About St. Joseph · Prescott, Wisconsin
St. Joseph Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Prescott, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of La Crosse (Durand Deanery). The parish is served by Fr. Joseph Albert Saleth as pastor with Deacon Jerry Rynda assisting, and it operates a parish school serving grades 4K–6 that opened in 1961. Its mission is to be a community 'alive In Christ through word and sacrament,' sustained by prayer and dedicated to evangelization, education, and service in the model of its patron, St. Joseph. Worship includes weekend Masses in English, daily Mass Tuesday–Friday, and Confessions several times a week, with livestreamed Masses on its parish YouTube channel.
- Established
- 1868 (centennial celebrated in 1968)
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Levi Schmitt
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Durand Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a tight-knit Catholic community where parishioners can pray together, serve together, and pass the faith on to children through a parish school and a robust religious education program. Weekday and weekend Masses are complemented by multiple Confession opportunities, a livestreamed Mass for those who can't attend in person, and a parish school rooted in daily prayer and Catholic virtues. Active lay ministries — the Knights of Columbus, the Women's Council, the Stitchers sewing group, choir, lectors, greeters, altar servers and a youth ministry running summer mission trips and adventure camps — give newcomers plenty of ways to belong. The parish explicitly welcomes those searching for a church home and invites them to register through the parish office.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 pm
- Sunday 7:30 am – 7:55 am
- Tuesday – Friday 7:45 am – 8:10 am
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
About St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish in Prescott, Wisconsin, part of the Diocese of La Crosse's Durand Deanery. Its published mission calls the community to be 'alive In Christ through word and sacrament,' sustained by prayer and committed to evangelization, education and service in the pattern of its patron, St. Joseph, the Guardian of the Redeemer. The parish welcomes those seeking a church home and invites them to register through the parish office.
- Patron: St. Joseph
- Diocese: La Crosse
- Deanery: Durand
Parish History
The parish community in Prescott celebrated its centennial in 1968, marking a founding around 1868 in the era of Catholic settlement along the St. Croix River. Its parish school has been the most documented chapter of the story, opening in 1961 under the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, expanding over the decades, marking a 50-year jubilee in 2011, and now embarking on a major capital campaign to renew the original 1959 school building.
- 1961 — School opens with 109 students in grades 2–7
- 1962 — First grade and eighth grade added (178 total students)
- 1968 — Parish centennial; 164 students in grades 1–6
- 1989–early 1990s — School addition (kitchen, music room, two classrooms)
- 1992 — Kindergarten added
- 1996 — Pre-school started
- 2011 — School 50-year jubilee (CD concert, all-school reunion)
- 2025–2026 — 'Founded in Faith' $1.5 million capital campaign
Clergy and Staff
Parish and school staff include a parish secretary, principal, assistant principal, director of religious education, and youth minister, alongside additional support staff.
- Deacon Jerry Rynda — Deacon
- Christine Tiffany — Parish Secretary
- Chris Magee — School Principal
- Vicki Olson — Assistant Principal
- Rachel Miller — Director of Religious Education
- Isabel Sutter — Youth Minister
- James Peterson
St. Joseph Parish School
St. Joseph Parish School, located at 281 Dakota St S., provides a Catholic education for about 120 students in K–6 plus roughly 30 in 4K in a vibrant Christian community that integrates academics, technology and the arts with prayer, worship, the sacraments and the virtues. The school's vision centers on cultivating each student as a whole person — body, mind, and soul — and promoting global citizenship, media literacy, creativity in art, music and theatre, and health and teamwork through physical education.
- Grades served: 4K through 6
- Phone: 715-262-5912
- Email: [email protected]
- Original building: 1959; major school expansion added in late 1980s/early 1990s
Founded in Faith — School Remodel Campaign
'Founded in Faith, Renewing for Tomorrow' is a $1.5 million project to restore and renew St. Joseph Parish School. The campaign is funding a roof replacement, HVAC and LED lighting upgrades, asbestos abatement, a modernized exterior facade using insulated materials, and a redesigned secure main entrance. As of early 2026 more than $1.1 million had been raised, with construction targeted to begin after school lets out in summer 2026.
