About St. Mary · Coon Valley, Wisconsin
St. Mary's Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Coon Valley, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of La Crosse (Richland Center Deanery). The church was officially dedicated on August 14, 1910, and has served the local farming community in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin for more than a century. Today the parish is jointly led with Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Viroqua by Fr. Joe Richards, Parochial Administrator, and continues a vibrant sacramental life with weekend and weekday Masses, Saturday confessions, and a family-based religious education program shared with its Viroqua partner parish.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Joe Richards (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Richland Center Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers the heart of Catholic life in a small, welcoming rural setting: Saturday vigil and Sunday morning Mass, weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday, and Saturday confessions before the vigil. Faith formation is taken seriously, with a full family-based religious education program (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Family of Faith, Blessed sacramental prep, Encounter Bible Timeline, Decision Point, Confirmation prep, and Bible studies) shared with sister parish Annunciation of the BVM in Viroqua. New parishioners can register by downloading a simple form from the parish website, and the parish's long pastoral history — going back to its 1910 dedication — speaks to a community that has faithfully passed the faith from one generation to the next.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
About St. Mary's Parish
St. Mary's is a small Catholic parish serving the village of Coon Valley in western Wisconsin's Driftless region. It belongs to the Diocese of La Crosse and sits within the Richland Center Deanery. The parish is currently administered jointly with Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Viroqua. The parish's welcome page reads simply: "All are welcome who enter our doors."
- Diocese of La Crosse, Richland Center Deanery
- Church at 900 Central Ave., Coon Valley, WI 54623
- Parish office / rectory at 904 Central Ave., Coon Valley, WI 54623-9744
- Phone: 608-452-3841 • Email: [email protected]
Our Staff
The parish is led day-to-day by a small staff working closely with the priest.
- Fr. Joe Richards — Parochial Administrator (also serves Annunciation of the BVM, Viroqua)
- Amy Stafslien — Administrative Assistant and Webmaster
- Vacant — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Pat Obernberger — Religious Education contact ([email protected])
- Bridget Goodwin — Religious Education contact ([email protected])
Pastoral History of St. Mary's Parish
The parish's own website keeps a running timeline of every priest who has served St. Mary's. The parish was founded under Fr. Theo Fraling in 1910 and has since been served by more than two dozen priests, several of whom simultaneously taught at Aquinas High School or pastored neighboring parishes as part of multi-parish clusters. Two stories stand out: Bishop John P. Treacy asked Fr. Thomas J. Halloran to come say a single Mass in 1947, and he ended up staying for 25 years; and Fr. Wayne Kidd retired in 2010 for health reasons, beginning a period in which the parish was realigned several times with surrounding parishes before settling into its current partnership with Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Viroqua.
- 1910 — Church dedicated; Fr. Theo Fraling first pastor
- 1935 — St. Mary's temporarily attached to Cashton (Fr. Timmeraman)
- 1947 — Fr. Thomas J. Halloran arrives for "one Mass" and stays 25 years
- 1960 — First rectory purchased; 1965 — replacement house bought next door
- 1989–2010s — Increasing alignment with neighboring parishes (Middle Ridge, St. Joseph's Ridge, Genoa, Viroqua)
- 2018–2022 — Fr. Matthew Marshall also serves as Chaplain to the Hmong Community in La Crosse
- 2022–present — Fr. Joe Richards, Parochial Administrator
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education at St. Mary's is run together with Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Viroqua. The 2025–2026 program offers something for every age, from toddlers through high school seniors, with a special focus on encountering Christ at the center of parish catechesis. Registration forms can be downloaded from the parish website; the program fee is $35 per family.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – Atrium I (Ages 3–6)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – Atrium II (Ages 6–9)
- Family of Faith (K–9)
- Blessed: First Reconciliation (Grades 2–5)
- Blessed: First Communion (Grades 2–5)
- Encounter: Bible Timeline (Grades 6–8)
- Decision Point (Grade 9)
- Confirmation Preparation (Grades 10–12)
- Bible Study for Sunday Gospel Preparation (Grades 11+)
- Little Rock Bible Study, 6- or 3-session options (Grades 11+)
- Program fee: $35 per family
Sacraments
Preparation for the sacraments is woven into the religious education program. Children baptized outside St. Mary's or Annunciation of the BVM (Viroqua) are asked to provide a photocopy of their Baptismal Certificate before receiving a sacrament.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Reconciliation — Blessed program (Grades 2–5)
- First Communion — Blessed program (Grades 2–5)
- Confirmation — Decision Point (Grade 9) and Confirmation Preparation (Grades 10–12)
- Marriage and Anointing — contact the parish office
Becoming a Parishioner
St. Mary's openly welcomes new parishioners. Registration is simple: download the parish Registration Form from the website, then deliver it to Fr. Joe or mail it to the parish office at 904 Central Ave., Coon Valley, WI 54623.
