About St. Martin · Campbellsport, Wisconsin
St. Martin Chapel is a mission chapel of St. Matthew Catholic Parish in Campbellsport, Wisconsin, located in the rural Town of Ashford along Highway 67. The chapel serves as a satellite worship site for St. Matthew Parish, hosting one monthly Mass on the second Sunday at 7:30 a.m. for surrounding farm families and rural households. It is part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and shares pastoral leadership and parish staff with the main St. Matthew church and the sister mission chapel of St. Kilian.
- Patron
- St. Martin of Tours
- Rector
- Rev. Mark R. Jones
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Martin Chapel offers rural Catholics in the Ashford area a small, intimate place of worship where Mass is celebrated once a month on the second Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Belonging here means joining St. Matthew Parish community, a long-standing Fond du Lac County congregation with deep roots dating to the 1860s and a full Catholic school (PK–Grade 8) on its main campus. Members can take part in vibrant parish-wide ministries — two weekend choirs, Religious Education for grades 1–11, youth ministry, a daycare, and Christian Women fellowship — all under the pastoral care of Fr. Mark R. Jones and a dedicated lay staff.
Mass times at St. Martin
Weekly Mass schedule
St. Martin Chapel — A Mission of St. Matthew Parish
St. Martin Chapel is a rural mission chapel belonging to St. Matthew Catholic Parish in Campbellsport, Wisconsin. Located on N1271 Minnie Lane along Highway 67 in the Town of Ashford, the chapel serves farm families and households in the surrounding countryside who gather for one Sunday Mass each month. The mission is served by Rev. Mark R. Jones, who also pastors the main St. Matthew church in Campbellsport and the sister mission of St. Kilian Chapel.
- Chapel location: N1271 Minnie Lane (on Hwy 67 in Ashford), Campbellsport, WI 53010
- Mass schedule: 2nd Sunday of every month at 7:30 a.m. (English)
- Served by Rev. Mark R. Jones, Pastor of St. Matthew Parish
Joining the St. Matthew Parish Community
Because St. Martin Chapel is a mission site, those wishing to become parishioners are welcomed into the broader St. Matthew Parish community. The St. Matthew Parish office is located at 419 Mill Street in Campbellsport, with a parish center at 406 E. Main Street. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed Fridays). Mail should be addressed to St. Matthew Parish, P.O. Box 740, Campbellsport, WI 53010.
- Parish Office phone: 920-533-4441
- Parish Office fax: 920-533-5280
- Parish Office email: [email protected]
St. Matthew Parish — Founding & History
The parent parish of St. Matthew was established around 1864, when Catholic settlers in what was then New Cassel (later Campbellsport) organized a church served by neighboring pastors for roughly a decade. The first resident pastor, Rev. Anthony Michels, arrived in 1874 and immediately set about founding a parish school, which opened that same year with three German Franciscan Sisters who had fled Bismarck's Kulturkampf in Germany. Under successive pastors the parish built and rebuilt both its church and school — most notably the present St. Matthew church, completed in 1905 under Father Bernard July at a cost of about $25,000.
- Founded c. 1864; first resident pastor Rev. Anthony Michels, 1874
- St. Matthew School opened 1874 with three German Franciscan Sisters
- Present church built 1905 under Father Bernard July
- New school built 1956; expanded 1962 and 1968
St. Matthew School & Religious Education
St. Matthew Parish has operated a parish school continuously since 1874. The current school building was completed in 1956 with a gym and four classrooms and expanded with additions in 1962 (office and two classrooms) and 1968. A Religious Education program supplements the school, meeting on Wednesdays from September through April for grades 1–8 and on two Sundays each month for grades 9–11.
- Parish school open since 1874
- Religious Education: Grades 1–8 Wednesdays, Sept.–April
- Religious Education: Grades 9–11 twice monthly
Pastoral Succession of St. Matthew Parish
The pastors who have served St. Matthew Parish — and through it the mission chapels of St. Martin and St. Kilian — span more than 150 years. Highlights include the long tenure of Father Bernard July (1900–1935), who built the present church, and Father Victor Kemmer, who arrived in 1970 and launched the Parish Council, Pre-school Religion Program, and Board of Education. Today Rev. Mark R. Jones serves as pastor.