- Goal: $1.5 million
- Raised by early 2026: ~$1.1 million
- Campaign page: stjosephprescott.com/founded-in-faith
- Construction target: begin June 2026
Religious Education and Faith Formation
The Religious Education and Faith Formation program supports children, youth and families as they grow in Scripture, the Sacraments and discipleship. Classes are held on Wednesdays at the parish school for grades 1–10, with bus transportation available from Malone Elementary and Malone Intermediate schools for younger students. A Sunday School for ages 4–6 meets during the 10:00 am Sunday Mass.
- Grades 1–5 (non-school): Wednesdays 3:30–4:40 pm at St. Joseph School
- Grades 6–8: Wednesdays 6:45–8:00 pm at St. Joseph School
- Grade 9 (Confirmation prep): Wednesdays 6:45–8:00 pm at St. Joseph School
- Grade 10 (Confirmation prep): Wednesdays 6:45–8:00 pm in the Parish Gathering Space
- Sunday School (ages 4–6): during 10:00 am Sunday Mass
Sacraments
St. Joseph prepares children for the sacraments of initiation through its parish school and Religious Education program, and welcomes parishioners to Reconciliation weekly or by appointment. First Reconciliation and First Communion are typically received in second grade, and Confirmation is prepared in grades 9–10 with the Confirmation Mass celebrated in the fall.
- First Reconciliation (Grade 2)
- First Holy Communion (Grade 2, celebrated in Spring)
- Confirmation (Grades 9–10; Mass in the Fall for juniors)
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 3:00 pm or by appointment
- Holy Communion brought to the sick/homebound each Tuesday
Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry at St. Joseph aims to help kids and teens know, love, and serve God. In collaboration with St. Francis Parish in Ellsworth, the parish hosts monthly youth nights with food, faith and fellowship, plus summer experiences through Catholic Heart Work Camp and CrossWoods Adventure Camp.
- Monthly youth nights (food, faith, fun) at the parish Gathering Space
- Summer Mission Trip (Catholic Heart Work Camp) — Kansas City area, Grades 9–12
- Summer Adventure Camp (CrossWoods, Mason, WI) — Grades 6–12
- Contact: Isabel Sutter, [email protected]
Parish Ministries and Organizations
A wide range of lay ministries invite parishioners to serve, lead and build community. The Knights of Columbus spearhead parish and community service projects; a newly forming Women's Council will offer prayer, fellowship and service opportunities; and the Stitchers sewing group produces baptism blankets, quilts and handmade items for the Fall Festival and local charities. Liturgical roles open to parishioners include greeters, lectors, altar servers, ushers, video recorders and catechists.
- Knights of Columbus — service projects, Red Cross Blood Drive, Coats for Kids, Tootsie Roll Drive, Scholarships, Ultrasound donations
- Women's Council — newly forming
- Stitchers — Tuesdays, lower level of parish house; quilts donated to Sharing & Caring and Pierce County Social Services
- Music Ministry / Choir — sings at 10:00 am Sunday Mass (Sept–May); rehearsal Tuesdays 6:00–7:00 pm
- Liturgical roles: Greeter, Lector, Altar Server, Usher, Video Recorder, Catechist
Contact and Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone or email, register as parishioners through the office, and join Sunday Mass in person or via livestream on the parish YouTube channel.
- Parish office: 715-262-5310 — [email protected]
- School office: 715-262-5912 — [email protected]
- Religious Education: Rachel Miller — [email protected]
- Youth Ministry: Isabel Sutter — [email protected]
- Facebook: St. Joseph's Catholic Church - Prescott, WI
- YouTube: livestreamed Masses