About St. Joseph · Edgerton, Wisconsin
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish located in Edgerton, Wisconsin, serving the Edgerton and surrounding East Bristol farming community. Founded in the mid-19th century by German Catholic immigrants, the parish has worshipped in a stately Early Gothic Revival limestone church designed by Swiss-American architect Henry Messmer and completed in 1890. On September 20, 2025, St. Joseph was canonically merged with St. Paul (Evansville), St. Augustine (Footville), Holy Mother of Consolation (Oregon), and St. Ann (Stoughton) to form the new St. Cletus Parish (Pastorate 24) of the Diocese of Madison, under pastor Fr. David Wanish.
- Established
- 1847
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. David Wanish (Pastor of St. Cletus Parish; formerly Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a small-town, family-scale Catholic community in the heart of Edgerton, with weekly Sunday Mass, Wednesday and weekday Masses, regular confession, Eucharistic adoration, and a tightly-knit congregation that has worshipped together for nearly 180 years. As part of the newly formed St. Cletus Pastorate, parishioners now benefit from shared ministries — including faith-formation small groups under the diocesan 'Go Make Disciples' evangelization initiative — while keeping the Edgerton church as their local worship home. The parish is also home to a remarkable 1890 Gothic Revival limestone sanctuary, a living landmark that continues to be lovingly maintained and adapted (with new accessibility upgrades added in 2024).
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 6:45 PM (per masstime.us) / Saturday 10:00–11:00 AM (per catholicchurchtimes.com)
- Tuesday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (1st Tuesday, 7:00–8:00 PM per St. Cletus pastorate schedule, after 3rd-Tuesday Mass)
- Wednesday: 8:30 AM (after 8:00 AM Mass, until all are heard)
Adoration times
- Friday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (1st Friday, after the 8:00 AM Word & Communion service)
- Tuesday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (1st Tuesday)
Parish Identity & Merger into St. Cletus
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Edgerton, Wisconsin, was a standalone Roman Catholic parish for more than 175 years. On September 20, 2025, Bishop Donald J. Hying of the Diocese of Madison decreed the canonical merger of St. Joseph (Edgerton), St. Paul (Evansville), St. Augustine (Footville), Holy Mother of Consolation (Oregon), and St. Ann (Stoughton) into one new parish — St. Cletus Parish. Fr. David Wanish, who had been serving as Parochial Administrator of the five communities, was installed as founding pastor at a Mass on October 26, 2025, celebrated at Holy Mother of Consolation Church in Oregon. The name 'St. Cletus' honors both the third pope (a martyr mentioned in the Roman Canon) and Bishop Cletus O'Donnell, Madison's second bishop (1967–1992).
- St. Joseph (Edgerton)
- St. Paul (Evansville)
- St. Augustine (Footville)
- Holy Mother of Consolation (Oregon)
- St. Ann (Stoughton)
- St. Ann School (Stoughton)
History
St. Joseph traces its roots to German Catholic immigrant families who settled in East Bristol, Wisconsin, beginning around 1847. The community's first sixty years are documented in a 1910 commemorative volume, 'Geschichte der St. Josephs-Gemeinde von East Bristol, Wisconsin von 1847–1907.' The present limestone sanctuary, designed by Swiss-American Milwaukee architect Henry Messmer, was completed in 1890 in the Early Gothic Revival style. A 1965 addition extended the east side of the church, and a substantial 2024 project added a two-story accessible entry, elevators, and the church's first indoor bathrooms, while preserving the original stained glass. St. Joseph lost its resident priest in 2002 and has since been administered as part of a multi-parish arrangement — a process that culminated in the 2025 formation of St. Cletus Parish.
