About St. Mary · Bangor, Wisconsin
St. Mary Parish was a small Catholic community in Bangor, Wisconsin, established in 1898 to serve the faithful of the village and surrounding rural area. For 122 years it ministered in its Johnson Street church — a humble frame building later expanded in 1910 and again in 1928 when the former Concordia Hall was remodeled into a stucco church. After major structural failure was discovered in spring 2020, the church was deconsecrated on October 26, 2020. On July 1, 2021, Bishop William P. Callahan of the Diocese of La Crosse merged St. Mary with neighboring St. Leo the Great in West Salem into the new St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish, whose worship site is now the former St. Leo church. Today, the Catholics of Bangor remain part of that combined parish family.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Reverend Raja Kennedy Arul-Samy (Pastor of St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish, the successor parish of St. Mary as of July 1, 2021)
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse
Why belong here
St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish is the home of Bangor's Catholics after St. Mary Church merged with neighboring St. Leo the Great in 2021. Members of the Bangor community gather for Sunday Mass (8:00 and 10:00 a.m.) and weekday liturgies in West Salem, share in monthly Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and serve through a wide range of lay ministries — lectors, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, choir, homebound communion, and a prayer line. The parish welcomes new families and offers Religious Education for children preparing for First Reconciliation and other sacraments.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 p.m.
- By appointment (contact Monsignor Burrill, 608.786.0610 ext 4)
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament begins after the 8:30 a.m. Mass and ends with Benediction at 12:00 p.m.
History of St. Mary Parish, Bangor
St. Mary Parish was founded in Bangor, Wisconsin in 1898 to serve the local Catholic community that had previously belonged to surrounding parishes. The first Masses were celebrated in private homes by Monsignor Henry Flock, pastor of St. Patrick's in Sparta, who formally dedicated the first church on Thanksgiving Day, 1898. A sacristy and sanctuary were added in 1910, and in April 1928 the parish acquired the Concordia Hall from a German gymnastic society and remodeled it as its permanent home. In 2018 the parish celebrated 120 years of ministry. Major structural failure in spring 2020 forced the closure of the church, which was deconsecrated on October 26, 2020 by Bishop William P. Callahan of the Diocese of La Crosse.
- 1898: Parish established; first Masses in private homes; first frame church built on Johnson Street.
- Thanksgiving Day 1898: Formal dedication by Monsignor Henry Flock.
- 1902: Eleven families active in the parish.
- 1910: Sacristy and sanctuary added.
- April 1928: Concordia Hall purchased and remodeled; dedicated October 28, 1928.
- 2018: 120th anniversary celebrated.
- Spring 2020: Major structural failure discovered.
- October 26, 2020: Church formally deconsecrated.
Merger into St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish
After the deconsecration of St. Mary, Bishop Callahan determined that the two parish families — St. Leo the Great in West Salem and St. Mary in Bangor — should be merged into a single parish using the former St. Leo church in West Salem as the worship site. The resulting parish took the name St. Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) and was officially established July 1, 2021, with Father Raja Kennedy Arul-Samy appointed as its first pastor.
- Decree of merger issued by Bishop William P. Callahan, Diocese of La Crosse, effective July 1, 2021.
- Worship site: former St. Leo the Great church, 210 W Hamlin St, West Salem, WI.
- Faithful of Bangor continue as members of St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish.
Parish Staff
The day-to-day life of the merged parish of the former St. Mary community is supported by a pastor, a deacon, a coordinator of religious education, a director of sacred music, and a pastoral secretary.
- Pastor: Rev. Raja Kennedy Arul-Samy
- Monsignor Burrill
- Deacon Robert 'Bob' Zietlow — Deacon / Director of Building & Grounds (608.786.0610 ext 5, [email protected])
- Karla Schams — Coordinator of Religious Education (608.786.0610 ext 2, [email protected])
- Kelli Martin — Director of Sacred Music (608.786.0610 ext 3, [email protected])
- Sandy Sesvold — Pastoral Secretary (608.786.0610 ext 6, [email protected])
Ministries and Get Involved
St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish (successor to St. Mary) invites parishioners into liturgical, spiritual, and outreach ministries that sustain the worship life of the community. Training and required clearances are provided for all volunteers.
- Altar Servers
- Lector at Mass
- Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
- Communion for the Homebound
- Music Ministries & Choir
- Eucharistic Adoration (hourly commitment)
- Prayer Line
- Money Counter
Religious Education and Sacraments
Faith formation for the parish's children is coordinated by Karla Schams. The second-grade curriculum prepares students for First Reconciliation, in keeping with the parish's longstanding sacramental catechesis.
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Karla Schams
- First Reconciliation prepared in Grade 2 Religious Education
- Ongoing faith formation for parish youth
Contact and Office
Pastoral services and sacramental records for former St. Mary parishioners are now handled through the St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish office in West Salem.
- Pastoral Office: 210 W Hamlin St, West Salem, WI 54669
- Phone: (608) 786.0610
- Office email: [email protected]
- Website: https://westsalembangorcatholic.org
Diocese of La Crosse
St. Mary was part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, led at the time of the merger by the Most Reverend William P. Callahan. The diocese oversees sacramental records for closed parishes through its Diocesan Archives.
- Diocese: La Crosse
- Bishop at time of merger: Most Reverend William Patrick Callahan, D.D.
- Diocesan Archives: sacramental records for closed parishes are managed by the Diocese of La Crosse.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Henry Flock1898–
Pastor of St. Patrick's in Sparta; celebrated the first Masses in private homes in Bangor and formally dedicated the first St. Mary Church on Thanksgiving Day, 1898.