About St. Mary Catholic Church · Bruce, Wisconsin
St. Mary Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Bruce, Wisconsin, part of the Rusk County Catholic Community cluster within the Diocese of Superior. The parish was founded in 1893, the same year that Wisconsin bishops first petitioned Rome to carve out a new northern diocese, and serves the Bruce area along the Yellow River with a Saturday evening Mass and one weekday Mass each week. Worship and parish life are coordinated together with five neighboring parishes in the Rusk County cluster — Our Lady of Sorrows in Ladysmith, St. Francis of Assisi in Holcombe, St. Anthony de Padua in Tony, and Ss. Peter & Paul in Weyerhaeuser — under Sacramental Minister Fr. Joseph Kumar Mayakuntla and Supervising Pastor Fr. Patrick McConnell.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (Mother of God)
- Rector
- Fr. Joseph Kumar Mayakuntla (Sacramental Minister)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Superior
Why belong here
St. Mary Bruce is a small, traditional country parish where you will know the people in the pews, share in the cluster's faith-formation programs led by Lynnie Lengyel, and be served by three active deacons plus a Sacramental Minister and Supervising Pastor. As part of the six-parish Rusk County Catholic Community, the parish combines the warmth of a village church with the resources of a wider cluster — including shared RCIA, youth ministry, and parish council representation — all in the heart of Wisconsin's northwoods.
Mass times at St. Mary Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 AM (cluster-wide Reconciliation)
- By appointment any time — contact Fr. Joseph at (715) 532-3051
Rusk County Catholic Community Cluster
St. Mary Bruce is not a standalone parish — it is one of six parishes that together make up the Rusk County Catholic Community, a cluster that shares clergy, staff, faith formation, and a single parish office. The other members of the cluster are Our Lady of Sorrows in Ladysmith (the lead parish, where the cluster office is located), St. Francis of Assisi in Holcombe, St. Anthony de Padua in Tony, and Ss. Peter & Paul in Weyerhaeuser.
- Our Lady of Sorrows, Ladysmith — Wednesday 8:45 AM weekday; Sunday 9:00 AM weekend
- St. Francis of Assisi, Holcombe — Friday 8:15 AM weekday; Saturday 3:30 PM weekend
- St. Anthony de Padua, Tony — Wednesday 11:00 AM weekday; Sunday 10:30 AM weekend
- Ss. Peter & Paul, Weyerhaeuser — Thursday 8:15 AM weekday; Sunday 7:30 AM weekend
- St. Mary, Bruce — Thursday 9:30 AM weekday; Saturday 5:30 PM weekend
Clergy and Staff
The cluster is led by Sacramental Minister Fr. Joseph Kumar Mayakuntla (cell 715-292-5449), with Fr. Patrick McConnell serving as Supervising Pastor from Medford. Three deacons assist across the cluster: Thomas Fuhrmann, Craig Voldberg, and retired Deacon Douglas Sorenson. Parish Director Robert Lecheler runs day-to-day operations alongside Secretary Laurie Fortuna and Bookkeeper Marcy Tracy, while Faith Formation for the cluster is coordinated by Lynnie Lengyel.
- Fr. Joseph Kumar Mayakuntla — Sacramental Minister
- Fr. Patrick McConnell — Supervising Pastor (Medford)
- Robert Lecheler — Parish Director
- Laurie Fortuna — Secretary
- Marcy Tracy — Bookkeeper
- Lynnie Lengyel — Faith Formation Coordinator
- Deacon Thomas Fuhrmann
- Deacon Craig Voldberg
- Deacon Douglas Sorenson (Retired)
Cluster Office and Contact
All six cluster parishes share a single office located in Ladysmith. Office hours beginning July 11 are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Thursday and 8:00 AM to noon on Friday. The mailing address for the office is 611 First Street South, Ladysmith, WI 54848-1807, and the main phone line is (715) 532-3051 with fax (715) 609-1059.
- Cluster Office: 611 First Street South, Ladysmith, WI 54848-1807
- Phone: (715) 532-3051
- Fax: (715) 609-1059
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8 AM–4 PM, Fri 8 AM–Noon
Parish Council and Lay Leadership
St. Mary Bruce maintains its own Parish Council as part of the cluster's governance structure, giving the Bruce faith community a direct voice in decisions that affect its worship and life. The council operates alongside the councils of the other five cluster parishes.
- St. Mary Bruce Parish Council (named on the parish website)
Faith Formation
Religious education for children, youth, and adults — including preparation for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, plus RCIA — is run cluster-wide under Faith Formation Coordinator Lynnie Lengyel. Families in Bruce participate alongside families from the other five parishes.
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Lynnie Lengyel
- Cluster-wide sacramental preparation and RCIA
- Shared religious education programming for children and youth
History and Diocese
St. Mary parish in Bruce was canonically founded in 1893, the same year Wisconsin's bishops first petitioned Rome to create a new northern diocese. That diocese — the Diocese of Superior — was not actually erected until May 3, 1905, carved out of counties previously belonging to the dioceses of Green Bay and La Crosse. St. Mary Bruce is one of the older parishes in Rusk County and remains an active member of the Diocese of Superior's northern deanery today.
- Parish founded 1893 (Diocese of Superior founding register)
- Diocese of Superior established May 3, 1905
- Parish address since at least the modern era: 721 N. Second St., Bruce, WI 54819
Visiting St. Mary Bruce
St. Mary Bruce is a small country parish in the village of Bruce, in Rusk County, Wisconsin. Visitors coming off Highway 8 should turn north onto N 3rd Street and proceed one block; the parish sits on the southwest corner of N 3rd Street and East River Ave. Parking is available on the parish grounds. For anyone planning a visit, the parish office in Ladysmith (611 First Street South) is the best point of contact by phone at (715) 532-3051.
- Address: 721 N. Second St., Bruce, WI 54819
- Directions: Turn north on N 3rd St off Hwy 8; church on SW corner of N 3rd St & East River Ave
- On-site parking available