- 1847 — German Catholic settlers found the parish in East Bristol
- 1890 — Current limestone Gothic Revival church completed (architect Henry Messmer)
- 1910 — 'Geschichte der St. Josephs-Gemeinde' published by Wisconsin Botschafter
- 1965 — Single-story stone addition on east side
- 2002 — Parish loses its resident priest
- 2024 — Two-story accessible addition with elevator and first bathrooms
- September 20, 2025 — Canonical merger into St. Cletus Parish
- October 26, 2025 — Fr. David Wanish installed as founding pastor
- April 2026 — Storm damage to main roof
Architecture & Building
The 1890 sanctuary is an Early Gothic Revival composition of rough-carved limestone block with contrasting stone trim around windows, copings, and tower quoins. It measures 123 feet long by 54 feet wide with a 136-foot bell tower, pointed-arch stained-glass windows set in decorative Gothic tracery, engaged buttresses, and a steeply pitched gable roof sheathed in asphalt shingles. The bell tower is crowned with a Latin cross finial and features lancet ventilation louvers, a rose window, and trefoil motifs. The carved stone transom above the main entry reads 'Sanete Josephe, Ora Pro Nobis.' The 2024 addition was deliberately differentiated in yellow brick so the original Gothic church reads clearly as a historic landmark, while providing modern accessibility, restrooms, and a new entry off the rear parking lot.
- Architect: Henry Messmer (Swiss-American, Milwaukee)
- Year Built: 1890
- Style: Early Gothic Revival
- Wall Material: Rough-carved limestone block
- Length: 123 ft; Width: 54 ft; Tower Height: 136 ft
- Additions: 1965 (east wing); 2024 (accessible two-story yellow-brick addition)
- Inventory: Wisconsin AHI No. 5152
Clergy & Staff
Since the 2025 merger, St. Joseph is served as one of the five worship sites of St. Cletus Parish. The unified clergy team includes Fr. David Wanish as pastor, Fr. Randy Budnar and Fr. John Bosco Pudhota as parochial vicars, and Deacon Mark Priniski as parish deacon. The St. Cletus Pastorate office — the central hub for parish business — is reachable at (608) 873-7633, while St. Joseph's church office line remains (608) 884-3038 and its email is [email protected].
- Fr. David Wanish — Pastor
- Fr. Randy Budnar — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. John Bosco Pudhota — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Mark Priniski — Parish Deacon
- Corrine Willson — Communications Coordinator & Youth Ministry Assistant
Evangelization: Go Make Disciples
St. Cletus Parish actively participates in the Diocese of Madison's 'Go Make Disciples' initiative, launched by Bishop Donald Hying in 2021 to mark the diocese's 75th anniversary. The program responds to the reality that roughly 70% of baptized Catholics are not in church on any given Sunday, by offering fresh, bold proclamation of the Gospel. Throughout St. Cletus Parish, five parish families host multiple small-group courses, retreats, and discussions on a rotating schedule of topics. The pastorate office (608-873-7633) can connect interested parishioners with current group offerings.
- Diocese-wide evangelization initiative launched in 2021
- Hosts small-group courses, retreats, and discussions
- Five parish families in the pastorate currently host groups
- Contact: St. Cletus Pastorate Office, (608) 873-7633
School: St. Ann School (Stoughton)
St. Ann School in Stoughton is the parish school of the unified St. Cletus Parish. As one of the few Catholic schools in the area, it serves families from across all five worship communities, including Edgerton parishioners of St. Joseph.
- Location: Stoughton, WI
- Part of St. Cletus Parish (Pastorate 24)
Communication & Community Life
Parishioners stay connected through the St. Cletus Pastorate Weekly Newsletter, distributed via Flocknote, which carries weekly Mass schedules with presider assignments, parish updates, and a behind-the-scenes feature on the pastorate's history and identity. The original St. Joseph office continues to field calls at (608) 884-3038 and email at [email protected], while the centralized St. Cletus Pastorate office can be reached at (608) 873-7633.
- Weekly e-newsletter via Flocknote
- Church phone: (608) 884-3038
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastorate office: (608) 873-7633
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. David Wanishthrough 2025 merger
Served as Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Edgerton (and the four other merging parishes) before being installed as founding Pastor of St. Cletus Parish on October 26, 2025.