About St. John the Baptist · Webster, Wisconsin
St. John the Baptist is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Webster, Burnett County, Wisconsin, part of the Diocese of Superior. The parish serves the Webster community and is clustered with nearby parishes in Crescent Lake and Danbury. Worship is offered in the Roman (Latin) Rite, with weekend Mass on Sunday morning and a weekday Mass midweek. The parish is known for its mid-century church building, which earned a prestigious architectural honor in 1963, and for its dedicated succession of priestly shepherds going back more than a century.
- Established
- 1880
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Julian Druffner
- Diocese
- Diocese of Superior
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers the warmth of a small Burnett County parish rooted in more than a century of Catholic life, where generations of families have built and maintained a beautiful, award-winning church — including the original stained-glass windows still preserved in the building. Weekend and weekday Mass is celebrated in a community that has grown from 21 families in 1919 to about 267 families today, with regular confession after Sunday Mass and connections to neighboring parishes in Crescent Lake and Danbury. For Catholics in Webster and the surrounding lakes region, it is a faithful, stable home for worship, sacraments, and fellowship.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Parish History
Catholic presence in the Webster area dates to the 1880s, when Franciscan fathers ministered to scattered homesteaders. The formal parish corporation was organized in 1914–1915, and the first church — a 28-by-45-foot structure with a 10-by-12 sacristy and ten pews — was built in the summer of 1915 on two lots at the corner of Sturgeon and Cedar Streets (purchased December 30, 1914). The "new" church was dedicated on June 21, 1942. A bell tower followed in 1972, and an addition housing offices, overflow seating, and multi-use space was completed in 1982. The parish numbered 21 families in 1919, 35 in 1927, 64 in 1953, and about 267 at its 2015 centennial.
- 1880s — Franciscan fathers serve early settlers
- March 1914 — Father P.J. Cunningham calls organizing meeting
- December 30, 1914 — Lots at Sturgeon & Cedar purchased
- February 24, 1915 — Articles of corporation dated
- Summer 1915 — Original 28x45-foot church built
- Late summer/fall 1929 — Rectory constructed ($7,200)
- 1942 — Interior renovated; new church dedicated June 21, 1942
- May 1972 — Bell tower dedicated
- 1982 — Offices, overflow seating, and educational space added
- July 12, 2015 — Centennial Mass and community dinner
Architecture & Sacred Art
The current church, designed by architect Theodore Butler of Cerny Associates with art consultant Frank Kacmarcik (art professor at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota), was a deliberately forward-thinking liturgical space. Kacmarcik designed the altar and its canopy, and Father Joseph M. Kelchak built the altar so that Mass could be celebrated facing the people — ahead of post-Vatican II reforms. Original artwork includes two oak sculptures by Minnesota artist Gerald Bonnette (1931–1988) on the vestibule/baptistry south wall: a statue of St. John the Baptist holding a model of the church, and Our Lady of the Word holding an ornately decorated Bible. In 1963 the building won the silver Lercaro medal for excellence in architecture and liturgical arrangement.
- Architect: Theodore Butler (Cerny Associates)
- Art consultant: Frank Kacmarcik (St. John's University, Collegeville)
- Altar designed to permit Mass facing the people
- Ten original stained-glass windows preserved in 1982 addition
- 1963 Lercaro medal (silver) for architecture & liturgy
Clergy & Pastoral Lineage
The parish has been served by a remarkable succession of priests beginning with Franciscan fathers in the late 1800s. Father P.J. Cunningham organized the parish corporation in 1914–1915; Father H.G. Shaney was the first priest to reside in Webster (early 1920s); Father Bernard Fries served 1929–1945 and again in the 1950s and wrote the foundational history recap; Father Joseph M. Kelchak (1955–1966) oversaw construction of the award-winning church as his first assignment; Father John A. Drummond led the 1982 addition; and Father Mike Tupa presided over the 2015 centennial celebration. The parish is currently cared for as part of a cluster that includes nearby Crescent Lake and Danbury parishes.
- Current: Rev. Julian Druffner — Parochial Administrator
- Cluster parishes: Crescent Lake and Danbury
- Diocese: Superior
Cluster of Parishes
St. John the Baptist is part of a cluster of Catholic parishes in the Webster area of Burnett County, alongside neighboring parishes at Crescent Lake and Danbury. Clustering allows priests and resources to be shared across small rural communities in the Diocese of Superior.
Contact & Location
The parish is located at 26455 S Muskey Avenue in Webster, Wisconsin (ZIP 54893). From Highway 35, visitors travel west one block to Cedar and Muskey to find the church. The parish office can be reached by phone at (715) 866-7321 or by email at [email protected]. The parish is listed on the Diocese of Superior website at catholicdos.org, which also provides links to online giving and the parish history.
- Address: 26455 S Muskey Ave., Webster, WI 54893
- Phone: (715) 866-7321
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese page: catholicdos.org/st-john-the-baptist-webster
Notable People & Stories
Former parishioner Michael Gableman, who went on to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, returned to speak at the parish's 2015 centennial Mass. Parishioner Audrey Dufresne, Lorraine McCann, and Mike Washburn helped organize the celebration alongside Father Mike Tupa. Local memories — like Webster native Arne Ardell's recollection of the outdoor skating rink where the parking lot and 1982 addition now stand, built by hockey legend Mac McPherson — show how tightly the parish is woven into the everyday life of the village.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Franciscan fathers (late 1800s)1880s
First priests to bring the sacraments to the Webster area.
- Father P.J. Cunningham1914–1915
Called the 1914 meeting that formed the parish corporation; articles dated Feb 24, 1915.
- Father Kinneycirca 1919
His 1919 parish report listed 21 families.
- Father H.G. Shaneyearly 1920s
First priest to reside in Webster; rented a house before the 1929 rectory was built.
- Father Annabringcirca 1927
Listed 35 families in 1927 parish report.
- Father Bernard Fries1929–1945, and again in the 1950s
Oversaw construction of the 1929 rectory and later wrote the parish's history recap; renovated church interior in 1942.
- Father Joseph M. Kelchak1955–1966
Designed and built the award-winning 1942-era church (dedicated 1942 under his watch); worked with architect Theodore Butler and art consultant Frank Kacmarcik; his first parish assignment.
- Father John A. Drummondcirca 1982
Pastor during 1982 addition; preserved all ten original stained-glass windows in the new addition.
- Father Mike Tupaat least 2003–2015+
Led the 2015 centennial celebration; presided over parish for 12+ years.