About St. Mary · Gays Mills, Wisconsin
St. Mary Parish is a small Catholic parish in the village of Gays Mills, Wisconsin, in Crawford County, founded in 1908 by 12 charter families who asked Bishop James Schwebach of the Diocese of La Crosse for permission to build a church in the Kickapoo River valley. Since the summer of 2021 it has been served by Fr. Tom Huff as part of the tri-parish cluster of Northern Crawford County, alongside St. Patrick in Seneca and St. Philip in Rolling Ground. The parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m. and Thursday Mass at 8:30 a.m., runs a Religious Education program on Wednesdays, takes part in the village's signature Applefest fundraiser, and welcomes visitors to its church daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for prayer and candles.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas (Tom) Huff
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Deanery of Prairie du Chien)
Why belong here
St. Mary is a small, close-knit country parish where the faithful still know each other by name, and visitors are welcomed daily into an open, prayed-in church. Members share a tangible heritage — the church they themselves quarried and built on the highest ground in the village to escape the Kickapoo floods — and they continue that legacy of hands-on stewardship through the Religious Education program, the Food Pantry, the First-Sunday Potluck Brunch, and the AppleFest Pancake Breakfast fundraiser that brings in thousands of dollars each year. With Fr. Tom Huff serving all three Northern Crawford parishes together, St. Mary offers a stable liturgical home, daily access to the church for prayer, and a real chance for any family or individual to take part in the life of the parish.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Sundays: 10:30 a.m.
Adoration times
- First Fridays: 8:30 a.m.
Parish History
St. Mary Parish traces its roots to 1908, when twelve Catholic families in the Kickapoo River valley asked Bishop James Schwebach of La Crosse for a church of their own. Their founders deliberately placed the building on the highest ground in Gays Mills to escape the Kickapoo's floods, and they built it themselves with help from Catholic and non-Catholic neighbors. It was dedicated on June 20, 1909, and Father Gustav J. Kaiser became its first resident pastor in 1911. Since 1985 St. Mary has been served together with neighboring parishes — first St. Philip of Rolling Ground, then St. Patrick of Seneca — and today forms part of the tri-parishes of Northern Crawford County under one pastor.
- 1857: First Catholic services in the valley — Rev. Fr. Lucien Gaultier near Rising Sun.
- 1908: Bishop James Schwebach grants permission; parish carved from St. Philip's, St. James and St. Patrick's.
- 1908: Father Henry J. Artman (pastor of St. Philip's) appointed to oversee Gays Mills.
- June 20, 1909: Church dedicated by Rt. Rev. A. P. Kremer, V.G.; over 2,000 attend.
- 1911: Father Gustav J. Kaiser becomes first resident pastor; rectory built in 1913.
- 1985: Father Joseph Martinson unites St. Mary's and St. Philip's under one pastor.
- 2000: Religious Education programs combined across the cluster.
- 2011: Father Eugene Wolf retires; Fr. Zacharie Beya takes on St. Patrick's as a third parish.
- Summer 2021: Father Tom Huff becomes pastor of the tri-parishes of Northern Crawford County.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Mary runs its Religious Education program on Wednesdays during the school year, drawing on the combined cluster of St. Mary, St. Philip and St. Patrick since 2000. Adults from all three parishes gather for a Tri-Parish Adult Faith Study that meets at St. Mary's, and the parish has publicly called for more volunteer teachers to keep the program strong.
- Religious Education for children — Wednesdays during the school year
- Combined program across St. Mary, St. Philip and St. Patrick (since 2000)
- Tri-Parish Adult Faith Study — meets at St. Mary's
- Parish call for additional catechists and teachers
Parish Life, Hospitality & Fellowship
Hospitality is one of the most visible marks of life at St. Mary. After Mass on the First Sunday of every month, parishioners gather in the church hall for a Potluck Brunch where everyone is welcome — a dish to share is appreciated but not required. Parish announcements and events are posted weekly in the bulletin, and the parish has used 'Brainstorming Sessions' in the church hall to plan future activities and recruit volunteers.
- First Sunday Potluck Brunch after Mass (dish to share appreciated)
- Brainstorming Sessions in the church hall to recruit volunteers
- Parish Service Group — sounding board for Parish Councils
Outreach & Applefest Fundraisers
St. Mary's biggest community event is its Applefest Pancake Breakfast, held each fall at the Gays Mills fairgrounds. The breakfast alone typically brings in $3,500 to $4,000 for the parish and depends on volunteer cooks and servers. The parish also operates a separate Applefest Food Stand (taco bar and pie à la mode) and supports a parish Food Pantry with donations collected in a basket at the rear of the church.
- Applefest Pancake Breakfast — annual fundraiser, $3,500–$4,000 gross
- Applefest Food Stand — taco bar and pie à la mode at the fairgrounds
- Food Pantry donations collected at the rear of the church
- Working the food stand counts toward student service hours
Tri-Parish Cluster of Northern Crawford County
Since 2011 St. Mary has been served together with St. Patrick of Seneca and St. Philip of Rolling Ground as the tri-parishes of Northern Crawford County, sharing one pastor (currently Fr. Tom Huff) and a combined Religious Education program. The cluster's mailing address, bulletin, secretary and contact email are shared, while each parish keeps its own Mass and confession schedule.
- St. Patrick Parish — Seneca, WI
- St. Philip Parish — Rolling Ground, WI
- St. James Cemetery — Rising Sun, WI
- Kneeland Cemetery — Seneca, WI
- Shared pastor: Rev. Thomas (Tom) Huff (since summer 2021)
- Shared parish secretary / bookkeeper: Kevin Murray
Staff & Pastoral Team
St. Mary is part of a small pastoral team that serves all three Northern Crawford parishes together. Fr. Tom Huff is the pastor and primary clergy presence, while Kevin Murray handles the bookkeeper, bulletin, Mass intention, and membership records for the cluster. Both can be reached through the parish rectory and email.
- Rev. Thomas (Tom) Huff — Pastor, [email protected], 608-734-3252
- Kevin Murray — Bookkeeper / Bulletin / Mass Intentions / Membership, 608-391-0434 or 608-734-3931, [email protected]
- Bulletin deadline: Mondays at 6:00 p.m.
Visiting St. Mary
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed to drop in at the church any day between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. for personal prayer and candle lighting. The parish asks that anyone planning a baptism, wedding, funeral or other sacramental celebration contact the rectory ahead of time so Fr. Tom Huff can coordinate with the cluster's schedule.
- Physical address: 121 School Street, Gays Mills, WI 54631
- Mailing address: PO Box 35, Seneca, WI 54654
- Rectory phone: 608-734-3252
- Diocese of La Crosse deanery: Prairie du Chien
- Open daily 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. for prayer
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Henry J. Artman1908–1911
Pastor of St. Philip's, Rolling Ground; appointed by Bishop Schwebach to oversee the new Gays Mills mission and the building of St. Mary.
- Rev. Gustav J. Kaiser1911–
First resident pastor; ordained June 13, 1911; oversaw construction of the rectory in 1913.
- Rev. Joseph Martinson1985–
Unified St. Mary's and St. Philip's Parishes under one pastor in 1985 due to a diocesan priest shortage.
- Rev. Eugene Wolfuntil 2011
Retired in 2011, which left St. Patrick's of Seneca without a resident pastor.
- Rev. Zacharie Beyapost-2011
Pastor of St. Mary and St. Philip; added St. Patrick's of Seneca as a third parish to his responsibilities.
- Rev. Thomas (Tom) Huffsummer 2021–present
Current pastor of the tri-parishes of Northern Crawford County (St. Mary, St. Patrick, St. Philip).