About St. Katharine Drexel (St. Francis site) · Kaukauna, Wisconsin
St. Katharine Drexel Parish — worshipping at the historic St. Francis site in Hollandtown, Kaukauna — is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, named for the American saint Mother Katharine Drexel who devoted her life to serving marginalized and Native American communities. It is one of three linked worship sites (together with the St. Mary site and Holy Cross Church) that form the Kaukauna Catholic Parishes cluster, sharing clergy, school, and ministries under the umbrella mission to 'Discover, Live, and Share Jesus.' The St. Francis site is the spiritual home of the original 1848 Dutch Catholic colony — the only Dutch Roman Catholic colony in the United States — and today offers Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, OCIA, and active outreach through ministries such as Saint Vincent de Paul.
- Established
- 1848
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi (Francis Seraph) — historical patron of St. Francis Seraph Parish
- Rector
- Rev. Luke Ferris (Pastor of Kaukauna Catholic Parishes)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Katharine Drexel at the St. Francis site offers the rare chance to worship in the spiritual home of America's only Dutch Roman Catholic colony — a parish founded by Franciscan pioneers in 1848 and still anchored by the striking 1899 Gothic Revival brick church in Hollandtown. It is a tight-knit, multigenerational community: weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, OCIA for adults, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for the youngest children, age-graded Discipleship through grade 12, a 7 a.m. Saturday 'Men on a Mission' gathering, a Bereavement/Compassionate Friends outreach, and active Saint Vincent de Paul service to those in need — all supported by a shared clergy team and St. Ignatius Catholic School, the first Catholic classical school in the Fox Valley.
Mass times at St. Katharine Drexel (St. Francis site)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Sunday of the month: 7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. (St. Francis site)
- Saturday: 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (St. Mary site)
- Or by appointment (call 920-766-1445)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (St. Francis site, following the 7:00 a.m. Mass)
History & Heritage
St. Francis Seraph of Hollandtown, now the St. Francis site of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, is the spiritual home of the only Dutch Roman Catholic colony in the United States, founded in 1848 by Father Adriannus Dominicus Godthardt and the families of the bark Libra. The parish has worshiped continuously through three successive churches — a 1848 log structure, a frame replacement, an 1860s church destroyed by lightning in 1899, and the present 1899 brick Gothic Revival church built under Father Cajetan De Louw. The community still celebrates the Hollandtown Schut every year since 1849, recognized by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in 1956.
- 1848 — Founding of St. Francis Seraph, 'Franciscus Bosch' / Hollandtown
- 1871 — Parochial school established (oldest Catholic school in the Kaukauna area)
- June 13, 1899 — Earlier church destroyed by lightning and fire
- June 19, 1900 — Present brick Gothic church dedicated; consecrated October 4, 1903
- 1923 — New five-room parochial school erected under Bishop Samuel Rhode
- July 1, 2007 — Merger with St. Mary of the Annunciation and St. Aloysius to form St. Katharine Drexel Parish
Faith Formation & Discipleship
Faith formation for the St. Francis site is organized cluster-wide as KCP Discipleship, with age-graded tracks from Pre-K through Grade 12 plus an adult OCIA process. The parish is also a home of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-style atrium approach for the youngest children.
- Pre-K through Grade 5 Discipleship — Jackie Wallace
- Grades 6–8 Discipleship / Middle School — Kristin Filk
- High School Discipleship / Youth Ministry — Megan Hafenbreadl
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — April Jaure
- Adult Discipleship / OCIA (Becoming Catholic) — Jenny Binsfeld
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the formal process by which adults are welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church. The Kaukauna Catholic Parishes cluster walks inquirers through carefully planned stages marked by liturgical rites, taking into account whether a person is already baptized or catechized, and welcoming mature Christians from other traditions on an individual basis.
- Contact: Jenny Binsfeld, (920) 766-1445 x119
Parish School — St. Ignatius Catholic School
The parish-supported school for the cluster is St. Ignatius Catholic School, the product of three Kaukauna Catholic schools (St. Aloysius, St. Mary's, and Holy Cross) and one Hollandtown school (St. Francis, founded 1871). On July 1, 2016 the system was renamed St. Ignatius, and in 2014 it became the first Catholic school in the Diocese of Green Bay to transition to a classical curriculum. In Fall 2021 the school expanded to grades 9–12 with the addition of St. Ignatius Chesterton Academy, a Chesterton Schools Network high school — the first Catholic classical school in the Fox Valley at every level.
