Archbishop Kiley (1946), a school that opened in 1950, and a new church dedicated by Archbishop Cousins in 1966. The original church burned in 1975, and today only St. James Parish Cemetery remains from that early mission. The parish has now served the Franklin community for more than 165 years.
- 1857 — founded as St. Stephen at New Coeln by Bishop Henni
- 1865 — brick schoolhouse built north of the church
- 1946 — raised to parish status; Fr. Francis Drabinowicz named first resident pastor
- 1950 — new school opens with 178 children
- 1966 — current church dedicated by Archbishop William E. Cousins (Nov. 13)
- 1969 — school closes due to declining enrollment
- 1975 — original 1857 church building burns; only the cemetery survives
- 1995 — new immersion baptistry constructed
- 2007 — 150th anniversary celebrated
- 2009 — Dan Hull named first Parish Director
Clergy and Staff
St. James is pastored by Fr. Octavio Trejo-Flores and supported by Fr. Robert Betz (Administrator), Msgr. T. George Gajdos (Assisting Priest), and Dan Hull (Parish Director). A full lay staff leads the parish's pastoral, formation, liturgical, and administrative ministries.
- Fr. Octavio Trejo-Flores — Pastor
- Fr. Robert Betz — Administrator
- Msgr. T. George Gajdos — Assisting Priest
- Dan Hull — Parish Director
- Steven (Steve) Fluur — Director of Pastoral Care (x113)
- Mary Jo Hennemann — Director of Family Formation
- Carl Reyes — Director of Liturgy and Music
- Theresa Placek — Parish Secretary & Bulletin Editor
- Linda Schafer — Parish Secretary
- Patti Penkalski — Director of Administrative Services
- Keith Nitkowski — Custodian / Maintenance
Pastoral Care Ministries
Pastoral Care at St. James — directed by Steve Fluur — accompanies parishioners through every stage of life, from hospital and home visits to marriage preparation, funerals, and adult formation. The ministry is grounded in 1 Peter 5:2-3, 'Be shepherds of God's flock… not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.' Programs include Bible Study, Spirituality and the Arts, Prayer Services & Retreats, and Grief & Loss support.
- Ministers of Care (homebound, hospital, nursing homes; communion visits)
- Care Checks (phone outreach to the ill)
- Prayer Circle (parish-wide prayer intentions)
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — 1st Tues 7:00 pm / 4th Thurs 10:00 am, Parish Center
- Card Making — twice yearly birthday/holiday cards for homebound 80+
- Anointing of the Sick — individual (call before scheduled surgery) and communal (annually, usually in fall at weekend Masses)
- Bereavement Team, Funeral Greeters, Hope in Mourning grief group
- Path to Healing — support for the divorced
- Gamblers Anonymous — on-site meetings
- Marriage preparation and support
- Adult Faith Formation / RCIA
Human Concerns and Outreach
Human Concerns lives out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy locally, regionally, and internationally. The committee coordinates with parish groups to serve those in need through prayer and direct service, partnering particularly with the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and Society.
- Sharing Sundays — supports the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Habitat for Humanity builds and collections
- Santisimo Peru (mission outreach)
- Advent Giving Tree
- Current Events prayers for troubled times
Family Faith Formation and Sacraments
Mary Jo Hennemann directs Family Formation, which prepares children for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation through family sessions. Unbaptized adults 18+, baptized adults 18+, and unbaptized children age 7+ prepare through RCIA or the Order of Christian Initiation for Children, coordinated through Steve Fluur, Director of Pastoral Care and Adult Formation. The parish's 1995 immersion baptistry at the entrance to the worship space is a distinctive feature of sacramental life here.
- First Reconciliation preparation for children
- Family Faith Formation sessions (approx. one to two per month)
- RCIA — unbaptized adults 18+
- RCIA — baptized adults 18+
- Order of Christian Initiation for Children (ages 7+)
- Immersion Baptism (infants, children, adults) in the 1995 baptistry
- Contact: Mary Jo Hennemann, Dir. Family Formation — 414-761-0480 x115
- Contact: Steve Fluur, Dir. Pastoral Care & Adult Formation — 414-761-0480 x113
Liturgy and Music
Liturgy and Music is directed by Carl Reyes, who oversees the parish's worship life — including the celebration of weekly Masses, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, communal Anointing of the Sick, the annual All Soul's Day service, weddings, funerals, and other liturgical seasons such as Advent and Lent.
- Carl Reyes — Director of Liturgy and Music
- Music ministry supporting weekend and weekday Masses
- Seasonal liturgies (Advent, Lent, Christmas, Easter)
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration
- Annual All Soul's Day Service
- Funeral and wedding liturgies
St. James Parish Cemetery
St. James Parish Cemetery is the only surviving physical remnant of the original 1857 St. Stephen/St. James mission church. Originally built behind the first church, the cemetery is located east of the present-day church, across 27th Street. The original 1857 mission church was moved north of the cemetery in 1931 and ultimately burned to the ground in 1975.
- Located east of current church, across 27th Street
- Originally laid out behind the 1857 mission church
- Surviving remnant of the early St. James Mission
- See linkstothepast.com/milwaukee/081.php for burial/interment records
Visit, Contact, and Office Information
St. James Catholic Church is located at 7219 S. 27th Street, Franklin, WI 53132, on the west side of 27th Street, across from the parish cemetery. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to noon and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm; callers are encouraged to call ahead to be sure a specific staff member is available. In the event of a death or the need for anointing, the parish should be contacted directly at 414-761-0480.
- Address: 7219 S. 27th St., Franklin, WI 53132
- Phone: 414-761-0480
- Fax: 414-761-2208
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 am–noon and 1:00 pm–4:00 pm
- In case of death or anointing need, call the office at 414-761-0480
- Website: https://www.stjames-franklin.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis Drabinowicz1946–
First resident pastor; appointed by Archbishop Moses E. Kiley on June 25, 1946 when St. James was raised to parish status.
- Fr. John Kolanko1965–
Led the building fund drive and the construction of the current church dedicated Nov. 13, 1966.
- Fr. John Pulice1982–1989
Appointed during the parish's 125th anniversary; stepped aside in 1989 for health reasons.
- Fr. Joseph Aufdermauer1989–1990
Served as temporary administrator for just over one year.
- Fr. Kenneth J. Augustine1990–
Began service June 26, 1990; oversaw 1995 baptistry construction.
- Fr. Paul Stanosz2004–
Assigned in 2004; led into the 150th anniversary in 2007.
- Fr. Bernie Sippel2009–
Appointed Assisting Priest by Archbishop Dolan in 2009.
- Fr. Robert Betz2018–2020 (Assisting Priest); 2020– (Administrator)
Joined as Assisting Priest in 2018; named Administrator in 2020.
- Msgr. T. George Gajdos2013–
Joined as an additional Assisting Priest in 2013.