About St. John the Baptist · Muscoda, Wisconsin
St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic church at 341 N Wisconsin Avenue in the village of Muscoda, Wisconsin. It is one of the four worship sites of Corpus Christi Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Madison, alongside Immaculate Conception in Boscobel, St. Joseph in Avoca, and St. Malachy in Clyde. As of July 1, 2023, Corpus Christi merged with Queen of All Saints Parish (Fennimore, Castle Rock, and Mount Hope) into the larger Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate under the Diocese of Madison's 'Into the Deep' restructuring. St. John the Baptist serves as the Spanish-language Mass site for the pastorate and offers a 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass in English and a 1:30 p.m. Sunday Mass in Spanish.
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Fr. Carlos Reinoso, SJS (Pastor of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, installed March 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers an intimate Catholic worship experience in the heart of Muscoda, with daily weekday Masses Monday through Friday (except Wednesday) at 7:00 a.m. and two distinct Sunday Masses — an English Mass at 10:30 a.m. and a Spanish Mass at 1:30 p.m. — that make it a spiritual home for both longtime local families and the area's growing Hispanic community. As part of Corpus Christi Parish and the larger Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate, it connects parishioners to faith formation, sacramental preparation, and a network of ministries stretching across Boscobel, Avoca, Clyde, Fennimore, Castle Rock, and Mount Hope.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every Mass (including the Spanish Mass)
- Sunday 10:00–10:20 AM
- Sunday 1:00–1:20 PM (before Spanish Mass)
- Monday–Friday 6:30–6:50 AM (before weekday Masses)
About St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist Church sits in the village of Muscoda, Wisconsin, along the Wisconsin River in the southwestern corner of the Diocese of Madison. It is one of four historic Catholic communities that merged on July 1, 2011, into Corpus Christi Catholic Parish, which also includes Immaculate Conception in Boscobel (the parish office), St. Joseph in Avoca, and St. Malachy in Clyde. In July 2023 Corpus Christi joined with Queen of All Saints Parish (Fennimore, Castle Rock, and Mount Hope) to form the Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate as part of the Diocese's 'Into the Deep' pastoral plan.
- Patron: St. John the Baptist
- Feast day: June 24
- Diocese: Diocese of Madison
- Pastorate: Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament (Pastorate 4)
- Parish offices: 405 East LeGrand St., Boscobel, WI 53805
History of the Catholic Community
Catholics have lived in and around Muscoda since the 1830s, drawing on the rich Catholic heritage of southwestern Wisconsin's farmlands, forests, and river towns. The four parishes that now form Corpus Christi — including St. John the Baptist — came together in 2011, and then became part of the larger Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate in 2023. On March 1, 2025, Bishop Donald J. Hying installed Fr. Carlos Reinoso, SJS, as pastor of the combined parish at Immaculate Conception Church in Boscobel.
- Catholic presence in the region: since the 1830s
- Corpus Christi Parish formed: July 1, 2011
- Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate formed: July 1, 2023
- First pastor of combined parish installed: March 1, 2025
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by a team of three priests from the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest (SJS), supported by a deacon and lay staff. Fr. Carlos Reinoso, SJS serves as Pastor (installed March 1, 2025), with Fr. Christopher Padilla, SJS and Fr. Faustino Ruiz, SJS serving as Parochial Vicars. Fr. Faustino Ruiz is the primary priest liaison for the Muscoda–Avoca–Clyde sites. Deacon Larry Schmitt serves as Pastoral Associate. The parish secretary is Donna Hill and the bookkeeper is Dea Shimpach. Peggy Schmitt coordinates religious education for Muscoda.
- Fr. Carlos Reinoso, SJS — Pastor (608-563-9670)
- Fr. Christopher Padilla, SJS — Parochial Vicar (608-370-9915)
- Fr. Faustino Ruiz, SJS — Parochial Vicar, Muscoda–Avoca–Clyde (608-370-3751)
- Deacon Larry Schmitt — Pastoral Associate
- Donna Hill — Secretary
- Dea Shimpach — Bookkeeper
- Chuck Owens — Custodian
- Peggy Schmitt — Muscoda Religious Coordinator
- Ryanne Vande Hey — Boscobel Religious Coordinator
Spanish-Language Ministry
St. John the Baptist is the designated Spanish-language Mass site for Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate. A Sunday Mass is celebrated in Spanish at 1:30 p.m., with confessions heard beforehand from 1:00 to 1:20 p.m. All three SJS priests serving the parish have Spanish-language proficiency, enabling ministry to the growing Hispanic Catholic community in Grant and Iowa Counties.
- Sunday 1:30 PM — Misa en Español
- Confesiones antes de la Misa: 1:00–1:20 PM
- Sacerdotes hispanohablantes: Fr. Carlos Reinoso, Fr. Christopher Padilla, Fr. Faustino Ruiz
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education for Muscoda-area children and families is coordinated through Corpus Christi Parish. Peggy Schmitt serves as the Muscoda Religious Coordinator, working alongside Ryanne Vande Hey, the Boscobel Religious Coordinator. Sacramental preparation, ongoing faith formation, and family catechesis are organized at the parish level across the four worship sites.
- Peggy Schmitt — Muscoda Religious Coordinator
- Ryanne Vande Hey — Boscobel Religious Coordinator
- Sacramental preparation through Corpus Christi Parish
Sacraments and Devotions
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, St. John the Baptist offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) thirty minutes before every Mass and by appointment. The parish also brings Mass and Communion to local care facilities: a Mass is celebrated on the last Friday of the month at 9:45 a.m. at Riverdale Health Care Center in Muscoda. Baptisms, marriages, and the Anointing of the Sick are arranged through the parish office by appointment.
- Reconciliation: 30 minutes before each Mass and by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick and Communion to the homebound
- Baptism — by appointment through the parish office
- Marriage — by appointment through the parish office
- Nursing Home Mass — last Friday, 9:45 AM, Riverdale Health Care Center, Muscoda
Parish Office and Contact
The parish office serving all four Corpus Christi worship sites (and now the wider Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate) is located at 405 East LeGrand Street in Boscobel, Wisconsin. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The mailing address for St. John the Baptist Church itself is 341 N Wisconsin Ave, Muscoda, WI 53573. The parish secretary, Donna Hill, can be reached at [email protected] or (608) 375-4257.
- Parish Office: 405 East LeGrand St., Boscobel, WI 53805
- Phone: (608) 375-4257
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Secretary: Donna Hill
Part of 'Into the Deep' — The Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Pastorate
Since July 1, 2023, St. John the Baptist has been part of Pastorate 4 — Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish — one of 30 pastorates created by the Diocese of Madison under its strategic 'Into the Deep' initiative, which groups the diocese's 102 parishes into collaborative clusters led by teams of priests. The combined parish brings together the former Corpus Christi communities (Boscobel, Avoca, Clyde, and Muscoda) with the former Queen of All Saints communities (Fennimore, Castle Rock, and Mount Hope), now served by three SJS priests with Spanish-language proficiency. Fennimore was named one of six diocesan pilgrimage sites for the 2025 Jubilee Year.
- Pastorate 4: Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish
- Seven worship sites across Grant and Iowa Counties
- Fennimore: 2025 Jubilee Year diocesan pilgrimage site
- Served by Society of Jesus Christ the Priest (SJS)