About St. John · Clear Lake, Wisconsin
St. John Catholic Church is a small parish in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior. Its story goes back to 1890, when Catholic families in the area began hosting traveling priests in their homes for Mass, eventually growing into a parish that today shares ministry with two nearby rural churches — St. John the Baptist in Glenwood City and St. Bridget in Wilson — in what the cluster calls the JBJSaints Catholic Cluster. The parish serves Clear Lake in Polk County and continues a long tradition of faith in northwestern Wisconsin centered on the Eucharist, devotional life, and parish fellowship.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- St. John (full devotional title: St. John, Clear Lake)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Superior
Why belong here
St. John Clear Lake offers the everyday rhythms of a small-town Catholic parish: midweek and Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, an active parish council and cluster-wide ministries, and the close fellowship that comes from being one of three small rural churches sharing clergy and outreach. It is a place where founding families' descendants still worship alongside new arrivals, and where the gospel is proclaimed in an intimate northwestern Wisconsin setting.
Mass times at St. John
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday at St. John the Baptist Church in Glenwood City, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (cluster-wide)
History of St. John Parish, Clear Lake
St. John Parish traces its origins to 1890, when Catholic families in the Clear Lake area began welcoming visiting priests into their homes for Mass. By 1913 the community had grown enough to be made a mission of St. Joseph Parish in Amery; with the assistance of the Catholic Church Extension Society and local founders, the parish purchased a Congregational Church building for $1,000 to serve as its first church. The parish began with about 11 families and grew to over 45 by 1937.
- 1890 — founding: families host visiting priests for Mass in their homes.
- 1913 — established as a mission of St. Joseph, Amery; first church building purchased for $1,000.
- By 1937 — membership grew to over 45 families.
- 1955 — Clear Lake assigned its first resident pastor.
Building the Present Church and Parish Center
Growth through the 1930s–50s made the original building too small. Under the first resident pastor, Fr. Charles Haefner, ground was broken for a new church on July 29, 1956. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Easter Sunday 1957. Decades later, in 1998, Fr. Joseph Trinka oversaw construction of a new parish center to support the parish's expanding programs.
- 1956 — groundbreaking for new church under Fr. Charles Haefner.
- 1957 — first Mass in the new church, Easter Sunday.
- 1998 — new parish center built under Fr. Joseph Trinka.
JBJSaints Catholic Cluster
St. John Clear Lake is one of three parishes sharing ministry as the JBJSaints Catholic Cluster, with St. John the Baptist in Glenwood City (St. Croix County) and St. Bridget in Wilson (St. Croix County). The cluster shares a single Cluster Office, a cluster calendar, and joint liturgical scheduling, allowing small rural parishes to maintain a robust sacramental life together.
- St. John's Catholic Church, Clear Lake (Polk County)
- St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Glenwood City (St. Croix County)
- St. Bridget's Catholic Church, Wilson (St. Croix County)
- Cluster Office Hours: Monday–Wednesday, 8 AM – Noon
- Mailing address for all three parishes: 761 1st Street
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The cluster publishes a unified schedule of Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and other devotions across the three parishes. Clear Lake worships on Sundays and Wednesdays/Thursdays, while Glenwood City and Wilson take the Saturday vigil and other rotations.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 AM at St. John, Clear Lake
- Sunday Mass — 10:30 AM at St. John the Baptist, Glenwood City
- Saturday Vigil — 4:00 PM at St. Bridget, Wilson
- Saturday Vigil — 6:00 PM at St. John the Baptist, Glenwood City
- Wednesday & Thursday — 9:00 AM Weekday Mass at St. John, Clear Lake
- Tuesday 5:00 PM & Friday 8:00 AM — Weekday Mass at Glenwood City
Parish Communications and Giving
The cluster keeps parishioners connected through an online calendar, a published ministry schedule, a newsletter, and links to the Diocese of Superior's Chancery Bulletin. Online giving is available through Direct Parish Giving via the Diocese of Superior website.
- Parish Cluster Calendar (published periodically)
- Parish Ministry Schedule
- IMPACT Newsletter (cluster-wide)
- Diocese of Superior Chancery Bulletin
- Direct Parish Giving (online, via catholicdos.org)
Visiting and Contacting St. John
Parishioners, visitors, and those seeking sacramental information can reach St. John through the JBJSaints Cluster Office, which is staffed Monday through Wednesday mornings. The parish shares a single contact number and email across all three cluster churches.
- Address: 811 4th Street, Clear Lake, WI 54005
- Phone: (715) 265-7133
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Wednesday, 8:00 AM – Noon
- Website: https://www.jbjsaints.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Charles Haefner1955–
First resident pastor of Clear Lake; broke ground for the new church on July 29, 1956; first Mass celebrated Easter Sunday 1957.
- Fr. Joseph Trinka1998–
Oversaw construction of the new parish center in 1998.