About St. Joseph · Waterloo, Wisconsin
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic parish at 205 Milwaukee Avenue in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Founded in 1868 by Bohemian (Czech) and German Catholic settlers — among them Civil War veteran and tinsmith Peter Anthony Janisch — it was originally served by priests and missionaries from Milwaukee and Jefferson and from St. Wenceslaus, the tiny 1863 'Island Church' built by Czech immigrants on high ground in the Blue Joint Marsh southeast of town. St. Joseph's quickly eclipsed that rural chapel (whose regular services ended in 1891) as the village grew. Today St. Joseph is one of four worship sites of Epiphany of the Lord Parish in the Diocese of Madison — the very first parish merger produced by the diocese's 'Into the Deep' initiative, canonically erected June 8, 2024, with Fr. Vincent (Vince) Brewer installed as pastor on July 7, 2024.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. Joseph (spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, foster father of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Vincent (Vince) Brewer
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison (Bishop Donald J. Hying)
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the intimate, village-scale rhythm of a historic small-town Catholic parish — Mass on Thursday morning and Saturday Vigil, Saturday confessions, and a clear path into a wider Catholic family through Epiphany of the Lord Parish. As one of four worship sites united under Bishop Hying's 'Into the Deep' vision, parishioners here are part of the first parish merger in the Diocese of Madison, with the pastoral resources of three priests, a deacon, and a Hispanic ministry chaplain, plus Catholic school and outreach programs across the cluster. Visitors are warmly welcomed at 205 Milwaukee Avenue in Waterloo.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (before Vigil Mass)
Parish Identity & History
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Waterloo, Wisconsin, was founded in 1868 by German and Bohemian (Czech) Catholic immigrants who had been walking 12 miles to St. Bernard's in Watertown to attend Mass in a language they did not understand. The parish quickly eclipsed the smaller St. Wenceslaus mission in the Blue Joint Marsh (founded 1863), whose regular services ended in 1891. Today St. Joseph is one of four worship sites of Epiphany of the Lord Parish, the first parish merger produced by the Diocese of Madison's 'Into the Deep' initiative (canonically erected June 8, 2024).
- Founded 1868 in the village of Waterloo
- Czech and German founders from the Landskron (Lanškroun) district of eastern Bohemia
- Among the founders: Civil War veteran Peter Anthony Janisch (1842–1885), tinsmith, Village Trustee, Postmaster, GAR Post commander, buried in St. Joseph Cemetery
- Merged into Epiphany of the Lord Parish on June 8, 2024
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. Joseph is served by the pastoral team of Epiphany of the Lord Parish. Fr. Vince Brewer was installed as the first pastor of the merged parish on July 7, 2024, by Bishop Donald J. Hying at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Sun Prairie. He is assisted by two parochial vicars, a chaplain for Hispanic ministry, and Deacon Joe Stafford.
- Fr. Vincent (Vince) Brewer — Pastor
- Fr. Michael Johnson — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. William Vernon — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Manuel Mendez — Chaplain of Hispanic Ministry
- Deacon Joe Stafford
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
At the St. Joseph worship site in Waterloo, the regular weekly schedule as published on the parish and aggregator sites consists of one weekday Mass and the Saturday Vigil, with confessions heard before the Vigil Mass. (Older listings also note additional daily Masses — Monday evening, Wednesday and Friday mornings with Holy Hour and confessions — reflecting the previous Holy Family Parish arrangement.) For the most current times, parishioners are directed to the parish office at (920) 478-2032.
- Thursday 8:15 AM — Daily Mass
- Saturday 4:30 PM — Vigil Mass (Sunday obligation)
- Saturday 3:30–4:00 PM — Confessions
- Older schedule also listed: Mon 6:30 PM; Wed & Fri 8:15 AM with Holy Hour and Confessions
Epiphany of the Lord Parish Cluster
St. Joseph is one of four worship sites of Epiphany of the Lord Parish, alongside St. Mary of the Nativity in Marshall, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Sun Prairie, and St. Albert the Great in Sun Prairie. The parish was canonically erected June 8, 2024 — the first merger in the Diocese of Madison's 'Into the Deep' restructuring — and was chosen in part because the participating communities were already working with the diocese under a centralized business model. The parish operates a Catholic school in Sun Prairie (with before- and after-school childcare), a vibrant Hispanic community, and three Catholic cemeteries: St. Mary's, St. Joseph's, and Sacred Hearts.
- Four worship sites: St. Joseph (Waterloo), St. Mary of the Nativity (Marshall), Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Sun Prairie), St. Albert the Great (Sun Prairie)
- Central office: 221 Columbus Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590 — (608) 837-7381
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Parish school: Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Sun Prairie)
The 'Island Church' — St. Wenceslaus Mission
St. Joseph's history is inseparable from St. Wenceslaus, the tiny 32-by-24-foot tamarack-log chapel built in 1863 by Czech and German immigrants on an island of high ground in the Blue Joint Marsh southeast of Waterloo. The walls are squared-off tamarack logs sheathed with vertical boards and battens; inside they are coated with lime plaster. Local craftsman John Fiedler built the original pine pews (joined with wooden dowels), and a small iron stove with an extended stovepipe still stands in the middle aisle. The original bell hangs in the two-stage louvered belfry, and the white enameled altar bears a Greek cross and images of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, and St. Wenceslaus. Never having its own resident pastor, the church was served by missionaries from Milwaukee and Jefferson and later by the pastor of St. Joseph's in Waterloo. Regular use ended in 1891; the church was deconsecrated and its relics, chalice, paten and ciborium removed, but its Stations of the Cross, candlesticks and crucifixes were left in place, preserving it as a time capsule. It is a Wisconsin Registered Landmark (#80) and is on the National Register of Historic Places, now cared for by the Island Church Foundation, which hosts a family picnic each July and a St. Wenceslaus Day celebration each September.
- Built c. 1863 by Czech/German immigrants in Blue Joint Marsh
- 32 × 24 feet, tamarack-log walls, board-and-batten siding
- Pine pews by John Fiedler; original bell and iron stove survive
- Wisconsin Registered Landmark #80; National Register of Historic Places (1975)
- Cared for by the Island Church Foundation
Sacraments & Faith Life
Through Epiphany of the Lord Parish, St. Joseph parishioners have access to the full range of Catholic sacraments: Baptism, First Communion and Reconciliation (through parish faith formation), Marriage preparation, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral liturgies. Inquiries are handled through the central parish office at 221 Columbus Street, Sun Prairie, or by calling (920) 478-2032 for the Waterloo site.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Communion & Reconciliation — parish faith formation
- Marriage — preparation through the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
- Funeral Liturgies
Cemeteries
Epiphany of the Lord Parish operates three Catholic cemeteries, including St. Joseph Cemetery in Waterloo. Many of the original 19th-century founders of the parish — including Peter Anthony Janisch (d. 1885) — are buried there.
- St. Joseph Cemetery, Waterloo
- St. Mary's Cemetery
- Sacred Hearts Cemetery
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Peter Anthony Janisch (founder/trustee)1868 onward
Czech immigrant, Civil War veteran, co-founder of St. Joseph and of Waterloo's hardware trade; buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, 1885.
- Holy Family Parish pastors (paired with St. Mary of the Nativity, Marshall)pre-2024
St. Joseph was served through the Holy Family pastorate model before the 2024 merger.
- Fr. Vince Brewer2024–present
Installed July 7, 2024 as first pastor of the merged Epiphany of the Lord Parish.