About St. Martin of Tours · Franklin, Wisconsin
St. Martin of Tours is a Roman Catholic parish in Franklin, Wisconsin, belonging to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and served by the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJ / Dehonians) since 1974. The parish was officially established on July 1, 1998, through the merger of two historic Franklin congregations — Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (founded 1858 by German immigrants) and Holy Assumption (founded 1847 for Irish-English speaking settlers). Today St. Martin of Tours is a bilingual English and Vietnamese community, celebrating weekend Masses in both languages, and is led by Pastor Fr. Andrzej Sudol, SCJ, together with Associate Pastor Fr. Francis Vu Tran, SCJ, and three deacons. The parish is known for its emphasis on Stewardship, Youth, Evangelization, Faith Formation, and outreach to the poor.
- Established
- 1998
- Patron
- St. Martin of Tours
- Rector
- Rev. Andrzej Sudol, SCJ
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Martin of Tours welcomes new members into a diverse, bilingual (English and Vietnamese) Catholic community with a strong missionary focus. The parish offers daily and weekend Masses, regular Reconciliation and Monday-night Adoration, a parish school and religious education program, an active food pantry, a Prayer Shawl Ministry, and a Human Concerns committee that supports the local needy through collections, a Needy Fund, blood drives, and an Angel Giving Tree at Advent. Fr. Andrzej Sudol, SCJ and his team emphasize Stewardship, Youth, and Evangelization, inviting parishioners to grow as disciples and serve both the parish family and the wider Milwaukee community.
Mass times at St. Martin of Tours
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00pm (or by appointment)
- Monday 6:00pm — Adoration and Reconciliation (except holidays and Holy Days)
Adoration times
- Monday 6:00pm — Adoration and Reconciliation (except holidays and Holy Days)
- Tuesday 6:00pm — Liturgy of the Hours & Adoration (unless noted, per bulletin)
History of St. Martin of Tours Faith Community
The parish's roots reach back to 1839, when the town of Franklin was founded. Holy Assumption Parish was built in 1847 to serve Irish and English-speaking settlers; in 1858 German immigrants established Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on land donated by Holy Assumption. The two congregations remained separate for nearly 140 years before being merged in 1998 to form St. Martin of Tours. A new church was built in 2003–2004, with the original 1858 Sacred Hearts building renovated into the narthex.
- 1839 — Town of Franklin founded
- 1842 — Fr. Martin Kundig settles in the area
- 1847 — Holy Assumption Parish built for English-speaking / Irish immigrants
- 1858 — Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary founded by Fr. Franz Weinhart for German Catholics; cornerstone laid June 5, 1858
- 1859 — Sacred Hearts blessed October 15, 1859
- 1974 — SCJ (Dehonians) begin staffing Sacred Hearts
- 1998 (July 1) — Sacred Hearts and Holy Assumption officially merge as St. Martin of Tours; Fr. Charlie Bisgrove, SCJ leads transition
- 2000 (June) — Fr. Charles Bisgrove, SCJ completes term
- 2001 — Fr. Tony Russo, SCJ appointed pastor
- 2002 — 'Building a New Tradition' capital campaign launched, raising $2.7 million
- 2003 (April 27) — Groundbreaking for the new church
- 2004 (October 4) — New church dedicated; total project cost $7.345 million
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Martin of Tours describes itself as 'a diverse and vibrant, growing community of disciples of Jesus Christ that aspires to be a beacon of the Word to all.' The parish places special emphasis on Stewardship, Youth, Evangelization, Faith Formation, and outreach to the poor.
- Vision: a diverse and vibrant, growing community of disciples of Jesus Christ that aspires to be a beacon of the Word to all
- Mission: to become growing disciples sent to minister to brothers and sisters in the parish and larger community through worship, formation, diversity, and service
- Pastoral focus areas: Stewardship, Youth, Evangelization, Faith Formation, Outreach to the poor
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by a pastoral team of Dehonian (SCJ) priests and three deacons, supported by lay staff in religious education, communications, administration, bookkeeping, and music.
- Rev. Andrzej Sudol, SCJ — Pastor (Ext. 3005; 414-209-7677; [email protected])
- Rev. Francis Vu Anh Tran, SCJ — Associate Pastor (Ext. 3006; 414-209-7676; [email protected])
- Deacon Charles Schneider (Ext. 3011; 414-209-7681; [email protected])
- Deacon Linh Bruno Nguyen
- Deacon Tien Pham ([email protected])
- Br. Andy Gancarczyk, SCJ
- Deneen Waddell — Director of Religious Education (414-425-1114 x3099)
- Jenny Drzewiecki — Ministry and Communications Director (414-209-7682)
- Pilar Azmani — Administrative and Pastoral Care Assistant (414-425-1114)
- Maria Rodriguez — Bookkeeper (414-209-7684)
- Mary MacDonald — Music Director
Mass & Sacraments
St. Martin of Tours offers daily weekday Mass, three Sunday Masses (two in English and one in Vietnamese), and a Saturday Vigil. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturday afternoons and Monday evenings (with Adoration). Holy Day Masses are offered in English and in Vietnamese.
