About St. Luke · Boyceville, Wisconsin
St. Luke Parish is a small Roman Catholic community serving Boyceville, Wisconsin, and the surrounding villages of Knapp, Wheeler, Connorsville, Ridgeland, and Downing. Founded in 1965 under the Diocese of La Crosse, it has never had a resident pastor and is currently linked with Sacred Heart Parish in Spring Valley and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Elmwood as a tri-parish community sharing one priest. The parish is led today by Rev. Dr. Fr. Anbalagan "Father Anbu" Shanmugam, a priest from the Diocese of Vellore in South India. Weekly Mass is celebrated Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with weekday Mass on Thursday, perpetual-style Eucharistic Adoration all day Monday, and a family-style religious education program for youth.
- Established
- 1965
- Patron
- Saint Luke the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Dr. Fr. Anbalagan "Father Anbu" Shanmugam
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Deanery: Durand)
Why belong here
St. Luke is a parish where a small Catholic community keeps the heart of parish life clearly visible: the Sunday (and Saturday vigil) celebration of the Eucharist, weekday Mass on Thursdays, all-day Monday Eucharistic Adoration, regular Confession before Mass, and active devotion to the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy prayed before each Mass. Families raising children in the faith are supported through an in-person religious education program taught by Rita Zimmerman on Wednesday afternoons, supplemented by a flexible in-home study option coordinated by CRE Mary Byrne, and any adult seeking to become Catholic — or to deepen their understanding of Christ and His Church — can join the RCIA process run jointly with Sacred Heart in Spring Valley. A working Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Corporation Board of Directors, with chairs in Catechesis & Evangelization, keep the parish rooted in the wider Diocese of La Crosse.
Mass times at St. Luke
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday before the 5:00 p.m. Mass
- Sunday 8:00–8:20 a.m. before the 8:30 a.m. Mass
- By appointment (call parish office at 715-643-3081)
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (per the parish website)
- Monday 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (per the Diocese of La Crosse parish listing)
Parish History
Born from a 1961 census that found 50 Catholic families scattered across Boyceville and surrounding villages, St. Luke first gathered for the Eucharist on November 10, 1963 in non-Catholic Arnie Wold's small carpenter shop. A $10,000 gift from Henry Praschak of Marshfield made a real church possible; ground was broken September 27, 1964, and Holy Week and Easter Sunday of 1965 were the first celebrations in the new building. Bishop Frederick W. Freking formally dedicated the church on August 29, 1965.
- 1961 census identifies 50 Catholic families in Boyceville, Knapp, Wheeler, Connorsville, Ridgeland, and Downing
- November 10, 1963 — first Mass in Arnie Wold's carpenter shop
- September 27, 1964 — ground broken for the new church
- Holy Week / Easter 1965 — first liturgical celebrations in the new church
- August 29, 1965 — church dedicated by Bishop Frederick W. Freking
- Never has had a resident pastor; served from Menomonie, Eau Galle, Elk Mound, and Rock Falls
Pastor & Staff
St. Luke Parish is currently served by Rev. Dr. Fr. Anbalagan Shanmugam, called "Father Anbu," a priest of the Diocese of Vellore in South India who resides at the linked Sacred Heart rectory in Elmwood. He was appointed pastor effective September 5, 2023. Judy Humpal serves the parish as Secretary and Bookkeeper and is the primary point of contact through the parish office.
- Pastor — Rev. Dr. Fr. Anbalagan "Father Anbu" Shanmugam
- Parish Secretary / Bookkeeper — Judy Humpal
- Pastor resides at the Sacred Heart rectory in Elmwood (tri-parish arrangement)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Luke's youth ministry runs two tracks to fit family life. The in-person program, taught by Rita Zimmerman, meets weekly on Wednesday afternoons at the church. The in-home program gives parents the flexibility to direct weekly studies while students gather once or twice a month for group activities. Both are coordinated by CRE Mary Byrne (715-643-2303).
- In-person program — Wednesdays at the church, taught by Rita Zimmerman
- In-home program — parent-led weekly studies + monthly group activities
- Coordinator: Mary Byrne (CRE) — 715-643-2303
Becoming Catholic — RCIA
For adults who want to become Catholic or simply grow deeper in their understanding of Jesus Christ and His Church, St. Luke partners with Sacred Heart in Spring Valley to offer the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
- RCIA offered jointly with Sacred Heart Parish, Spring Valley
- Contact the parish office — 715-643-3081
Parish Councils & Leadership
The parish is led by the pastor in collaboration with a Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Corporation Board of Directors, and standing committees in Catechesis & Evangelization, Sacred Worship, Marriage and Family Life, and Social Concerns. Several committee chairs are presently vacant, reflecting the small-parish reality and inviting parishioner involvement.
- Pastoral Council — Chair: Karen Hansen (2023); members Betty Garside (2023), Tom Humpal (2022), Joe Pieters (2022), Sam Hughes (2020), Terry Mohn (2023)
- Finance Council — Joey Boesl, Leslie Nelson (2022), Frank Kowalczyk (2023)
- Corporation Board of Directors — Paul Zimmerman, Joe Pieters
- Catechesis & Evangelization — Mary Byrne
- Sacred Worship, Marriage and Family Life, Social Concerns — currently vacant
Tri-Parish Community (Spring Valley • Elmwood • Boyceville)
Since July 2012, St. Luke has been served together with Sacred Heart Parish in Spring Valley and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Elmwood as a single tri-parish community under one pastor. Mass times, Adoration hours, and event calendars are coordinated across the three churches, and a tri-parish PDF Mass schedule is published on the website.
- Linked parishes: Sacred Heart–Spring Valley, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus–Elmwood, St. Luke–Boyceville
- Shared pastor serving all three communities
- Tri-Parish Mass Schedule PDF available on the parish website
- Linked Facebook presence covering Spring Valley, Elmwood, and Boyceville
Diocese & Bishop
St. Luke Parish belongs to the Diocese of La Crosse, in the Durand Deanery. The current diocesan bishop is the Most Reverend William Patrick Callahan, D.D., whose appointment announcements are published in the diocesan publication Catholic Life. The parish site references Bishop Callahan directly in current communications.
- Diocese: La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Deanery: Durand
- Bishop: Most Rev. William Patrick Callahan, D.D.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Arockia Amirtha-Raj Stanislausuntil July 5, 2022
Released by the diocese in May 2022 to study Spanish and serve at Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II in Lurin, Peru.
- Rev. Dr. Fr. Anbalagan "Father Anbu" Shanmugameffective September 5, 2023
Appointed Pastor of the linked tri-parish (Sacred Heart–Spring Valley, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus–Elmwood, St. Luke–Boyceville) with residence at the Sacred Heart rectory in Elmwood.