St. Joseph

About St. Joseph Parish

St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small, family-centered parish in Stratford, Wisconsin, part of the Diocese of La Crosse. The parish shares its priest and many of its programs with its sister parish of St. Andrew in Rozellville, and the parish website (stjosephstratford.org) serves both communities. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM and can be reached at (715) 687-2404 or [email protected].

Parish History

St. Joseph Parish was born from two earlier Catholic communities in the area: Holy Trinity in Webertown and St. Andrew's in Rozellville. German settlers from Trier, Germany built Holy Trinity as a simple 24-by-60 wood-frame church in 1887; St. Andrew's in Rozellville was built in 1881, and by 1893 Holy Trinity had become a mission of St. Andrew's. When the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad and the W. D. Connor Lumber Company sawmill (founded 1891) shifted the population toward Stratford, the decision was made in November 1897 to build the new church there rather than in Webertown. The cornerstone was laid in spring 1898, the building was completed in 1899, and the parish was canonically erected in 1900 with the first baptism (Walter M. Kaiser), first funeral (George Schweikl, October 31, 1900), first First Holy Communion (November 1, 1900) and first wedding (Louis Meixner and Catherine Wudy, January 16, 1901). The first resident pastor, Fr. Martin Casper, arrived in 1902.

• 1884 — Decision to build a church in Webertown (German settlers from Trier)
• 1887 — Holy Trinity Church completed (24×60 ft, wood frame, bell tower)
• 1881 — St. Andrew's Church built in Rozellville
• 1891 — Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and W. D. Connor Lumber Co. arrive in Stratford
• 1893 — Holy Trinity becomes a mission of St. Andrew's
• November 1897 — Congregation decides to build St. Joseph in Stratford
• Spring 1898 — Cornerstone laid (Fr. John Eisen/Gara)
• 1899 — Original church building completed
• 1900 — Parish canonically erected; first sacraments recorded
• 1902 — Fr. Martin Casper becomes first resident pastor; first rectory built
• 1918–1944 — Fr. John L. Schumacher's pastorate (longest in parish history)
• 1939–1940 — New church/school combination built ($70,000; 600-seat church, 6 classrooms)
• 1949 — Present rectory built, dedicated January 19, 1950
• 1948 — St. Adalbert's becomes a mission of St. Joseph
• St. Andrew and St. Joseph formally become sister parishes

Parish Staff

The parish is led by Fr. Eric Mashak, Parochial Administrator, who also serves the sister parish of St. Andrew in Rozellville. Parish operations are supported by an administrative office assistant, a Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE), and a Coordinator of Youth Ministry.

• Father Eric Mashak — Parochial Administrator (Parish Office: 715-687-2404)
• Sally Bargender — Administrative Office Assistant
• Alexandra Skaya — Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) — [email protected] — 715-323-3422
• Amanda Tiry — Coordinator of Youth Ministry — [email protected] — 715-551-2353

St. Joseph Catholic School

St. Joseph Catholic School, located at 119210 Larch St., Stratford (P.O. Box 6, 54484), provides Catholic education for Grades 3K through 8. The school's mission is 'to educate God's children by promoting Catholic values through academic excellence and service to others.' Students attend weekly Mass and have opportunities for special prayer services, community service, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, religion classes, and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. All teaching staff are state-licensed through the Wisconsin Department of Instruction and hold religious certification with the Diocese of La Crosse. The school can be reached at 715-687-4145 (fax 715-687-4343).

• Grades served: 3K through 8
• Weekly Mass for students
• Sacrament of Reconciliation offered
• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd religion program
• Hot lunch program
• Midterm, quarterly, and parent-request progress reports
• Two scheduled Parent-Teacher conferences per year

Faith Formation & Youth Ministry

Faith formation outside the parish school is coordinated through the parish's CCD/Religious Education program and its Youth Ministry, both of which prepare children and teens for the sacraments and ongoing discipleship.

• CCD / Religious Education (K–Grade 8, for non-school families)
• Youth Ministry (grades 6–12)
• Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
• Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE): Alexandra Skaya
• Coordinator of Youth Ministry: Amanda Tiry

Parish Organizations & Councils

Parish life at St. Joseph is supported by a council of Catholic women that traces its roots back to the parish's earliest days, and by an Education Committee that advises the pastor on parish schooling.

• Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) — successor to the Christian Mothers Society (founded under Fr. Casper, c. 1902–1912) and the Altar Society
• Parish Education Committee — collaborative advisory body established by the pastor, assisting in planning, policy, financing, public relations, evaluation, and consultation for the parish's education program

Sacraments

St. Joseph celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments as part of parish life. Schedules for Reconciliation are listed in the Mass & Confession section; Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged through the parish office.

• Baptism — arrange through parish office
• First Holy Communion — celebrated annually (first parish celebration November 1, 1900)
• Confirmation — through CCD/Youth Ministry
• Matrimony — first parish wedding January 16, 1901
• Anointing of the Sick
• Reconciliation — Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM and First Friday 9:00–9:30 AM

Sister Parish: St. Andrew, Rozellville

St. Joseph shares its pastor and parish office with St. Andrew Catholic Church in Rozellville, a few miles to the southeast. Originally built in 1881 and long the 'mother' parish of Holy Trinity in Webertown, St. Andrew's became a formal sister parish of St. Joseph in the late 20th century; the two parishes are now run as a single pastoral unit under Fr. Eric Mashak.

• St. Andrew Catholic Church, Rozellville
• Confession: Saturday 6:15–6:45 PM
• Weekend Masses: Saturday 7:00 PM, Sunday 8:00 AM
• Daily Mass: Tuesday 5:?? PM, Thursday 8:00 AM
• Adoration & Benediction: First Thursday after the 8:00 AM Mass, with confessions 8:30–9:00 AM

Visiting & Contact

St. Joseph's parish office is located on the church grounds at 119200 Larch Street, Stratford, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Visitors and those interested in joining the parish are warmly welcomed; the pastor is happy to meet with inquirers at any time, and a group information series is offered every year. The parish invites Catholics in the Stratford–Rozellville area who are not yet registered to contact the office for new-member registration.

• Parish Office: 119200 Larch St., P.O. Box 6, Stratford, WI 54484
• Office Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
• Phone: (715) 687-2404
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: stjosephstratford.org
• New Member Registration available through the parish office