About St. James · Neshkoro, Wisconsin
St. James Catholic Church is a small rural parish serving the Catholic faithful of Neshkoro, Wisconsin, and the surrounding farming communities of central Wisconsin. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Madison and, as of the Diocese of Madison's 2024 'Into the Deep' pastoral planning, is one of five worship sites grouped together as Mater Dei Parish (Pastorate 10), alongside All Saints in Berlin, Our Lady of the Lake in Green Lake, Holy Family in Markesan/Kingston, and St. John the Baptist in Princeton. Msgr. James L. Gunn serves as Pastor of the pastorate, assisted by Parochial Vicars Fr. Eric Nielsen and Fr. Anthony Thirumalareddy. The parish offers one weekly Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM, with confessions heard beforehand, and uses the PushPay online giving system.
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle (patron of the parish church)
- Rector
- Msgr. James L. Gunn (Pastor of Mater Dei Parish / Pastorate 10, serving St. James as Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. James is a tight-knit, traditional country parish where Mass is still the heart of the week. Members gather every Sunday morning for one carefully prepared Mass at 10:00 AM, preceded by confessions from 9:30 to 9:55 AM, and they stay afterwards to socialize as a community. The parish is supported by an active Council of Catholic Women, an annual parish picnic, and practical accessibility features such as a hearing loop in St. James Place, while online giving through PushPay makes stewardship easy for far-flung parishioners.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30 AM – 9:55 AM (before the 10:00 AM Mass)
Parish Office & Contact
The parish office is located at 315 N. Main Street in Neshkoro and is open on Monday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. The parish can be reached by phone at 920-293-4211 or by email at [email protected]. The campus offices for the wider pastorate — All Saints Parish (920-361-5252) and St. John's Parish (920-295-3541) — are listed as additional points of contact.
- Parish Office: 315 N. Main St., Neshkoro, WI 54960
- Office Hours: Monday 9:00–11:00 AM
- Phone: 920-293-4211
- Email: [email protected]
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. James is served by the clergy of Mater Dei Parish (Pastorate 10) of the Diocese of Madison. Msgr. James L. Gunn is the Pastor of the pastorate and the Parochial Administrator of St. James, supported by two Parochial Vicars, Fr. Eric Nielsen and Fr. Anthony Thirumalareddy. Together they shepherd the five worship sites that make up the unified Mater Dei Parish.
- Msgr. James L. Gunn — Pastor / Parochial Administrator (920-361-5252)
- Fr. Eric Nielsen — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Anthony Thirumalareddy — Parochial Vicar
Mater Dei Parish & Pastorate 10
As part of the Diocese of Madison's 'Into the Deep' pastoral planning, St. James is now one of five worship sites of Mater Dei Parish (Pastorate 10). The other sites are All Saints in Berlin, Our Lady of the Lake in Green Lake, Holy Family in Markesan/Kingston, and St. John the Baptist in Princeton. The parishes share priests, ministries, and pastoral resources while preserving the distinct identity and local Mass schedule of each site.
- Pastorate name: Mater Dei Parish
- Pastorate number: 10
- Diocese of Madison reorganization effective under the 'Into the Deep' plan
Parish History & Heritage
St. James has roots in the late nineteenth century and has served Catholic families of Neshkoro and the surrounding countryside for well over a hundred years. It was historically the parent parish of mission churches such as St. Patrick's in Princeton, which was served from Neshkoro. In modern times, the parish was grouped into Pastorate 10 and ultimately united with neighboring parishes into the new Mater Dei Parish, while continuing its regular Sunday Mass at the Neshkoro church.
- Long-standing rural parish serving Neshkoro and surrounding farms
- Former parent parish of St. Patrick's mission in Princeton
- Now a worship site of Mater Dei Parish within the Diocese of Madison
Ministries & Community Life
Parish life at St. James is centered on the Sunday Mass and is enriched by an active Council of Catholic Women, an annual parish picnic (with planning meetings), co-sponsorship of the local American Legion Memorial Day Mass, and parish devotions such as the Prayer for Priests. Bulletins also invite parishioners to spend time in silent prayer in the church.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — regular meetings
- Annual Parish Picnic with planning committee meetings
- American Legion Memorial Day Mass
- Silent prayer / time in church
- Prayer for Priests devotion
Stewardship & Accessibility
St. James makes giving simple through PushPay, the parish's online giving platform, with a button on the official website. The church has also installed a hearing loop in St. James Place, allowing parishioners whose hearing aids have a telecoil setting to receive clear audio directly from the church sound system.
- Online giving via PushPay
- Hearing loop operational in St. James Place for hearing-aid users with telecoil
Sacraments & Devotions
Beyond weekly Sunday Mass and confessions, St. James celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments in cooperation with Mater Dei Parish — including baptism, first Communion, confirmation, marriage, and anointing of the sick. Arrangements are made by calling the parish office at 920-293-4211 during Monday office hours.
- Sunday Mass and weekly confessions
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick coordinated through the parish office
Bulletin & News
The parish regularly posts bulletins and announcements on its official website, including notices for CCW meetings, parish picnic planning sessions, and special events such as the American Legion Memorial Day Mass. Bulletins are also hosted on Scribd for parishioners who prefer to read online.
- Weekly bulletin posted at stjamesneshkoro.com
- Bulletins also available on Scribd
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. E.J. Slowikowskiby 1884
Listed as pastor of St. James in the 1884 articles of incorporation of St. Patrick's mission in Princeton, which was served from Neshkoro.
- Rev. Roger Idzikowskifrom March 1951
Replaced Fr. Carl Wagner as pastor of St. James and its mission St. Patrick's in March 1951.
- Fr. Carl Wagner1945–1951
Pastor of St. James and St. Patrick's during the post-war period.