About St. Joseph Church - Good Shepherd Parish · Madison, Wisconsin
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish in Madison, Wisconsin is a unified Catholic community formed from the merger of the historic St. James Parish (founded 1905 on Madison's west side for the growing German Catholic population) and St. Joseph Parish (originally on Park Street in the old Greenbush neighborhood, with strong Italian roots). Today the parish operates across two worship sites — St. James Church at 1128 St. James Court and St. Joseph Church at 1905 W. Beltline Highway — and serves more than 800 registered family units. It also runs St. James Catholic Grade School, the oldest private parochial school in the city, established in 1905. The parish blends its Anglo, Italian and German heritage with a thriving Latino ministry, offering a Sunday evening Mass in Spanish as well as Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations that have grown significantly in popularity.
- Established
- 1905 (St. James Parish incorporated May 20, 1905); merged as Good Shepherd Parish in 2011
- Patron
- St. Joseph (at the St. Joseph site); Good Shepherd (the name given to the merged parish in January 2009 by Bishop Morlino, chosen from parishioner recommendations)
- Rector
- Msgr. Thomas (Tom) Baxter
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish welcomes new members into a community that bridges more than a century of Madison Catholic life. With over 800 family units, two worship sites (St. James Church near Meriter Hospital and St. Joseph Church near the Beltline), a Spanish-language Sunday Mass, and St. James Catholic Grade School (the oldest private parochial school in Madison, founded in 1905), the parish offers a place for traditional Anglo, Italian, German and Latino families to worship together. Daily and weekend Masses, a robust choir and music ministry, Eucharistic Adoration, a parish prayer group, RCIA, K-8 religious education, youth ministry, sacramental preparation, a parish nurse and active ministries for the elderly and sick make it a full parish life for any stage of life.
Mass times at St. Joseph Church - Good Shepherd Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 9:15 am at the St. Joseph site (January, March, May, July, September, November)
- Saturdays at 9:15 am at the St. James site (February, April, June, August, October, December)
Adoration times
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament follows the Tuesday 8:00 am Mass at St. Joseph site until 9:30 am (with the Prayer Group praying during that hour)
About Good Shepherd Parish
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish is a community of over 800 family units serving Madison, Wisconsin from two worship sites: St. James Church at 1128 St. James Court (on the west side near Meriter Hospital) and St. Joseph Church at 1905 W. Beltline Highway (just south of the Beltline near Fish Hatchery Rd and Greenway Cross). The parish blends its Italian, German and Anglo heritage with a thriving Latino community, offering a Sunday evening Mass in Spanish as well as English Masses across both sites. It also operates St. James Catholic Grade School, the oldest private parochial school in the city of Madison, founded in 1905.
History of the Parish
The parish is the product of a multi-year process that brought together the historic St. Joseph and St. James congregations of Madison. The parish website tells each side of the story in detail, including the Park Street / Greenbush origins of St. Joseph's, the laying of the St. James school cornerstone on October 8, 1905, the start of the Spanish Mass in 2002, the linking of St. Joseph's with Our Lady Queen of Peace in 2003, and the formal merger that produced Good Shepherd Parish after Bishop Morlino accepted the Merger Team's recommendation in January 2011.
History of St. James (1905–Present)
On May 20, 1905, St. James Parish was incorporated to serve Catholics in west Madison. The cornerstone for the school was laid on October 8, 1905, and the school opened on February 5, 1906, in a combined church-and-school building with the first floor as the church and four classrooms upstairs. First-year enrollment was 86 students in six grades.
History of St. Joseph (Park Street / Greenbush to the Beltline)
St. Joseph Parish began in the old Greenbush neighborhood on Park Street, a community rooted in Madison's Italian Catholic families. In 1958, with new boundaries drawn, Fr. Hinkes requested and received approval to build a new church away from Park Street, while Fr. Michael Kain took over administration of the original site. The last Mass at the old church was celebrated on July 28, 1963, and the buildings were bulldozed later that year. After a long period of priest transitions — including the unexpected death of Fr. John in December 2002 and the 2003 linking with Our Lady Queen of Peace under Msgr. Kenneth Fiedler — St. Joseph's was linked with St. James on June 15, 2005, with Msgr. Tom Baxter becoming pastor of both parishes.
The Latino Ministry and Spanish Mass
The Sunday evening Misa en español began in September 2002 when retired diocesan priest Fr. George Fox and Fr. John saw that many Latino Catholics in Madison could not attend the Spanish Mass at Holy Redeemer because of work schedules. Fr. Manuel Méndez has served the Latino community since 2006, offering not only Mass but retreats and spiritual direction, and the Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations have grown immensely in popularity.
The Merger into Good Shepherd Parish
In Fall 2007 Bishop Morlino and the Diocesan Planning Committee organized parishes into clusters; in Spring 2008 the St. Joseph / St. James Merger Team recommended merging. In January 2009, the Bishop selected the name 'Good Shepherd' from a list of five parishioner-recommended names. After studying four options (exclusive use of St. James, exclusive use of St. Joseph, mixed use, or new construction), the team recommended option 3 with a Business Manager and full-time Youth Minister / Religious Education Coordinator. Bishop Morlino accepted in January 2011, and the parishes were formally merged into Good Shepherd Catholic Parish.
Music and Liturgy
Music is shared across the two sites by a number of choirs and ensembles. The St. James Adult Choir sings at the 8:30 am Sunday Mass (Sept.–May), rehearsing Thursdays 7:00–8:30 pm in St. James School, room 213; the Music Director is Mark Miller (608-222-0635). The St. Joseph Adult Choir sings at the 10:45 am Sunday Mass with rehearsals before Mass at 10:00 am, with musical leadership shared by organist Kay Fitzgerald and the Folk Choir led by Merta de Macedo. The Folk Choir leads the Saturday 5:15 pm Mass (Dec.–May) with contemporary selections, rehearsing Thursdays 6:00–7:30 pm and warming up Saturdays at 4:15 pm. The Latino Choir sings every Sunday evening at the 7:00 pm Spanish Mass, with rehearsals Wednesdays 7:00–8:30 pm. All choirs welcome high school and college students and adults of all ages — no experience necessary.
