About St. Martin De Porres · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church is a Catholic parish on Milwaukee's north side and a member of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. It is one of the Central Milwaukee Catholic Communities, a clustered group of inner-city parishes served by Fr. Michael Wolfe. The parish celebrates Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m. in English at its worship site on North 2nd Street, and is well known locally for its food pantry, its St. Vincent de Paul conference, and its religious education programs for children and adults. Like the Dominican lay brother it is named after, the parish describes itself as 'a community of disciples rooted in Scripture, strengthened in sacrament, committed to justice and steadfast in service.'
- Established
- 1994
- Patron
- St. Martin de Porres
- Rector
- Fr. Michael (Mike) Wolfe
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Martin de Porres is a welcoming inner-city parish where Sunday Mass is celebrated at 9:00 a.m. in an intimate, community setting. Members can grow in faith through Religious Education for K–6, Youth Ministry, RCIA for adults, and ongoing Adult Education, and put that faith into action through a parish-run food pantry (open Mondays and Thursdays) and a St. Vincent de Paul conference that offers person-to-person emergency assistance. A Prayer and Liturgy Committee enriches the parish's spiritual life across Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Black History Month, and other celebrations. It is a parish that explicitly sees itself as a 'community of disciples committed to justice and steadfast in service.'
Mass times at St. Martin De Porres
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Contact the parish office at 414-372-3090 for confession times
Adoration times
- Adoration is listed on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee events page for the parish; specific times should be confirmed with the parish office
History of St. Martin de Porres Parish
St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church was created on November 1, 1994, when the Archdiocese of Milwaukee formed two new parishes from a number of shuttered inner-city congregations. St. Martin de Porres — informally called 'parish east' during planning — drew members from the former St. Gall, St. Boniface and St. Elizabeth parishes, and inherited the historic 128 W. Burleigh Street site that had been home to St. Elizabeth's. That predecessor parish had, in the 1960s, become nationally known for its pastoral team's decision to follow the changing north-side neighborhood and to convert its parish school into the interracial Harambee Community School. Today the parish continues that same mission of discipleship, sacrament, justice and service in central Milwaukee.
- Parish created November 1, 1994
- Successor to St. Gall, St. Boniface and St. Elizabeth parishes
- Sacramental records held by the Archdiocesan Archives
- Continuation of the historic St. Elizabeth's mission at 128 W. Burleigh Street
About Our Patron — St. Martin de Porres
St. Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru in 1579, the son of a Spanish gentleman and a black, freed woman from Panama. At fifteen he became a Dominican lay brother at the Friary of Our Lady of the Rosary in Lima, where he served as barber, farm laborer, almoner and infirmarian. A close friend of St. Rose of Lima, he died on November 3, 1639, and was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. He is the patron of social justice, of mixed-race people, of barbers, and of those seeking racial harmony — and his feast day, November 3, is observed as a special celebration at the parish each year.
- Born Lima, Peru, 1579
- Dominican lay brother from age 15
- Died November 3, 1639
- Canonized May 6, 1962
Mass & Worship
The parish celebrates one Sunday Mass each week at 9:00 a.m. in English, currently at the North 2nd Street worship site. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee lists the parish at 128 W. Burleigh Street, the historic St. Elizabeth building, which remains the canonical parish address. The Archdiocese also lists the parish under its Adoration and Confession offerings; specific confession and adoration times are coordinated through the parish office at 414-372-3090.
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 a.m. (English)
- Annual Juneteenth Mass hosted with the Bishop of Milwaukee
- Confession and Adoration available — contact parish office
Food Pantry
St. Martin de Porres runs a parish food pantry for neighbors who live within the boundaries of Capital Drive, 20th Street, North Avenue and the lake. Food is supplied through the Hunger Task Force, the parish's sister parishes, and donations from St. Robert, St. James and St. Eugene parishes. Volunteers come from the parish itself, other area parishes, and neighborhood partners. A portion of the second collection at Sunday Mass supports the pantry, with additional funds directed to the parish's Capuchin mission partnership in Eritrea and other outreach projects.
- Mondays 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Service area: Capital Drive to 20th Street, North Avenue to the lake
- Supported by the Sunday second collection and sister parishes
St. Vincent de Paul Society
The St. Martin de Porres Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society assists individuals and families in crisis on a person-to-person basis. Vincentians help with emergency needs such as beds, appliances and clothing, and provide information and referrals for medical, employment and other resources. The conference is made up of men and women of all ages and backgrounds, united by a shared spirit of humility and a mission 'to respect the dignity of each individual created in God's image.'
- Person-to-person home visits and emergency assistance
- Beds, appliances, clothing and resource referrals
- Members drawn from across the parish community
Faith Formation & Education
The parish offers a full slate of formation for every age. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade participate in the formal Religious Education program; middle and high school students are served through Youth Ministry; and adults can grow through the RCIA process and ongoing Adult Education. The parish is also a site for the Archdiocese's Central Milwaukee Catholic Parishes scholarship program for parishioners seeking to advance their education.
- Religious Education (K–6)
- Youth Ministry
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Ongoing Adult Education
- Archdiocesan scholarship opportunities for Central Milwaukee Catholic Parishes members
Sacramental Life
St. Martin de Porres celebrates the full sacramental life of the Church — Confession, Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and the sacraments of initiation through RCIA. The parish's sacramental preparation programs accompany parishioners and inquirers through each of these milestones, and the Prayer and Liturgy Committee helps mark them with appropriate prayer and celebration.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- RCIA for unbaptized adults and those completing initiation
Prayer & Liturgy Committee
The Prayer and Liturgy Committee enhances the prayer life of the parish by planning and supporting liturgical celebrations across the Church year — including Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Pentecost — as well as observances of special significance to the community such as Black History Month and Juneteenth. The committee also assists during scheduled anointing services and other parish celebrations.
- Advent and Christmas prayer celebrations
- Lent, Easter and Pentecost liturgies
- Black History Month observance
- Juneteenth celebration (annual Mass with the Bishop)
- Anointing of the Sick services
Outreach & Partnerships
Beyond its food pantry and St. Vincent de Paul conference, the parish partners with sister parishes (St. Robert, St. James, St. Eugene and others) to share food and volunteers, and supports the Capuchin mission in Eritrea, Africa, through a portion of its Sunday second collection. The parish has also benefited from community building-improvement days, in which members of nearby parishes — including St. Dominic's — have joined St. Martin de Porres parishioners to clean, paint and repair parish facilities.
- Sister-parish food and volunteer sharing with St. Robert, St. James and St. Eugene
- Capuchin mission partnership in Eritrea
- Volunteer building-improvement days with neighboring parishes
- WE Energies grant partnership for energy-efficient facility upgrades
Staff
The parish is served by the clergy and lay staff of the Central Milwaukee Catholic Communities, a clustered model in which several central-Milwaukee parishes share pastoral and administrative leadership under one pastor.
- Fr. Michael (Mike) Wolfe — Pastor, Central Milwaukee Catholic Communities ([email protected])
- Ying Yang — Director of Ministry & Mission ([email protected])
- Carma Teasley — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Omar Jones — Building Maintenance Engineering