About St. John the Baptist · Marshfield, Wisconsin
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic parish in Marshfield, Wisconsin, founded in 1877 and serving the Catholic faithful of the Marshfield Deanery of the Diocese of La Crosse. Pope John Paul II once called the parish a "school of prayer," and the community continues to emphasize growth in holiness through daily Mass, perpetual adoration, robust faith formation for all ages, and a wide range of ministries. The current pastor, Fr. Daniel (Dan) Thelen, was installed in July 2022, and the parish maintains the St. John Paul II Adoration Chapel in its lower level as a gift to the wider deanery.
- Established
- 1877
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel (Dan) Thelen
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a daily-Mass parish in the heart of Marshfield offering the traditional round of Catholic devotions — weekday Masses, Saturday Vigil and three Sunday Masses, frequent Confession, and the deanery-wide St. John Paul II Adoration Chapel housed in its lower level. Families will find a deep bench of formation: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for ages 3–9, 11th-grade Confirmation prep, RCIA for adults, the Frassati young-adult group (ages 18–39), and a summer of family programming including Catholic Kidz Camp, Totus Tuus, Pray & Play, and Popsicle Sundays. The parish also lives out its mission through the MERIT program for intellectually challenged children and partnerships with other Marshfield-area parishes, making it a true spiritual home for every age and state in life.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday through Thursday: 6:30 AM
- Third Fridays: 6:00 PM
- Saturday: following the 8:00 AM Mass
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration at the St. John Paul II Adoration Chapel (lower level of St. John the Baptist, accessible from the rear parking lot) — open to adorers from the Marshfield Deanery; to sign up contact Jean Kaiser at 715-503-0118 or Deacon Ray Draeger at 715-207-6085.
Parish History
St. John the Baptist traces its origin to 1877, when Mr. George Seubert and Mr. Britten met with Bishop Michael Heiss to request a church in Marshfield. The first Mass was said in a district school building, and the first frame church on Blodgett Street was dedicated in 1882. The parish's history is tightly woven with the city of Marshfield itself — its third pastor invited the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother to found what became Saint Joseph's Hospital, and the present 1893 church building (cornerstone laid by Bishop Schwebach, main altar 1905) is still in daily use.
- 1877 — parish mission established under Bishop Michael Heiss
- 1880 — Rev. A.T. Schuettelhoefer becomes first resident pastor
- July 27, 1882 — first frame church dedicated to St. John the Baptist by Bishop Flasch
- 1888 — brick school built under Rev. Ignatius Schaller
- Dec. 9, 1890 — Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother arrive from Wichita, KS
- May 21, 1893 — cornerstone of the current church laid by Bishop James Schwebach
- Oct. 1, 1905 — main altar installed
- 1897 — new school built (expanded 1927)
- July 18, 1943 — school destroyed by fire; rebuilt and re-dedicated Oct. 15, 1944
- 1995 — Rev. Charles Stoetzel becomes pastor; pays off debt, adds narthex, plans renovation
- 2002 — complete interior renovation of the church completed
- July 2022 — Rev. Dan Thelen installed as current pastor
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Dan Thelen and supported by deacons, a Director of Faith Formation, finance and administrative staff, and a maintenance team.
- Rev. Dan Thelen — Pastor
- Deacon Jeff Austin
- Deacon Ray Draeger
- David Alcott — Director of Faith Formation
- Mike Dunow — Parish Finance
- Lisa Freund — Parish Maintenance
- Mary Gouin — Administrative Assistant
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. John the Baptist takes a layered approach to faith formation, partnering with other Marshfield-area parishes through Marshfield Faith Formation and offering its own flagship programs for the youngest and most vulnerable learners. The Montessori-based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd runs in an atrium next to the Adoration Chapel, while MERIT provides a long-running catechetical program specifically for intellectually challenged children.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — ages 3–9 (Level 1: 3–6, Level 2: 6–9)
- MERIT (Marshfield's Exceptional Religious Instruction Team) — since 1999, ~20+ students served
- Marshfield Faith Formation — collaborative religious education with other Marshfield parishes (separate website)
- Confirmation preparation — typically at start of 11th grade, with adult class combined with RCIA
Adult Faith & Young Adults
Beyond sacramental prep, the parish sustains two adult-formation tracks: small-group discipleship through the Evangelical Catholic model, and the Frassati Young Adult Group for 18–39-year-olds that meets the second Tuesday of each month from September through May at 6:30 PM.
- Evangelical Catholic Adult Small Groups — adult faith-sharing and Scripture application (ages 18+)
- Frassati Young Adult Group — second Tuesday monthly, Sept–May, 6:30 PM (prayer, fellowship, activity)
Sacraments
The parish provides preparation and celebration of all seven Catholic sacraments, with pages dedicated to each on the parish website. Families with children preparing for Confirmation typically begin in the 11th grade year; adults seeking Confirmation join the RCIA process.
- Baptism
- Confirmation (11th grade, or via RCIA for adults)
- Holy Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- Holy Matrimony
Family Life & Summer Programs
St. John the Baptist invests heavily in family discipleship, especially during summer. 2025 programming includes a Tuesday-morning 'Pray & Play' rotation of Adoration and playground time, 'Popsicle Sundays' after the 9 and 11 AM Masses, Catholic Kidz Camp VBS for ages 4 through 5th grade, Totus Tuus at nearby Sacred Heart, and Adventure Camp.
- Pray & Play — Tuesdays 8:45–9:15 AM (summer)
- Popsicle Sundays — after 9 & 11 AM Masses (summer)
- Catholic Kidz Camp VBS — June 23–27, 2025
- Totus Tuus — June 15–20, 2025 at Sacred Heart of Marshfield (grades 1–12)
- Adventure Camp — promoted via parish communications
Media & Livestream
The parish livestreams Mass (notably the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass) on its official Facebook page and posts recorded homilies through a 'Watch/Listen' hub on the parish website. Parishioners and the homebound can stay connected with Sunday liturgy remotely.
- Livestream Mass via the parish Facebook page (facebook.com/sjbnf)
- Recorded homilies archive on stjohnsmarshfield.org/watch/
Visit, Contact & Location
St. John the Baptist is in central Marshfield, with the parish office housed in the rectory directly east of the church. Office hours are generous enough to accommodate working parishioners, and the parish maintains a phone line and online contact form for inquiries about any of its ministries, sacraments, or the Adoration Chapel.
- Address: 201 West Blodgett Street, Marshfield, WI 54449
- Parish office: rectory directly east of the church
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–12:30 PM
- Phone: 715-384-3252
- Online contact form on stjohnsmarshfield.org/contact-us/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. A.T. Schuettelhoefer1877 mission; 1880 first resident pastor
Assigned by Bishop Michael Heiss to visit Marshfield as a mission; became the first resident pastor in 1880 and built the first frame church on Blodgett Street.
- Rev. Ignatius Schaller
Completed and dedicated the first frame church to St. John the Baptist (Bishop Flasch, July 27, 1882). A brick school was built under his tenure (1888).
- Rev. Paul Geyer
Third pastor; invited the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother to Marshfield, leading to the founding of Saint Joseph's Hospital (December 9, 1890).
- Rev. John Eisen
Fourth pastor; built the much larger current church (cornerstone 1893, main altar installed 1905).
- Rev. Charles Stoetzel1995–
Paid off the parish debt, built a new narthex, and completed a full renovation of the church in 2002.
- Rev. Dan ThelenJuly 2022–present
Current pastor.