St. James Catholic Grade School
Founded in 1905 and housed at the St. James site (1204 St. James Court, Madison, WI 53715; 608-256-3095), St. James School is the oldest private parochial school in the city of Madison. It serves Pre-K through Grade 8 with a strong Catholic academic curriculum strengthened by religious values, instruction in Spanish and computers for all grades, and a full-day Pre-K program. The student body is widely diverse, with families from Asian, African and South American countries and a variety of religious traditions. The principal is Sr. Kathleen Loughrin, O.P. (608-268-9935).
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
The Religious Education Program offers K through Grade 8 faith formation for children enrolled in local public schools. K–Grade 5 meets Thursday evenings 6:15–7:30 pm at the St. Joseph site. Grades 6–9 (Religious Education and Youth Ministry) meet at 6:45 pm at the St. James site. The Confirmation Preparation Program serves young people in Grades 9–12 (other parish materials refer to Grades 10–12) on Sunday evenings at the St. James site and is coordinated by Shawn Willox (608-268-9931).
RCIA, Adult Formation and Bible Study
The parish offers the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for non-baptized men and women and those from non-Catholic traditions, with a bilingual sacramental program on Tuesday evenings 6:30–7:45 pm at the St. James site. Faith Formation / Adult Bible Study meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the St. Joseph Library and is open to anyone wishing to learn more about the Bible; participants may use their own Bible or one from the church library. For more information contact Sr. Zita Simon, O.P. (608-268-9934).
Parish Staff and Pastoral Team
Good Shepherd Parish is led by Pastor Msgr. Thomas Baxter (608-268-9930) and Parochial Vicar Fr. Manuel Mendez (608-268-9933, Ministerio Latino). The pastoral team includes Sr. Zita Simon, O.P. (Pastoral Associate, 608-268-9934), Sr. Kathleen Loughrin, O.P. (School Principal, 608-268-9935), Anne Kman (Parish Office), Denice Barajas (608-268-9932), Michael Benesh (Business Manager), Shawn Willox (Religious Education Coordinator, 608-268-9931), Cynthia Schoettler (Parish Nurse at the St. James site), Mark Miller (Music Director, St. James site), Joe Tiller (Maintenance, St. Joseph site) and Mary Burke (St. Joseph site).
Sacramental Preparation
Good Shepherd Parish prepares parishioners for all seven sacraments. Reconciliation is available Saturdays 9:15 am (alternating sites) with child preparation through Religious Education and adult preparation through RCIA. Baptism Preparation Classes are held on the second Sunday of each month on a rotating basis between sites, with baptisms on the last Sunday of the month. First Communion is prepared through the Religious Education program. Confirmation preparation for Grades 9–12 meets Sunday evenings at St. James; adults prepare through RCIA and are received at the Easter Vigil. Marriage preparation requires contacting the pastor at least six months in advance and one-year prior parish registration. Anointing of the Sick is celebrated individually by appointment.
Getting Involved and Registration
New parishioners are warmly welcomed and invited to register by completing the parish registration form (available on the parish website) and mailing it to the St. James Rectory at 1158 St. James Ct., Madison, WI 53711; a staff member will follow up to welcome and confirm registration. Visitors are encouraged to attend a weekend liturgy at either site and explore the many ministries — from the choirs and prayer group to the Latino ministry, religious education, youth ministry, RCIA sponsorship, parish nurse program and more.
Visit the Parish
The St. James Church is at 1128 St. James Ct. (about two blocks south of Regent Street and one block west of Mills St., near Meriter Hospital). The St. Joseph Church is at 1905 W. Beltline Hwy. (just one block south of the Beltline near Fish Hatchery Rd and Greenway Cross). The parish office can be reached at (608) 268-9930 and welcomes calls about Mass times, sacraments, religious education, school enrollment or any of the parish ministries.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend George Fox2002
Retired diocesan priest who, with Fr. John, started the Sunday evening Spanish Mass at St. Joseph's in September 2002
- Fr. Johndied Dec 1, 2002
Pastor of St. Joseph's; died of a heart attack between Sunday morning Masses at age 67
- Msgr. Kenneth J. FiedlerDec 2002 – Jun 2003 (temporary administrator, then pastor)
Appointed temporary administrator of St. Joseph's the day after Fr. John's death; later pastor of both St. Joseph's and Our Lady Queen of Peace when they were linked on June 11, 2003
- Fr. Todd Van Natta2003 onward
Parochial Vicar under Msgr. Fiedler; moved into the St. Joseph rectory
- Fr. Brian Wilk2003 onward
Parochial Vicar under Msgr. Fiedler
- Reverend Michael ('Mick') Moonmid-2000s
Gradually took over responsibility for the Latino community as Fr. Fox's health declined
- Fr. Manuel Méndez2006 – present
Replaced Fr. Moon ministering to St. Joseph's Latino community; offers Sunday 7 pm Spanish Mass, retreats, and spiritual direction
- Fr. Hinkes1958–
Pastored St. Joseph's while the new church was being built away from the original Park Street/Greenbush site
- Reverend Michael Kain1958–
Took over administration of the Park Street location while Fr. Hinkes devoted himself to the new parish
- Msgr. Thomas (Tom) Baxter2005 – present
Was pastor of St. James; became pastor of St. Joseph's on June 15, 2005 when the two parishes were linked; remains pastor of the merged Good Shepherd Parish