- Founded originally as St. Francis School, Hollandtown, 1871
- Kaukauna Catholic School System (KCSS) formed March 31, 1993
- Renamed St. Ignatius Catholic School on July 1, 2016
- Classical curriculum transition announced May 16, 2014 with Bishop David Ricken
- Chesterton Academy high school added Fall 2021
Outreach & Charity
The St. Francis site participates in the cluster-wide Saint Vincent de Paul conference, which serves neighbors in need across Kaukauna and Hollandtown. The Compassionate Friends Bereavement Ministry supports families for a full year after a funeral — sending prayers, cards, and assisting with the All Souls Day Prayer Service on November 2 and an annual widows/widowers gathering each spring. A 'Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them' remembrance wall honors each parishioner who has died.
- Saint Vincent de Paul
- Compassionate Friends Bereavement Ministry (Jean Ryan, Nancy Hartl)
- All Souls Day Prayer Service (Nov. 2)
- Annual widows/widowers gathering in spring
- Remembrance wall at Holy Cross and St. Mary
Men's Ministry
The parish supports a 'Men on a Mission' men's ministry that gathers regularly at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings at the St. Katharine Drexel – St. Mary Cafeteria. Dates and times are published in the weekly bulletin.
- Saturday 7:00 a.m. at St. Mary cafeteria
- Contacts: Jack Beilfuss (920-241-1963), Glen Hansen (920-766-1727), Cal Martin (920-750-9125)
Staff & Clergy
The St. Francis site is served by the cluster-wide staff of Kaukauna Catholic Parishes under Pastor Fr. Luke Ferris. Pastoral care is shared with Parochial Vicar Fr. Mark Rydell and Fr. Sudha Sivvam, supported by Deacons Randy Haak and Hank Wildenberg. The parish office (located at the St. Mary site, 119 W. 7th St., Kaukauna) handles all communications; there is no office at St. Francis itself.
- Pastor — Rev. Luke Ferris
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Mark Rydell
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Sudha Sivvam
- Deacon — Randy Haak
- Deacon — Hank Wildenberg
- Business Administrator — Tammy Schmahl
- Maintenance Supervisor — Shari Vandenberg
- Worship Admin. Assistant — Pat Feldkamp
- SCRIP Coordinator — Sue Zwiers
Sacraments
All sacraments for the St. Francis site are coordinated through the Kaukauna Catholic Parishes parish office. Preparation for Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation is run through KCP Discipleship; Marriage and Anointing of the Sick are scheduled through the parish office; and funerals are supported by the Compassionate Friends Bereavement Ministry.
- Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation — via KCP Discipleship
- Marriage — call the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office
- Funerals — supported by Compassionate Friends Ministry
Visiting Hollandtown
Hollandtown is a small, historically Dutch community in the Town of Holland, Outagamie County, about 15 minutes east of Kaukauna along County Road CE. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the historic 1899 Gothic Revival church. Of particular interest are the Stations of the Cross (painted plaster, donated by pioneer Nicholas Vanden Berg) and the surrounding 1848 colony landscape that gave birth to America's only Dutch Roman Catholic settlement.
- St. Francis Church — 433 County Road CE, Kaukauna, WI 54130
- Stations of the Cross (14 stations, donated by Vanden Berg family)
- Wisconsin Historical Society listing AHI 1518
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Adriannus Dominicus Godthardt (Fr. Godhart / Fr. Godhard / Fr. Godthard)1848–c.1858 (founder; first decade had no resident priest)
Franciscan priest from Haarlem, Netherlands; led the 13 founding families from the bark Libra and built the original log church of Franciscus Bosch (Hollandtown) in 1848. Head of the Order of St. Francis to which the parish is dedicated.
- Rev. Theodore van den Broek1840s–1850s
Dominican missionary stationed at Little Chute who recruited the Dutch Catholic families in the Netherlands and organized the colony; brought the sacraments in the parish's early years.
- Rev. Wilhelmus De Jonge and Rev. Hubertus Nuyts (Crosier Fathers)1850s
Crosier Fathers fresh from the seminary at Uden, Netherlands, who traveled from Green Bay to bring the sacraments to the infant Hollandtown parish.
- Rev. Cajetan De Louw1899–c.1900
Pastor under whom the present Early Gothic Revival brick church was constructed after lightning destroyed the previous church on June 13, 1899.
- Rev. Van Oeffel1920s
Pastor at the time of the 1923 new parochial school; addressed the 1923 commencement class and presented diplomas to 19 graduates.
- Msgr. Francis J. Petersc. mid-20th century
Author of the Centennial Jubilee of the Establishment of Saint Francis Parish, Hollandtown, Wisconsin, 1848–1948 (1948) — the central historical source for the parish.
- Rev. Luke Ferriscurrent
Current Pastor of the Kaukauna Catholic Parishes cluster (St. Katharine Drexel + Holy Cross).