About St. Mary · Black Creek, Wisconsin
St. Mary Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the village of Black Creek, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. The parish traces its origins to 1873–1874, when local Catholic families built their first church, completed in 1878. Today St. Mary's serves Mass in English, is administered by a diocesan priest who also serves the neighboring mission of St. Lawrence in Navarino, and welcomes worshippers to a church on East Burdick Street that has been enlarged and renewed over more than a century of Catholic life in rural northeast Wisconsin.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. David Greskowiak (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Mary is a welcoming small-town Catholic parish with a clear weekly rhythm: daily Mass Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 a.m., a Saturday vigil at 4:00 p.m., and a Sunday morning Mass at 8:00 a.m., with Saturday confessions from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. The parish is part of the Diocese of Green Bay and currently shares its pastor with the nearby St. Lawrence mission in Navarino, giving it a missionary, family-sized character. For Catholics in the Black Creek area of Outagamie County it is a long-standing local parish with deep roots — the first church was built here in 1874 — and a convenient spiritual home where English-speaking families can pray, receive the sacraments, and prepare their children in religious education.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 – 3:45 PM
Parish Overview
St. Mary Parish (sometimes listed in directories as St. Mary Parish of Black Creek or St. Mary, Black Creek) is a Roman Catholic community within the Diocese of Green Bay, located in the village of Black Creek in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 217, Black Creek, WI 54106-0217, and the parish office can be reached at (920) 984-3319 or [email protected].
- Diocese: Green Bay
- Deanery: Southwest (per the 2023–24 diocesan directory)
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Language: English
- Office Manager: Diane Van Asten
History
St. Mary's was founded by Catholic settlers in the early 1870s in what was then the village of Middleburg (renamed Black Creek in 1874). The community rented a hall for worship beginning in 1873 and built its first church starting in 1874, completing it in 1878 on the corner of Elm Street (now WIS 54) and Beech Street. A larger church replaced it on North Beech Street in 1901, and a parish school was built behind it in 1904. The old 1878 wooden church was sold to Immanuel Lutheran in 1914 and later burned; the Lutheran congregation rebuilt in brick on the same site. The parish school was moved in 1947, and in 1978 a substantial addition was built onto the present church on East Burdick Street.
- 1873: congregation worships in a rented hall
- 1874–1878: first St. Mary's church built on Elm & Beech Streets
- 1901: second (larger) church built on N. Beech Street
- 1904: parish school built behind the church
- 1914: old 1878 church sold to Immanuel Lutheran; later destroyed by fire
- 1947: parish school relocated
- 1978: addition built onto present church on E. Burdick Street
Clergy and Pastoral Succession
St. Mary's has been served by a succession of diocesan priests of the Diocese of Green Bay. Early twentieth-century records include Father Lawrence Loerke (1932–1938). In more recent decades, Father Theodore J. Hendricks served as pastor from January 2003 to July 2019, after which Father Donald Zuleger was listed as Administrator in the 2020 parish handbook. The current administrator, as recorded in the 2023–24 diocesan directory, is Rev. David Greskowiak, who simultaneously serves St. Lawrence Parish in Navarino.
- Rev. Lawrence Loerke — pastor 1932–1938
- Rev. Theodore J. Hendricks — pastor Jan 2003–Jul 2019
- Rev. Donald Zuleger — Administrator (c. 2020)
- Rev. David Greskowiak — current Administrator (2023–24 directory); also serves St. Lawrence, Navarino
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education at St. Mary's is coordinated through the parish office. The RE contact listed in the diocesan directory is Kim Johnson, who can be reached at [email protected]. Families preparing children for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation typically enroll through this parish program.
- Religious Education Coordinator: Kim Johnson
- Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation
- Contact: [email protected]
Linked Mission: St. Lawrence, Navarino
Since at least 2020 the Diocese of Green Bay has listed St. Lawrence Parish in Navarino (W5125 State Hwy 156, Bonduel, WI 54107, in neighboring Shawano County) as 'served from St. Mary, Black Creek.' The current administrator of both parishes is Rev. David Greskowiak, with a parish emergency contact number of 715-758-8161 and a parish email of [email protected].
- St. Lawrence Parish, Navarino (W5125 State Hwy 156, Bonduel, WI 54107)
- Administrator: Rev. David Greskowiak
- Emergency phone: 715-758-8161
- Email: [email protected]
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors may contact the parish office by phone at (920) 984-3319 or by email at [email protected]. The parish worship site is at 301 East Burdick Street, Black Creek, WI 54106, with mailing address P.O. Box 217, Black Creek, WI 54106-0217. Saturday confessions run from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m., and the Saturday vigil Mass follows at 4:00 p.m.
- Address: 301 E. Burdick Street, Black Creek, WI 54106
- Mailing: P.O. Box 217, Black Creek, WI 54106-0217
- Phone: (920) 984-3319
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stmarysbc.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Lawrence Loerke1932–1938
Ordained 1923; assigned to St. Mary, Black Creek per the Diocese of Green Bay clergy disclosure list.
- Rev. Theodore J. (Ted) HendricksJanuary 2003 – July 2019
Ordained 1965; served 16+ years as pastor of St. Mary Parish, Black Creek; continued as Sacramental Minister/Senior Priest in the Diocese of Green Bay after 2019.
- Rev. Donald Zulegerc. 2019/2020
Listed as Administrator of St. Mary Parish (Black Creek), also serving St. Lawrence, Navarino, in the 2020 ArchMil/Green Bay parish handbook.
- Rev. David Greskowiakas of 2023–24 directory
Current Administrator of St. Mary Parish, Black Creek; also serves St. Lawrence, Navarino. Office Manager: Diane Van Asten; Religious Education Contact: Kim Johnson.