- Rev. Anthony Michels (1874–)
- Rev. John Bertram (1879–)
- Rev. Francis Heller (1894–1899)
- Rev. Bernard July (1900–1935)
- Rev. Peter Schwamb (from 1951)
- Rev. Carl Wahlen (first full-time assistant)
- Rev. Warren Schmitt (from 1963)
- Rev. Victor Kemmer (from 1970)
- Rev. Mark R. Jones (current)
Worship & Liturgy at St. Martin Chapel
St. Martin Chapel hosts a single English-language Mass each month, on the second Sunday at 7:30 a.m. The chapel has its own worship space but draws on the wider St. Matthew Parish for liturgical ministers, music, and sacramental preparation. Additional Masses (Saturday 4:00 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.) are celebrated at the main St. Matthew church, and St. Kilian Chapel celebrates Mass on the fourth Sunday of each month at 7:30 a.m.
- St. Martin Chapel: 2nd Sunday, 7:30 a.m.
- St. Kilian Chapel: 4th Sunday, 7:30 a.m.
- St. Matthew Church: Saturday 4:00 p.m.; Sunday 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Parish Ministries & Faith Formation
St. Matthew Parish offers a full range of ministries that mission-chapel parishioners are warmly invited to join. Liturgical roles include ushers/greeters, Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, and altar servers (4th grade and older). Music is led by two weekend choirs: the Saturday 4 p.m. Praise Choir (rehearsing most Monday evenings, contact Ann Schlaefer) and the Sunday 9 a.m. choir (contact Bea Mueller). Religious Education serves grades 1–11, and the parish employs a Youth Minister and a Director of Religious Education.
- Ushers/Greeters, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Altar Servers
- Saturday 4 p.m. Praise Choir (Ann Schlaefer, 920-533-8869)
- Sunday 9 a.m. Choir (Bea Mueller, 920-533-8275)
- Religious Education (Dawn Doll, DRE — 920-477-3551 x208 or [email protected])
- Youth Ministry (Anna Kraus, 920-477-3551)
Parish Staff
The pastoral and administrative staff of St. Matthew Parish — who also serve the mission chapels of St. Martin and St. Kilian — are listed on the parish website. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office is closed on Fridays.
- Rev. Mark R. Jones — Pastor (920-533-4441)
- Naomi Schueller — Office Manager (920-533-4441)
- Monica Lettow — Business Manager (920-533-4441)
- Joan Schlaefer — Daycare Director (920-533-4441)
- Anna Kraus — Youth Minister (920-477-3551)
- Dawn Doll — Director of Religious Education (920-477-3551 x208)
- Jan Rams — Principal (St. Matthew School)
- Harry Beck — Building Maintenance (920-533-4441)
St. Matthew Cemetery
St. Matthew Parish maintains a Catholic cemetery on the west bank of the Milwaukee River. The original three-plot site was purchased in 1866, with additional land acquired in 1899, 1922, and 1977. The cemetery is affiliated with the (Arch)Diocese of Milwaukee and reflects the parish's commitment to reverent care for the bodily remains of its deceased members in the hope of resurrection.
- Cemetery established 1866
- Additional land purchased 1899, 1922, and 1977
Other St. Matthew Mission: St. Kilian Chapel
Alongside St. Martin Chapel, St. Matthew Parish operates a second mission chapel, St. Kilian, at N189 County Road W, Campbellsport, WI 53010. Mass is celebrated there on the 4th Sunday of each month at 7:30 a.m., also served by Rev. Mark R. Jones. Together the two chapels extend the parish's reach into the rural communities surrounding Campbellsport.
- St. Kilian Chapel: N189 County Road W, Campbellsport, WI 53010
- Mass: 4th Sunday of each month at 7:30 a.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Anthony Michels1874–
St. Matthew Parish's first resident pastor; opened St. Matthew School in 1874 with three German Franciscan Sisters.
- Rev. John Bertram1879–
Enlarged the church and built a new school.
- Rev. Francis Heller1894–1899
- Rev. Joseph Proelichlate 1890s
Brief tenure.
- Rev. Bernard July (Julie)1900–1935
Built the present St. Matthew church (completed 1905, ~$25,000), a new rectory, and a new Sisters' home; also oversaw school renovation.
- Rev. Peter Schwambfrom 1951
Built the new school with gym and four classrooms (completed 1956); also built a new Sisters' home (completed 1961).
- Rev. Carl Wahlenduring Schwamb's tenure
St. Matthew's first full-time assistant priest.
- Rev. Warren Schmittfrom 1963
Redecorated the church and built a second school addition in 1968.
- Rev. Victor Kemmerfrom 1970
Served as Administrator/Pastor; began St. Matthew's Parish Council in 1971, started a Pre-school Religion Program in 1976, and established the Board of Education in 1978.
- Rev. Mark R. Jonescurrent
Current pastor of St. Matthew Parish, also serving St. Martin and St. Kilian Chapels.