About St. Mary · Peshtigo, Wisconsin
St. Mary Parish in Peshtigo, Wisconsin is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Green Bay serving the small city of Peshtigo in Marinette County. It is famously the parish of Father Peter Pernin, the heroic priest-pastor of the Great Peshtigo Fire of October 8, 1871 — the deadliest wildfire in American history — whose white tabernacle, carried into the Peshtigo River that night, is still preserved as a parish relic. Today's parish community shares administration and faith formation with the linked SS. Joseph & Edward Parish in nearby Walsh, while remaining a distinct parish with its own school (the Peshtigo PreK–5 campus of Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy), parish hall, and mid-century church built in 1956.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Michael Lightner (Administrator, since July 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a small-town Catholic community anchored by the historic legacy of Father Peter Pernin and the miraculous 1871 tabernacle, plus the practical benefits of a full Catholic life: weekend and weekday Mass in Peshtigo, confession a half hour before every Mass (and by appointment), a faith formation program for children and adults that includes RCIA, a Christian Service Group that runs food and clothing drives, and the only PreK–5 Catholic grade school campus in the area (Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy at Peshtigo). The parish is also active in regional devotional life, including a long-running Living Way of the Cross presented by its faith formation students.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- One half hour before every Mass (i.e., before Sat 4:30 pm and Sun 10:00 am Masses at Peshtigo, and before Sun 8:00 am Mass at Walsh)
- Saturday 3:45–4:15 pm at Peshtigo (per Diocese of Green Bay confessor listing)
History of St. Mary Parish, Peshtigo
St. Mary Parish was established in 1865 with the arrival of its first pastor, Father Anthony Mazeaud. Father Peter Pernin, who succeeded him in 1868, guided the building of the first church, which was nearly complete when the Great Peshtigo Fire of October 8, 1871 destroyed it along with most of the town. The parish rebuilt, only to lose the second church to fire on March 19, 1927 (the Feast of St. Joseph). After the 1927 fire the parish acquired the vacant Congregational Church across the Peshtigo River and moved it onto the original foundation, where it still stands today — it has been the Peshtigo Fire Museum since 1963. In 1952, under Fr. Ed Bujarski, a five-acre site at South Wood Avenue and Thompson Street was purchased for a permanent church; the present church opened in 1956, the school and rectory in 1957, and a parish hall and classrooms in 1965, the parish centennial year. In 2001, St. Mary was linked with SS. Joseph & Edward Parish in Walsh.
- 1865: Fr. Anthony Mazeaud arrives as first pastor.
- 1868: Fr. Peter Pernin arrives as second pastor.
- October 8, 1871: First church destroyed in the Great Peshtigo Fire; Fr. Pernin saves the tabernacle.
- March 19, 1927: Rebuilt church destroyed by fire on the Feast of St. Joseph.
- Late 1927: Parish acquires the Congregational Church building and has it moved to the original foundation.
- 1952: Five-acre site at South Wood Ave. and Thompson St. purchased under Fr. Ed Bujarski.
- 1956: Present Colonial Revival/Georgian Revival brick church opens.
- 1957: Rectory and convent (now parish office) completed.
- 1963: Congregation-built structure becomes the Peshtigo Fire Museum.
- 1965: Parish hall, meeting room and four classrooms completed for the 100th anniversary.
- 2001: St. Mary is linked with SS. Joseph & Edward, Walsh.
The 1871 Tabernacle and the Miracle of the Peshtigo Fire
The most venerated artifact of St. Mary Parish is the small oak tabernacle from its first church. On the night of October 8, 1871, as flames swept through Peshtigo, Father Pernin placed the tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament on a cart and tried to haul it to safety; when the fire became too intense, he pushed the cart into the Peshtigo River and turned to rescue survivors. The next morning a parishioner led him back to the river, where the tabernacle was found 'snowy white,' floating on a log amid the charred debris — a scene that local Catholics immediately regarded as miraculous and that Pernin himself described as the 'finger of God.' After roughly three moves among priests in upper Wisconsin between about 1900 and 1978, the tabernacle was returned to St. Mary largely through the efforts of Fr. Michael Clifford. It is displayed at the parish in winter and on loan to the Peshtigo Fire Museum from May through October.
- Tabernacle from the first 1871 church.
- Saved by Fr. Peter Pernin the night of the Great Peshtigo Fire.
- Returned to St. Mary Parish by Fr. Michael Clifford.
- Displayed at Peshtigo Fire Museum (May–October) and St. Mary Church (winter months).