- Weekday Mass — Monday through Friday at 8:30am in Church
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00pm
- Sunday Mass — 8:30am (English), 10:30am (English), 12:30pm (Vietnamese)
- Holy Day Masses — 8:30am English, 6:30pm English, 8:00pm Vietnamese (parish site) / 7:30pm Bilingual (per bulletin)
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00pm, or by appointment
- Adoration & Reconciliation — Monday 6:00pm (except holidays and Holy Days)
- Liturgy of the Hours & Adoration — Tuesday 6:00pm (unless noted)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Director of Religious Education (Deneen Waddell) coordinates faith formation for parishioners, supported by the parish's emphasis on lifelong learning and evangelization.
- Director of Religious Education: Deneen Waddell (414-425-1114 x3099)
- RCIA and sacramental preparation available through the parish office
Music Ministry
Liturgical music at St. Martin of Tours is coordinated by Music Director Mary MacDonald, supporting weekend Masses, holy days, weddings, funerals, and devotional services.
- Music Director: Mary MacDonald
Human Concerns & Outreach
The Human Concerns Committee coordinates the parish's charitable outreach, supported by a Needy Fund, seasonal collections, blood drives, and the Advent Angel Giving Tree. The parish also operates the St. Martin of Tours Food Pantry and supports several smaller outreach ministries.
- St. Martin of Tours Food Pantry — open Tuesdays 10:00am–12:00pm, or by appointment; donations accepted in bins outside the school doors
- Needy Fund — applications available through Susanne Jensen ([email protected])
- Angel Giving Tree — Advent gift collection for needy Milwaukee organizations
- Twice-yearly Blood Drives
- Fall Collection supporting a different local charity each year
- Contact: Susanne Jensen (Human Concerns Committee)
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Volunteers knit, crochet, and sew prayer shawls and other comfort items for people in need, praying for recipients throughout the process. Open to parishioners and non-parishioners.
- Knit/crochet hats for preemies
- Blankets for stillborn and miscarried babies
- Quilted baby blankets for the NICU at St. Francis Hospital
- Shawls for veterans on dialysis at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center
- Helmet liners and pocket prayer shawls for the military
- Warm hats and scarves sent to the Southside Meal Program
- Contact: Char Goehring (414-423-1521; [email protected])
Common Ground
An outreach/connection ministry of the parish; contact Mike Karolewicz (414-529-5195) for current meeting dates and times.
- Contact: Mike Karolewicz, 414-529-5195
Administration & Leadership
Parish governance at St. Martin of Tours is shared between the pastor and lay leadership through several councils and committees, supported by an elected board of Parish Trustees.
- Pastoral Council — provides continuous pastoral planning and spiritual leadership
- Finance Council — meets on the third Tuesday of each month to review the parish budget
- Building & Grounds — maintains parish grounds and cemetery; contact Joe Koshick
- Welcoming Committee — telephones newly registered parishioners
- Mission Advancement Committee (MAC, formerly the 360 Degree Committee) — focuses on community-building, faith development, and a 5-year missionary/evangelical vision
- Parish Trustees (two-year terms) — David Vanness and Joanne Stolowski
- Stewardship
Visiting & Joining the Parish
St. Martin of Tours welcomes new parishioners and visitors. The parish office is the first point of contact for registration, baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick, and other pastoral needs. Visitors can text 'MOT' to 84576 from a mobile phone for parish updates.
- Parish Office Hours — Monday–Thursday 9:00am–4:00pm; closed Friday (Staff Work Day) and weekends
- Phone: (414) 425-1114
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 7963 S. 116th Street, Franklin, WI 53132-2148
- Text 'MOT' to 84576 for parish updates
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Charles (Charlie) Bisgrove, SCJthrough June 2000
Pastored Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary at the time of the merger; oversaw the initial combination of the two parishes into St. Martin of Tours in 1998.
- Fr. Tony Russo, SCJAdministrator from 2000, appointed pastor early 2001
Continued the process of merging the two parishes, refined the strategic plan, and led the 'Building a New Tradition' capital campaign that produced the new 2004 church.
- Rev. Andrzej Sudol, SCJcurrent
Current pastor.