- Download Registration Form from stmaryscv.org
- Mail or hand-deliver to the parish office
- Contact: 608-452-3841 • [email protected]
Bulletins & News
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin with the most up-to-date information on events, Mass intentions, and announcements. Recent and upcoming bulletins are archived on the parish website as PDFs.
- Weekly bulletin posted in PDF format at stmaryscv.org/bulletins
- Contains upcoming events, Mass intentions, ministry news
- Best source for last-minute changes to the schedule
Cemetery
St. Mary's Parish also operates the North Ridge Cemetery, a local Catholic burial ground serving the Coon Valley area. Inquiries about records or lot information can be directed to the parish office.
- Cemetery name: North Ridge Cemetery
- Operated by St. Mary's Catholic Church, Coon Valley
Visit Us
Visitors are warmly welcomed at any of the regularly scheduled Masses listed above. The parish office at 904 Central Ave. handles inquiries during the week.
- Church location: 900 Central Ave., Coon Valley, WI 54623
- Rectory / parish office: 904 Central Ave., Coon Valley, WI 54623-9744
- Phone: 608-452-3841
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Theo Fraling1910–1923
First pastor at the dedication of the church on August 14, 1910.
- Fr. Leo J. Lang1923–1930
- Fr. Tony Fischer1930–1935
- Fr. Joseph Kundinger1935 (a few months)
St. Mary's was then briefly attached to Cashton; Fr. Timmeraman served.
- Fr. John B. Pinion1936–1945
- Fr. J. Burgraft & Fr. Anderal1945–1947
Alternated coming to the mission from neighboring parishes.
- Fr. Thomas J. Halloran (later Msgr.)1947–~1972
Asked by Bishop Treacy to say a single Mass; stayed 25 years. Parish purchased its first rectory (1960) and a replacement house (1965) during his tenure.
- Fr. Wagner1972
Appointed when Msgr. Halloran developed health issues.
- Fr. Edmund Doerre1981–1989
- Fr. Norm Boneck1989 (interim)
Served while Fr. Doerre was reassigned.
- Fr. Robert Hundt1989–1991
Jointly pastored St. Peter's of Middle Ridge.
- Fr. David Kunz1991–1995
Also an instructor at Aquinas High School.
- Fr. John McHugh1995–1996
Connected with Aquinas High School.
- Fr. Maryon Jordan1996–1998
- Fr. Robert CookJan–Dec 1998
Served as Parochial Administrator.
- Fr. Zbigniw Kucharski1998–2002
Priest from Poland.
- Fr. Michael Klos2002–2004
- Fr. Dunklee2004–2006
- Fr. Wayne Kidd2006–2010
Retired for health reasons in June 2010.
- Fr. Michael J. Gorman (Msgr.)2010–
Dean of the La Crosse Deanery; served as administrator during transitions.
- Fr. Francis Abuah-QuansahOct 2010–2011
Administered the cluster of St. Mary's, St. Peter's (Middle Ridge) and St. Joseph's (St. Joseph's Ridge).
- Fr. Joseph Nakwah2011–2012
Continued the cluster with St. Peter's and St. Joseph's.
- Fr. William Dhein2012–2014
Aligned with St. Charles Borromeo, Genoa, WI.
- Fr. Timothy Welles2014–2015
Aligned with St. Joseph Ridge Parish.
- Fr. John Selva Manohar2015–Feb 2016
From India; resigned due to complications with his U.S. visa.
- Fr. Joseph Maria Arokiam, OFM CapJune 2017–Feb 2018
Capuchin friar.
- Fr. Matthew MarshallMay 2018–May 2022
Also served as Chaplain to the Hmong Community in La Crosse and (until 2020) chaplain at Aquinas Middle and High School.
- Fr. Joseph 'Joe' Richards2022–present
Current Parochial Administrator; serves St. Mary's jointly with Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Viroqua.