Parish Staff and Office
The parish is administered by Fr. Michael Lightner (Administrator, since July 1, 2025), with retired Deacon Charles Schumacher assisting. The parish office team includes Barbara Trempe (Administrative Assistant, St. Mary) and Debbie Sievert (Bookkeeper, St. Mary). The parish office at 171 S. Wood Ave, Peshtigo is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Kelly Wuhrman serves as Administrative Assistant for the linked SS. Joseph & Edward Parish in Walsh.
- Fr. Michael Lightner — Administrator
- Charles Schumacher — Deacon (Retired)
- Barbara Trempe — Administrative Assistant, St. Mary
- Debbie Sievert — Bookkeeper, St. Mary
- Kelly Wuhrman — Administrative Assistant, SS. Joseph & Edward
- Parish office hours (Peshtigo): Mon–Thu 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a faith formation program that serves both the spiritual education of its youth and adults wishing to deepen their Catholic faith. It also assists those seeking Baptism or full initiation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Each Lent the parish hosts 'The Living Way of the Cross,' a live Passion play presented by faith formation students — a tradition at St. Mary for more than 25 years. The parish shares this program with the linked SS. Joseph & Edward Parish in Walsh.
- Faith Formation for children and adults
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Baptism preparation
- Annual Living Way of the Cross (Lenten Passion play, ~25+ year parish tradition)
Parish School: Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy (Peshtigo Campus)
The PreK through 5th grade elementary campus of Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy is located on the St. Mary Parish site in Peshtigo. The Academy itself is the tri-cities Catholic school serving Peshtigo, Marinette and Menominee, MI, formed in 2005 from the merger of St. Mary Pre K–8 School in Peshtigo, Holy Family K–8 School in Marinette, and Marinette Catholic Central High School. The school is accredited by the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Association, begins each day with prayer, and has students attend and participate in weekly Mass.
- PreK–5 elementary campus on the St. Mary Parish site
- Part of Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy (formed 2005)
- Accredited by the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Association
- Weekly Mass for students
Christian Service and Outreach
St. Mary shares a Christian Service Group with SS. Joseph & Edward, Walsh, that does community outreach through food drives, school-supply drives for children in need, winter-clothing collections, and other projects to help the less fortunate in Marinette County.
- Food drives
- School-supply drives for children in need
- Winter-clothing collections
- Other community outreach opportunities
Link with SS. Joseph & Edward Parish, Walsh
Since 2001, St. Mary Parish in Peshtigo and SS. Joseph & Edward Parish in Walsh have been linked — they remain canonically independent parishes but share a single priest, a shared bulletin, a shared faith formation program, and a shared Christian Service Group. SS. Joseph & Edward itself was formed in 2004 through the merger of St. Joseph Parish, Walsh and St. Edward Parish, Wagner; the St. Edward church building and property were sold at the time of the merger.
- Linked since 2001; share a priest
- Shared bulletin and shared faith formation program
- Shared Christian Service Group
- SS. Joseph & Edward was formed in 2004 by the merger of St. Joseph, Walsh and St. Edward, Wagner
Visiting the Parish and the Peshtigo Fire Museum
Visitors to St. Mary are welcome to attend Mass (Sat 4:30 pm, Sun 10:00 am) and to confess one half hour before Mass. The parish office at 171 S. Wood Ave, Peshtigo is open Mon–Thu 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Pilgrims to the parish typically also visit the nearby Peshtigo Fire Museum, which stands on the original site of the 1871 church and displays the famous 1871 tabernacle on loan from St. Mary from May through October.
- Parish address: 171 S. Wood Ave, Peshtigo, WI 54157
- Phone: (715) 582-3876
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Nearby: Peshtigo Fire Museum (May–October tabernacle display)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Anthony Mazeaud1865–1868
First resident pastor sent to Peshtigo by the Diocese of Green Bay.
- Fr. Peter Pernin1868–1875
Second pastor; led the parish during the Great Peshtigo Fire of October 8, 1871; saved the tabernacle from the burning church by pushing it into the Peshtigo River; later wrote the eyewitness memoir 'The Finger of God Is There!' (1874).
- Fr. Ed Bujarski1952 (mentioned as pastor)
Pastor in 1952 when the five-acre site for the present church was purchased; oversaw the building program that produced the present 1956 church, school, rectory and convent.
- Fr. Michael Clifford
Returned the 1871 tabernacle relic to St. Mary, Peshtigo after it had been moved among priests in upper Wisconsin for roughly 1900–1978.
- Fr. Edmundo Siguenzato June 30, 2025
Administrator of St. Mary, Peshtigo, and SS. Joseph & Edward, Walsh; concluded appointment June 30, 2025 and concluded faculties for the Diocese at the same date.
- Fr. Michael LightnerJuly 1, 2025–present
Current Administrator of St. Mary (Peshtigo) and SS. Joseph & Edward (Walsh); also Chaplain of Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy, Marinette/Peshtigo.