About St. Joseph · Sinsinawa, Wisconsin
St. Joseph Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Sinsinawa, in Grant County, Wisconsin. It is one of two parishes (along with neighboring St. Francis de Sales in Hazel Green) that share a pastorate office at 1720 26th Street in Hazel Green and is served by the priests of the broader Platteville-area pastorate. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Madison and offers Mass in English on Sundays and selected weekdays. Its Sunday congregation is drawn largely from the rural farmland around Sinsinawa Mound, the historic home of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters founded by Venerable Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP in 1847.
- Patron
- St. Joseph (Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, foster father of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Greg Ihm (Parochial Administrator of the pastorate)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, close-knit rural parish where the same families have worshipped for generations, and where Mass is offered in an intimate setting just down the road from Sinsinawa Mound, the cradle of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters. Visitors and parishioners are drawn by the historic Catholic missionary heritage of the Sinsinawa area — the parish prays publicly for the beatification of its neighborhood's founder, Venerable Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli — and by its connection to a wider pastorate that includes active Catholic schools, faith formation, CCW (Council of Catholic Women) activities, and ministries for marriage, family, and the Hispanic community.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available by arrangement through the pastorate office (Tuesdays 9:00 AM – Noon at the rectory); area parishes offer confession 30 minutes before scheduled Masses.
Parish Identity and Heritage
St. Joseph Parish serves the small unincorporated community of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, in the rolling farmland of Grant County near the Iowa border. The parish is named for St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus, whose solemnity is celebrated each year on March 19. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Madison and is part of a wider Platteville-area 'pastorate' of cooperating parishes that share clergy, school resources, and a common bulletin.
Sinsinawa and the Dominican Heritage
Sinsinawa is best known as the home of Sinsinawa Mound, where Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP founded the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary on August 4, 1847. Mazzuchelli, an Italian-born Dominican who came to the Northwest Territory frontier in 1828, designed and built more than 24 churches and civic buildings before his death in 1864. He was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1993, and throughout the pastorate a prayer for his beatification is recited before Mass.
- Founder: Venerable Fr. Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, OP (1806–1864)
- Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters established August 4, 1847
- Mazzuchelli is honored across the local pastorate; his grave site is preserved at St. Patrick Parish in nearby Benton
Mass and Liturgy
St. Joseph offers Mass three times a week in English: Sunday morning, plus two weekday Masses. Because the parish shares its pastoral staff with St. Francis de Sales and other area parishes, the liturgical calendar and devotions are coordinated across the pastorate, including pastorate-wide recitation of the Prayer for the Beatification of Fr. Mazzuchelli and the St. Michael the Archangel prayer before Mass.
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM
- Tuesday Mass: 8:15 AM
- Friday Mass: 8:15 AM
- Language: English
Sacramental Life
The sacraments are celebrated through the parish and its pastorate. Baptisms, weddings, First Communion, Confirmation preparation, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged by contacting the shared parish office in Hazel Green. Faith formation and sacramental preparation for children take place through the pastorate's Catholic schools and family ministry programs.
- Baptism by arrangement through the parish office
- Marriage preparation at the pastorate level
- First Communion and Confirmation via pastorate schools and family ministries
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Joseph is served by the priests of the Platteville-area Catholic pastorate, which is led by Parochial Administrator Fr. Greg Ihm, with Parochial Vicars Fr. Peter Auer and Fr. Bernard Rott, Pastor Emeritus Fr. David Flanagan, and Fr. John Del Priore serving as pastor for the Hispanic community. Four deacons — Bill Bussan, Lee Eggers, Larry Tranel, and Bill Kearley — assist across the pastorate's parishes.
- Parochial Administrator: Fr. Greg Ihm
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. Peter Auer, Fr. Bernard Rott
- Pastor Emeritus: Fr. David Flanagan
- Hispanic Community: Fr. John Del Priore
- Deacons: Bill Bussan, Lee Eggers, Larry Tranel, Bill Kearley
Parish Office and Communications
St. Joseph shares its parish office and rectory with neighboring St. Francis de Sales. Office hours are Tuesdays from 9:00 AM until noon, and the staff can be reached by phone or email. Weekly parish bulletins are published online at hgschurches.com and shared across the wider Platteville pastorate.
- Rectory address: 1720 26th Street, Hazel Green, WI 53811
- Office hours: Tuesdays 9:00 AM – Noon
- Rectory phone: (608) 854-2392
- Listed church phone: (608) 748-4528
- Website: hgschurches.com/st-joseph
Ministries and Community Life
Parish life at St. Joseph is closely intertwined with St. Francis de Sales. Together they run a combined Parish Council and Council of Catholic Women (CCW) / women's guild, host parish socials such as Soup & Sandwich suppers, and coordinate liturgical ministries. The wider pastorate's Transition Team has prioritized marriage and family ministries, encouraging families to share their domestic Advent, Lenten, and other devotional practices.
- Combined St. Joseph / St. Francis de Sales Parish Council
- Council of Catholic Women (PEC) — soup suppers, parish fellowship
- Liturgical ministries coordinated across the pastorate
- Marriage and family ministry under the pastorate Transition Team
Catholic Schools
Children of the parish attend Catholic schools within the Platteville pastorate. St. Rose School and St. Joseph School (linked to the broader pastorate) provide faith-based K-8 education, and Bishop Hying of Madison has celebrated a pastorate-wide 'All Schools Mass' with the school communities.
- St. Joseph School (pastorate)
- St. Rose School (Cuba City)
- Annual pastorate-wide All Schools Mass with Bishop Hying